Career day at school is supposed to be a completely educational, eye-opening experience for kids. But last spring, career day at an elementary school in Albuquerque, New Mexico opened parents’ eyes and likely made them fearful that their children aren’t safe — even while under the supervision of local law enforcement …
The out-of-the-ordinary trouble began when police officer Christopher Webb visited the school. He reportedly asked a group of students if they wanted to wash his patrol car. When a 10-year-old boy named R.D. jokingly refused, Webb pointed a stun gun at him and said, “Let me show you what happens to people who do not listen to the police.” And that’s when Webb apparently actually stunned the little boy with a Taser!
R.D. was hit in the chest with two barbs and 50,000 volts of electricity and blacked out, according to Courthouse News Service. Aggghh!! And then, to add insult to (literal) injury, “instead of calling emergency medical personnel, Officer Webb apparently pulled out the barbs and took the boy to the school principal’s office,” says the lawsuit now playing out in court.
So what in the world does Webb has to say for himself? The officer told the Albuquerque Journal that the Taser was “accidentally discharged.” Wow. Maybe he shouldn’t have brought it to career day then?! I understand that accidents happen, but as the lawsuit notes, it definitely sounds like Webb acted in a “reckless manner.”
Finding that your child was under the supervision or at the mercy of someone acting like this officer did is pretty much the last thing any parent expects. Not only were R.D.’s parents probably incredibly shaken up by the incident, but the poor kid himself now reportedly suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has “woken up in the middle of the night holding his chest, afraid he is never going to wake up again.” OMG. What a nightmare. Imagine how other parents in this community must feel now, too, worried that their child could also be at risk in school or even out of school, considering that Webb is an officer serving the community and was only given three days suspension without pay. Wow.
Accident or not, this officer clearly inflicted serious mental and emotional damage on this family. With hope, this lawsuit turns out in the parents’ favor, and they’re compensated generously for their/their son’s completely unnecessary pain and suffering.
Can you believe this?! What would you do if you were R.D.’s parents or parents in the community?
Image via Cia./Flickr
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Comments 10
If I was those parents I would have that Officer's ass(excuse my French) on a plate. I hope he lost his job n unable to work with the public or kids again. My heart breaks for that boy n his parents.
Are you fucking kidding me? How did this guy manage to become a cop? Aren't they supposed to pass psychological tests before they're accepted into the police force? There's something clearly wrong with this guy; what if he aims and shoots at a student during the next career day? He is a dangerous and possibly mentally unstable man. I wound demand his dismissal and of course sue him!
Some cops are just grown-up (physically) bullies in a uniform. Most are not. Unfortunately this cop was. I'd find a way to put his ass in a sling for a long time, especially since tasering sometimes kills people. This was a kid getting an adult dose of taser! Thank goodness he's still alive. My mom was rear-ended by an off-duty cop in his personal car. (She didn't know he was a cop.) He spoke to her briefly and drove off. He said he didn't have insurance, and good luck getting anything out of him. This was in the 1960s. She was smart enough to jot down his license plate, and through he own detective work found out he was a local cop, found out what precinct he worked at, went in and spoke with his boss, and got his ass canned. Just like when you're in the hospital, you can't always trust those in authority and have to sometimes look out for your best interests. I hope this poor kid's parents can find the strength to legally go after this cop.
WTF?????????? An officer never pulls a weapon unless the officer feels there may be a reason to use it. I hope these parents own this SOB. This is beyond crossing the line. And accidently firing? Really? I don't think so.
Wreckless child endangerment should have been the least of the charges. I'm not an expert on stun guns but my guess is they were never designed with 10 year olds in mind. And using one to punish anyone instead of restrain them should be considered assault.