MARTINSVILLE, Ind. — One officer called to a home day care to help control an unruly 10-year-old used a stun gun on the boy and another slapped him in the face when he wouldn’t listen to them, a central Indiana chief police said yesterday.
The child suffered no significant injuries. Both officers have been placed on administrative duty while Tuesday’s confrontation is being investigated.
Martinsville’s police chief, Jon Davis, said he believed the two officers could have restrained the 94-pound boy without using force. Davis said the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department was investigating and an internal review was planned on the officer’s use of the stun gun.
Assistant Police Chief Dan Riffel said that he spoke with the boy and his mother Wednesday and that the boy’s only injuries were marks on his upper arm where he was shocked by the stun gun. Officials declined to identify the child.
The officers arrived found the boy out of control when they arrived; He was hitting and kicking his caretakers, according to police. He also wouldn’t obey the officers before they used force, they said.
Davis said the confrontation occurred on the porch of the house while other children were inside. Police had been called to the day care once before recently about the same child, he said.
The chief said Officer Darren Johnson, who has been with the department almost three years, used the stun gun, and Captain William Jennings, a 36-year veteran, slapped the child.
The officers could not immediately be located for comment.
