[TonyB06]

There are bias-based arguments throughout this thread. In a perfect world, no, a 12-year-old sans weapon, should never be tased. But it ain't a perfect world.

In a confrontational situation, a 12-year-old could be a threat, particularly if an officer is dealing with one or two other people at the time.

We're in Victoria Secret. I don't know if suspect was on the move or not, but perhaps the officer could have waited for back up before making the arrest?

Bias. Upthread there was some haze about what the mother was being arrested for. I suspect in the officer's mind if it was drug trafficking or some other hard (dangerous) crime he's arresting her for, he's mentally going to be more predisposed to using necessary physical force to control any situation he encounters, than if he's after a mother whose got, say, 50 parking tickets and no violent criminal record. Can I prove it? No, but that's logical to me.

I think it was Kevin who intimated as much upthread. She's wanted on drug charges? She and anybody who gets in the way is going down hard if it comes to that. Is that right? Who knows, but you do what you need to do to go home.

I do martial arts training with a law enforcement officer in my city. He's told me, if he's in physical confrontation with a woman, he may (stress may) try something less, in terms of physical control technique, than he'd go with in a full-fledged fight with a man, as long as it doesn't jeopardize his safety. So, to me, it's a sliding scale.

am I glad the girl got tased, no. But I could understand the situation if it was as harried as it sounds.