High School student Tasered for using a cell phone!

Published on June 7th, 2009

Posted by SN in General, Health Care, crime, legal, medical

Post Gazette – June 6, 2009:

At Penn Hills High School this morning, Chief Burton said, a student was walking up and down a hallway, using a cell phone. School policy permits students to have cell phones but not to use them during school except in emergencies, Chief Burton said.

A Penn Hills police officer told him to put the phone away and go to class.

“The kid refused to listen,” Chief Burton said. “The officer took him by the arm and said, ‘You have to go to the office.’ The student resisted, pushed the officer. The officer, defending himself, took out his stun gun and did a drive stun.”

Chief Burton said a drive stun involves pushing the Taser against a portion of the body and squeezing the trigger, thus immobilizing a portion of the body, such as the leg. He said this affects about a 2- or 3-inch area.

While on the floor, the student was still resisting and was placed in handcuffs, Chief Burton said. The student complained of a headache and dizziness and was taken to Forbes Regional Hospital.

Taser International’s argument is that Tasers are a safer alternative to guns. That’s certainly true, but sidesteps the entire issue. Does anyone seriously believe the officer would have used his gun in this instance?

Tell the student he’s suspended for using his cell phone, report it to the office, and then go about your business. How hard is that?

Arguing that “Tasers are safer than guns” is about as asinine as saying “Tasers are safer than anti-aircraft artillery.” That only makes sense when guns and anti-aircraft artillery are viable alternatives.

As Amodedoma brilliantly points out in the comments, apparently Tasers are not replacements for guns, they’re replacements for common sense!

53 users responded in " High School student Tasered for using a cell phone! "

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# 1 amodedoma said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:11 am

It’s becoming abundantly clear that officers are using tasers instead of common sense or communication skills. At this rate it won’t be long before they can just use robots with tasers that bark out orders and fire the tasers in case of non-compliance. OTH, public fear and mistrust of officers is on the rise making people less likely to ask for help from them or offer help to them. A brutal police force is the tool of a facist regieme.

# 2 Dallas said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:11 am

We absolutely live in a crazed society.

This is a direct result of our former government that has shown a complete lack of respect for civility and rule of law and order. Just today a poor soul was beat up by some wacko cop in Passaic, New Jersey. I

Speaking of wackos, they arrested the Christian Taliban madman that was off to assassinate our President. This comes on the heals of another Taliban that murdered an innocent, unarmed man in his church. Disgusting.

# 3 Bob Dole said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:24 am

Other alternatives include going hands on grappling with the student or walking away.

Your suggestions?

# 4 Zybch said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:26 am

Oh c’mon guys. This is quite possibly the ONLY situation that tasers should be used on people (other than with dangerous ppl who pose a ‘real’ threat to officers).

Freaking spoiled brat kids who think they need to use their stupid dumb phones at school should ALL be tazed in the balls (or nipples or whatever)!

There is NO NEED for non-tertiary students to ever have cell phones at school, period! If a kid wants to call mommy they either use school provided pay phones or speak to a teacher who, if its actually warranted, will let the student make a supervised call on a school landline phone.
‘Needing’ to chat to the student they sat next to all day is NOT acceptable.

# 5 Hugh Ripper said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:35 am

Whatever happened to grabbing em by the ear and hauling them to see the principal?

“The officer, defending himself, took out his stun gun and did a drive stun.”

Defending himself? Cmon…

# 6 jji said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:41 am

The problem is in the training. Police are given tazers and trained to use the as an “aid” or “tool” in making an arrest or subduing a person of interest. This is a change in the training, not just the tool. Police officers were given mace and pepper spray but told “you only use this when a suspect is fleeing but not armed”.

Now both pepper spray and tazers are used as tools to make taking down someone “more efficient and less strain on the officer”. Before an officer would have to wrestle a person to the ground and cuff them then drag them to a car. Although it might 3 or 4 to do it and every officer had pepper spray on their belt, not one of them thought of using it if the person was within arms reach. Now they go right for the tazer before any kind of struggle because its easier for them and there are no actions taken if the officer does.

