A 16-year old boy was tasered by the police, up to 19 times, after he had fallen and was on the ground with a broken back and a broken heel.

His aunt says he is undergoing major surgery for a broken back and broken heel. While he was lying on the ground, she wonders why Ozark police used an electric stun gun on him up to 19 times.

“I’m not an officer, but i don’t see the reason for ‘Tasering’ somebody laying there with a broken back. I don’t consider that a threat,”

His dad says the use of the stun gun delayed what would have been immediate surgery by two days.

“The ‘Tasering’ increased his white blood cell count and caused him to have a temperature so they could not go into the operation.”

Tasering someone with a broken back is also not a good idea.  He already a spinal injury.  Now the police want to do more harm by making him thrash about while being tasered.

“He refused to comply with the officers and so the officers had to deploy their Tasers in order to subdue him. He is making incoherent statements; he’s also making statements such as, ‘Shoot cops, kill cops,’ things like that. So there was cause for concern to the officers,” said Ozark Police Capt. Thomas Rousset.

According to this statement, he was only making incoherent statements.  Why is it necessary to taser him because he’s talking crap?  Or was he tasered because he had a broken back and refused to comply with an order to stand up?  We just don’t know.  We do know, that having a broken back means that he was no threat to the police.  So, tell me again why it was necessary to taser him 19 times?

Tasers are being used so often today, that they have become a replacement for billy clubs.  If an officer hit someone with a billy club 19 times, there would probably a bigger outrage.  Instead, the public assumes that its use is justified and more humane than a billy club.

Tasers were originally used as a tool to incapacitate violent suspects.  It was to be used only in a case where deadly force was justified.  Unfortunately, the police now use them every day for anyone who doesn’t comply with the police, for whatever reason.