Calif. Police Stun Boy, 14, For Theft of iPods

Feb. 16, 2012
Officers responding to a grand theft report at a Point Loma Heights school Wednesday morning used a stun gun to subdue a student, according to San Diego police.

SAN DIEGO --

Officers responding to a grand theft report at a Point Loma Heights school Wednesday morning used a stun gun to subdue a student, according to San Diego police.

San Diego police said they received a report of a grand theft at 9:30 a.m. at Correia Middle School, located in the 4300 block of Valeta Street.

According to the SDPD, two officers and two San Diego Unified School District officers attempted to interview a 14-year-old male student about the theft of $5,000 worth of iPods. The boy apparently had most of the iPods in a sack when he was confronted by officers in the campus library, the SDPD said.

After a struggle ensued, an SDPD officer used a stun gun to slow the student, but the student removed the barbs from his body. The officer used his Taser on the boy a second time, and the other officers were able to control him.

"The suspect refused to get handcuffed and became assaultive, displayed assaultive behavior on the officers, tried to strike one of the school police officers," said Capt. Walt Vasquez of the San Diego Police Department.

10News video showed the student being led out to a waiting ambulance moments after the scuffle inside the library. Moments later, 10News video showed an officer carrying out what remained of the Taser barbs that were shot into the student.

"Four police officers, four and a 14-year old boy and they had to tase him? They couldn't bring a 14-year old boy under control without tasing him?" asked 10News reporter John Carroll.

Vasquez answered, "Yes, it was a 14-year old boy; he's about 5 [feet] 10 [inches], about 152 pounds."

"The tasing is kind of a shock," said parent Kimiko Augustine.

Parents and students 10News spoke to after school were surprised to hear about what happened in their school library.

Augustine said she's sympathetic with school administrators and the police, and added, "They have a really hard job and I respect everything that they do on a daily basis because they're constantly about the right decision or the wrong decision and whether they made the correct decision."

The student was taken to Rady Children's Hospital where he was checked and released, and then booked into the juvenile detention center.

Police said the student will be charged with grand theft. The extent of what punishment he might face from the school will be determined after an investigation into Wednesday's incident, but it could include expulsion.

Police said most of the iPods were recovered. Students told 10News later that they believed the iPods were stored in the band room, used by students taking music classes.

One SD Unified officer was hurt badly enough in his leg that he had to be taken to the hospital. 10News learned the officer is expected to be OK.

Officers Use Stun Gun On Student Suspected Of Stealing iPods

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