Maybe they should keep track of tazer discharges as they do gun fires. Make the officer hand over the tazer and spend 3-4 days in hearings and investigations to make sure the tazer was really needed.

# 7 SN said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:46 am

Bob Dole wrote: “Your suggestions?”

I gave my suggestion. Learn how to fricken read! Tell the kid he’s suspended. Report the suspension to the office. Go about your business. Problem solved and no one was hurt.

# 8 Universal said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:55 am

Taser’s are safe my arse. They chuck out a max of 50,00 voltage with a max current of 18 amps. And that is justifiable safe ? I that case its safe to connect your self to a electrical outlet.

Considering that nerve damage as well as internal burns can result of a electrical shock this is torture. Being electrocuted is not safe.

The fact is it takes 0.05 of a mille amp to start defibrillation. When I was a collage on studying electrical engineering the first thing that was drummed into you was that electricity can kill. We were even told a man working on a emersion heater was killed with as little as 18 volts.

The fact is even to day we know very little on electrocution and the human body for this thing to even be called safe.

Unfortunately these thing have started to introduced into the uk, were I remember a old age dementia suffer was tasered because he had some glass in his hand mind you this was north wales police.

What ever this is a extreme abuse of power properly child abuse this officer should be struck off and sent to the chain gang.

# 9 Todd Peterson said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:56 am

Alex Jones is right – the US has become a fascist police state.

# 10 Alfred1 said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:57 am

After the tasering the kid should have been charged either with assault (for pushing) or disturbing the peace.

In big city schools everyone has given up trying…less than 50% of the students are literate.

Its time we stop coddling gangsters…

# 11 Alfred1 said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:59 am

I wonder what model of Taser was used and if field tests on other high school students were done and where was that important information published…so I can buy one.

# 12 Alfred1 said, on June 7th, 2009 at 5:03 am

This event might point to a solution to our budget/education crisis…

Rather than spend $7,000 plus per kid for education, we should spend about $800 per pupil, and $200 on the best available Tasers.

It won’t be long before test scores are much improved.

# 13 mattshiloh said, on June 7th, 2009 at 5:22 am

In this situation, the officer responded properly by the use of less-than-deadly force on the student.

It states in the article that the student was belligerent after the officer asked him to go to class. It further states that the student resisted escort by the police officer and then “pushed” the officer. We do not however know how hard this “push” was, or what was said by the student that could have been construed as a threat.

As a former student (not too long ago), and as I have many friends who have graduated high school more recently than myself, I can tell you that high school today is far worse than it was when our parents attended. Students are more rude practically by default than we were even 10 years ago. It would not surprise me at all that this student made several comments that were completely inappropriate towards the officer prior to any physical contact.

From the officer’s vantage point, I would have reacted the same way. We have seen too many times, covered by mainstream media, how a situation in a school goes from tense to extremely violent at the blink of an eye. This officer could not have known but what this student who was resisting authority might be a danger to himself and others, and by his resisting the escort as well as by physically assaulting (that is what the push is whether it was gentle or not), he left the officer no choice but to subdue the perpetrator (the student) in the fastest manner possible to eliminate the possibility of harm to himself or others.

To those who think this officer was wrong in tazering this student, I would remind you that you were not there, and only have the story of a journalist who was not there either to build your assumption of what you think might have happened. Arm chair quarterbacking is why all of us are not playing in the NFL. We neither have the physical prowess or skill to play professional football. In the same manner, we are not highly trained law enforcement officers either and have no right to second guess a police officer in a tense situation when we do not have all the facts or an accompanying video to base those assumptions on.

Grow up a little people, and quite over-reacting because some big bad cop decides to do his job.

# 14 bac said, on June 7th, 2009 at 5:47 am

Why was a police officer handling this situation in the first place? All that was needed was for the principal to tell the student to put the cellphone away or be punished.

If the kid was having some kind of fit and disturbing the class rooms near him, then an officer would have been warranted.

It seems to me that the schools make these draconian rules then have the police to enforce the rules. Get caught chewing gum in class, police come get you. Wear the wrong shirt, police come get you. Bring aspirin to school, police come get you.

Schools are really screwed up.

# 15 rudedog said, on June 7th, 2009 at 5:54 am

@ #2 WTF are you talking about “former government”? please grow up you.

I agree with #4 #10 #13 these kids have no respect now a days. They all think that because they’re a minor they can get a way with anything or they’ll sue.

I would have also have charged their parents for raising a disrespectful child, the person on the other end of the phone for knowingly talking to someone on school property.

Sorry but this is what happens when the world is too damn politically correct. When I was in school the teacher would have simply grabbed the cell phone (no we didn’t have them back then) and either broke it, preferably on his head or smashed it on the floor as a lesson of 1) school rules and 2) respect for said school rules and or a school official..

Time to start teaching respect these kids respect and it starts at home!

# 16 Eric said, on June 7th, 2009 at 6:14 am

I blame “Welcome Back Kotter” for the mess we’re in today.

Well, that and the nationalization of the school system… but mostly Gabe Kaplan and John Travolta.

# 17 Mr. Fusion said, on June 7th, 2009 at 6:26 am

#13, matt,

Sounds good. Too bad you wrote this earlier.

In this situation, the officer responded properly by the use of less-than-deadly force on the student.

You dismiss criticism as unverifiable yet you also criticize the action as warranted. If you don’t know what the cop did was justified, how can you support him and dismiss the abuse complaint?

Oh, I get it, cops can do no wrong in your view. Because you were bullied a little in school, every student today is a bully and deserves to be beaten down by a cop. Just to teach them some manners.

# 18 Dubious said, on June 7th, 2009 at 6:42 am

SN, if the kid had done what the officer told him there would be no story. The first and foremost thing is that the KID IS WRONG! You weren’t there! You don’t know the size of the kid in comparison to the officer! All you know is you apparently hate cops for some reason and absolutely have no respect for the positions they are put in. How crime ridden is Penn Hills? How many other students were around that might have gotten involved if the cop hadn’t taken swift action? How many kids would realize that they could do whatever they wanted and there were no real repurcussions? How many of these kids actually care if they get suspended? Mr. SN, you need to come to terms with your hatred for the police and some how try to see what they have to deal on a daily basis. I’m surprised that you don’t try to find more stories that trash our troops and the job they try to fulfill. Even as a blogger you should show some consideration to the truth even if you are mimicking someone else’s story. There are 2 sides to every story, you need to print that and tape it to your monitor as a reminder!

# 19 RTaylor said, on June 7th, 2009 at 6:49 am

I was written up my last year of teaching for failing to break a fight up. Two eighteen year old football linebackers were going at it. These are two big grown men trying to kill each other, and I walked away. There was no way I could have stopped that fight, I would only have got myself injured. The point is don’t assume that high school student means a meek helpless child. American public schools are a failure by any metric.

# 20 MikeN said, on June 7th, 2009 at 7:28 am

He should have tased the cell phone.

# 21 geoff said, on June 7th, 2009 at 7:34 am

I love when dumbasses like this get tasered.

Too bad it wasn’t caught on video, I’d love to see the teenager flip around and cry like a little girl.

Ignoring a cop, and/or especially getting physical with one, is one of the dumbest things one can do, no matter who is right or wrong.

If the kid really thought he had a legitimate use for the phone at that time, he could have taken it up later, peaceably, with the principal.

Or, he could be a dumbass and take on a larger armed officer.

Classic darwinism.

# 22 Rick's Cafe said, on June 7th, 2009 at 8:04 am

And yet another learning experience for our children in school.

“There is no need to ever show respect or follow the rules…because YOU are just too special to be bothered. And besides, your father’s attorney is on retainer.”

This sounds like how the current President acts.

I wonder if either gentlemen will ever realize that rules apply to them as an individual as well as all the other peons in the world.

Probably not.

And based on the education in the above school no one will ever think it unusual.

# 23 faxon said, on June 7th, 2009 at 8:06 am

I carry a taser all the time. They are perfectly legal to possess in California (Imagine THAT!). I can hardly wait to use it on some asshole.

# 24 faxon said, on June 7th, 2009 at 8:12 am

To all of you libs who might say, “Ohhhh. You could HURT somebody with that THING.” Well. Let me point out, I would be using it on somebody who is trying to hurt or kill ME. Obviously. Self defense is now something libs only like to see in movies, apparently. The police are not the only people who are allowed to defend themselves, are they? Or are they? Hmmmmmm. Buy ammunition while you can, folks. Obama is going to make it very valuable in the future. A box of 22s will be worth as much as a tenth ounce of gold soon.

# 25 Somebody said, on June 7th, 2009 at 8:42 am

“A brutal police force is the tool of a facist regieme.”

So get used to it.

# 26 Greg Allen said, on June 7th, 2009 at 9:11 am

As I liberal, I initially welcomed the idea of non-lethal tools for cops.

However, I’m beginning to hate pepper-spray, tasers, etc.

Instead of using them as a non-lethal alternative to a gun, they are using them as a more-painful way to control people who piss them off.

# 27 Greg Allen said, on June 7th, 2009 at 9:14 am

>> Alfred1 said, on June 7th, 2009 at 4:59 am
>> I wonder what model of Taser was used and if field tests on other high school students were done and where was that important information published…so I can buy one.

There are quite a few people on this blog who would enjoy Tasering _YOU_ after you’re nice and wet from the waterboarding!

Seriously, what the heck happened to your compassion gene?

# 28 Nimby said, on June 7th, 2009 at 9:47 am

Was this “cop” a police officer or a school hall monitor?

According to the article, he was a real honest-to-goodness cop! But, aren’t cops supposed to get involved when criminal acts are taking place? School rules seldom approach the level of criminal statutes.

So, the cop exceeded his authority from the very beginning. Therefore, he should have his own Taser inserted anally as far as anatomically possible prior to discharging it.

I could be wrong but it only affects a 2 or 3 inch area so no big deal.

Hey, I just had a thought: An icepick to the eardrum would affect an area much smaller than 2 or 3 inches. Maybe we could train our cops to … ah, never mind. Alfie would want them pushing all the way through.

# 29 Alfred1 said, on June 7th, 2009 at 10:08 am

#27 It was lost when High School gangsters took over the schools.

I just heard only 36% graduate LA high schools…its because the gangs took over…and the community is pissed Obama took away vouchers…they want to send their kids elsehwere…

But liberals like you, along with teacher unions, are tyrants…you want them to send their kids to failed schools, while you send yours to private schools.

We could easily fix our schools, send in the Marines to restore order…and keep order…put the gangs out, and then kids will learn…

But you suburban liberals, safe in your condos, far away from the crime and terrorism, force them to live in despair and hell, just so you can celebrate your liberalism on the daisy chain circuit.

Liberals disgust me.

# 30 ECA said, on June 7th, 2009 at 12:49 pm

OK,
SINCE the school has its own rules and regs…
WHICH are autonomous to the CITY/STATE…
they should NOT require a COP, unless it is a CITY/STATE ISSUE..Like carrying a GUN/Knife/Nunchucks or SHOOTING SOMEONE, or littering..

The COP should not have been called.
A school representative should have walked to the student, and requested the PROBLEM, ascertained the situation, and ASKED for the phone. If the person did NOT hand over the phone, CALL the parents and SUSPEND the kid OUT of school.

this type of thing ends up, haveing RULES made that make it HARDER for other schools to DEAL with problems.
NOTHING MORE..

# 31 Patrick said, on June 7th, 2009 at 1:09 pm

I was wondering what hell hole had police walking the halls of the schools. Pittsburgh. Figures.

# 32 Mr. Fusion said, on June 7th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

A local school had a police liaison officer present. When the Administration became concerned about his overbearing manner and “take no prisoner” attitude, they asked the police department to replace him. Instead, the police started a campaign complaining the school was lenient on drugs etc and wouldn’t replace the officer.

It turned out the cop was doing warrant less searches and pat downs in the hallway. The police department denied it but when several hundred students started clamoring that it had happened the police department shut up.

They won’t replace him though.

# 33 Mr. Fusion said, on June 7th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

Reading through these comments and one can’t help but notice the number that felt he had it coming and at the same time those who wish they could have done the tazering. These same people are decrying the lack of respect and at the same time tell us how our President is so bad.

Somehow I get the feeling they think they are patriotic too.

# 34 Randin said, on June 7th, 2009 at 3:38 pm

WTF, since when has a kid who disregarded what a police officer said cared that he was suspended.
What’s needed is to send these douches to military camp, he might care then…. Better yet send him to some religious camp, nothing like some zealot spouting blather about their illusionary, incompetent, ‘creator’ to drive them to be good children.

# 35 brm said, on June 7th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

#2 Dallas:

“We absolutely live in a crazed society.

This is a direct result of our former government”

Hey, I hate Bush as much as the next guy, but this statement is absurd. We were opening fire on peaceful student protesters at Kent State, which was much crazier, and way before Bush.

# 36 Honky Doodle said, on June 7th, 2009 at 6:09 pm

#31, Patrick, would it shock you that numerous other jurisdictions also now have to have armed police patrolling the igh school hallways, Toronto, Ont. Can. included! Because kids have been coming to school armed with large caliber hand guns and killing fellow students!

That said, it should also be noted that our public officials are not smart enough to realize that these electro shocking devices can kill. If the human body presents the exact ohmage resistance to the current induced, it nulls out the electric impulses from the brain to the heart and then you are in a “flat line” condition. All the CPR in the world will not save you, but only a cardiac defibrillator can bring you back. Why are we not smart enough to also provide our police with other alternatives such as animal capture nets, and tranquilizer dart guns. We treat Polar Bears better than we do obnoxious fellow humans! It is a tough enough job these days for our police, so why can’t we provide them with some alternatives to lethal force? And yes, drug injection dart guns bring with them their own set of problems as to dose, allergic reaction, infection of the injection site, etc., but it is not justifiable to simply shoot and execute or electrocute on the spot for minor infractions of civil obedience.
We also have people in charge now a days who lack vision, imagination, leadership, and just plain smarts! Is this a failure of the education system or have we inbred our selves into a hopeless mess?

# 37 LDA said, on June 7th, 2009 at 7:12 pm

So it is now acceptable to use torture compliance on school children for trivial infractions. Appalling.

# 38 Arkyn1 said, on June 7th, 2009 at 9:21 pm

If there has to be a P.O. in schools, he/she/it should be accompanied by a school official. Had this been the case:

1. The child on the phone would have been accosted by the school official, with the request to cease the use of the cell phone on campus/school property.

2. The child would resist (because children cannot resist resisting. Neither can some adults, apparently, which is why we need police in the first place… but I digress).

3. The school official would suspend the child from school, for violation of school rules, and order the (now trespassing) person to leave the building/campus.

4. Again, children (and adults) being what they are, the child would resist.

5. The police officer arrests the person for trespassing on government property, and warns the trespasser that any further resistance will be dealt with according to the law.

Any taser strike, or gunshot, or whatever, is now seen by a witness, and the school official is actually the one with enforcement authority.

This does not rule out possible collusion between school officials and police, but it should lessen occurrences of unwarranted searches, or violence, on either side.

Or is that too sane?

# 39 amodedoma said, on June 7th, 2009 at 9:54 pm

#25 like hell I will, you love the US? You can have it! Used to be the best place in the world to live. That was a long time ago, before liberals destroyed our traditions, and conservatives corrupted our values. I was a boyscout, voluteer EMT, and navy veteran, now I’m a US resident abroad, in the near future I’ll have a Spanish passport, and pass on renewing my US passport.

# 40 revere said, on June 8th, 2009 at 3:01 am

the kid was in the right – guard grabbed him (thats physical aggression) kid pushed him away (thats self defense)
legally the guard should be in court on 2 counts of assault – one with a weapon

# 41 ECA said, on June 8th, 2009 at 3:26 am

38,
CORRECT…

# 42 Patrick said, on June 8th, 2009 at 4:39 am

# 36 Honky Doodle said, “#31, Patrick, would it shock you that numerous other jurisdictions also now have to have armed police patrolling the igh school hallways, Toronto, Ont. Can. included!”

So? Just another big city hell hole.

# 43 righteous indignation said, on June 8th, 2009 at 4:56 am

1) Cell phone jamming in school, simple matter.

2) As much as I hate cell phones and despise all the idiots walking around with one in their face all the time, it is not a justifiable reason to assult a student… even though I myself would like to tazer most cell phone users.

3) Tazer the parent who buys a cell phone for a child. The reason we end up with juvinile delinquents is quite often the result of parenting.

4) If that was my child, I’d have jumper cables on that cops gonads. Good cops are good, bad cops should be open season.

# 44 Arkyn1 said, on June 8th, 2009 at 7:16 am

Thanks ECA, I kind of knew that no one was looking for simple, workable solutions; people these days merely want to choose sides and fight. It’s a shame really. There was so much potential in the USA once. That time is long past, it seems. I mourn it.

# 45 ECA said, on June 8th, 2009 at 8:18 am

But as I posted.
this will make a REASON to make more rules for schools.
Its bad enough as it is.
Its hard enough as it is.

Cellphones have a place. If there was a Problem you could have 100 people calling it in to the proper group, to come QUICKLY.
this is 1 student. This is LESS then .01% of the school population.
But, it will be blown out of proportion and MORE regulations for schools will be made.

For a bunch of TEACHERS this was not a lerned thing to do..

# 46 clancys_daddy said, on June 8th, 2009 at 12:06 pm

Hang up the phone.

# 47 grass4 said, on June 8th, 2009 at 1:29 pm

The kid deserved it. He had the opportunity to put the phone away and obey the rules and he didn’t. Kids nowadays have no respect for anything.

# 48 sigh said, on June 8th, 2009 at 6:32 pm

Check your facts guys. The Taser product operates at one of two voltages. The M26 at 5,000 and the X26 at 1,200. 50,000 is the arcing current and doesn’t go through your body. And both operate around 0.07 amps. The voltage hardly matters, as long as the amps are low. The newer X26 is pushing 10 times the voltage of your house outlet. Which do you think kills people more, a taser or in-home electric accidents? There’s actually no case of a taser being the direct, I repeat, DIRECT cause of death. Subjects who die after having a taser deployed on them die from pre-existing conditions that were exacerbated by the physical effort and would have probably died just the same if one had not been used. In these scenarios, tasers protect the officers from injury because you’re dealing with a person who’s fighting their own body and pushing past the physical limits. That’s why they die.

# 49 Hugh Ripper said, on June 8th, 2009 at 7:57 pm

Tasering kids is NOT going to get them to respect authority. Quite the opposite. Its a lose-lose situation.

# 50 deowll said, on June 8th, 2009 at 9:05 pm

Bottom line, somebody posted another lie. The kid did not get tazered for having phone. He got tazered because he decided to get physical.

As for #49, you are welcome to deal with these kids. I don’t want to. They are dangerous.

# 51 Joe said, on June 9th, 2009 at 4:59 am

Yet more evidence the USA is becoming a police state.

More here:
http://home.comcast.net/~plutarch/PoliceState.html

# 52 Rick's Cafe said, on June 9th, 2009 at 8:19 am

Very apparent by the comments, most of you have not been inside a school since you attend….a lot has changed.

Some good changes, some bad. Lots of credit to be shared among teaching staff and administrators. Even more blame to be shared between the employees (teachers, administrators) and the employers (taxpayers), but mostly the employers. Taxpayers who haven’t been in a school for 30 years, yet feel fully qualified to tell professionals how to do their job. Taxpayers who look the other way when employees partake in questionable practices (roaming police for hall security)because they won’t have to read about school troubles in the paper.

What’s a child to conclude (or learn) when they find out their parents are pay huge $$ (taxes) to run the school, but never bother to check on the investment. Or worse, pay the taxes in addition to private school’s tuition, then ignore the operations of both investments.

With this kind of education, it’s no wonder no-one knows how to run a successful business anymore.

# 53 Cblank21 said, on June 9th, 2009 at 5:34 pm

Student assaults a police officer and you want the officer to walk away. Have you all forgot what school is like these days. Check out the news every day and you will hear stories about school students assaulting other students will school officials are unable to help. Search Google and will find camera phone and school bus vids of this type of senseless violence.

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