Cops Saves Girl, Shoots Her in Head With Taser

[Felch]

For those of you who have assumed.... Tucumcari has NO traffic. To learn more about the level of ethics practiced in that town Google "Realizing Success in a Dying Town" where no one has yet stepped up to help the victim in that situation... same town.

I get the feeling this guy googles "Tucumcari" and found us that way. Nice article. Much as I hate old people, I hate lawyers and judges even more.

[KrazyHorse]

The Tucumcari Police Department consists of 18 sworn officers and 5 civilian staff personnel.

http://www.cityoftucumcari.com/police.html

That's actually a really high ratio of officers to pop. for a small town.

[Timexwatch]

Not really if they have three shifts, seven days a week over seven square miles. Also add the powershift to cover shift transitions. When you do the math, there can't be more than two to four patrol officers per shift.

[KrazyHorse]

Timex, it's about the ratio you'd expect for a bigger city. Baltimore has ~3000 officers for 650000 people (plus about a thousand civvys)

I'm surprised that a smaller town needs that high a ratio. Especially since you would think that the county sheriff's office would provide some aid in case it was needed.

[Space05us]

TUCUMCARI, N.M. (KRQE) - Tucumcari's police chief is on leave as a 14-year-old girl recovers from being shot in the head with a stun-gun dart that her family says penetrated her skull.

Kailee Martinez's family questions whether Chief Roger Hatcher used excessive force last week when he used his Taser gun on the girl. Hatcher has said he had no choice but to use the weapon, which delivers a disabling electric jolt, when the girl ran from him in a city park.

According to police Kailee had physically abused her mother during an argument on Thursday. According to a police report Kailee and her mother, Stacy Akin, argued over explicit cell phone messages and pictures the girl was sending to older men.

Akin took her daughter to the police station for help, the reported continued, but when they got there Kailee bolted to a local park.

"I just wanted help," Akin told KRQE News 13 Tuesday. "I didn't mean for my child to get injured the way she did.”

A look at Kailee's head reveals the 18 staples and six stitches her family said were necessary to put her skull back together. Doctors told them that one of the Taser's prongs went through Kailee's skull and hit her brain, they said.

"It's really painful," Kailee said.

By Kailee's account, when Hatcher caught up with her in the park she tried to walk away. She heard him tell her to stop but then ran from fear when she saw him unholster his Taser.

“He just decided to use the Taser,” Kailee said.

The Martinezes have retained a lawyer who has filed formal notice of the family's intent to sue the chief at the city.

"You just don't go and Tase a 14-year-old child," her father, Donny Martinez, said.

The police report states Hatcher told Martinez to stop running and warned her about the Taser. When she refused to stop, he fired.

Police told News they can't comment on this case because there is an ongoing investigation.

Hatcher is on administrative leave while an independent firm investigates the incident. Kailee's family claims the force he used was too aggressive.

“She's just a child,” Akin said.

The family said the situation is made worse because Kailee has epilepsy.

Donnie Martinez said that since the incident Kailee is having balance problems and can't climb stairs.

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/crime_krqe_tucumcari_nm_family_cop_dart_pierced_girls_skull_200907072015

First the story is that he shoots her when she is running across a road, now it's that he shoots her in a park.

I can't really feel bad though, she did bring her to the police after all. Parents are the dominant figures in a family and they need to act like it.




Video wasn't working on the site, doubt it will work here.

[SlowwHand]

Twice?

[Space05us]

Twice?

Hah, no. It's an update to the original article.

I was noting how the story had changed.

[SlowwHand]

[Felch]

Anybody still bothering to defend this jerk?

[Dis]

I'll defend him.

In his defense, most teenagers should be tasered.

[Dinner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6obmbsMNzKM

A nice video showing the huge stitches the girl had to get on the top of her head. Reportedly one of the taser barbs which shoot the electrical current into the body actually pierced her skull and grazed the surface tissue of her brain. In order to remove the stuck barb the doctors had to partially shave her head and open up part of her skull which resulted in the big long series of stitches you see in the video. It's pretty gruesome.

[Space05us]

Please never link to The Young Turks again. They are attention whore morons. "Oh look, gurl shut in hed. Letz call cop dumb! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL! NEWS!"

First of all the police exist to protect us from violent, unruly people. They are not meant to be babysitters. If the girl was physically abusing her mother and her mother brought her to the police station the police aren't going to handle her with kid gloves. They were most likely going to detain her until her mother dropped any charges. When she started to run away she was trying to escape police custody, again the police are not babysitters, they treated her as they would have an adult in custody. If anything the mother is to blame for not being able to control her child, or not seeking help much earlier before the child became physically aggressive.

Secondly the police officer didn't aim at the girls head. Tasers aren't guns, the probes don't travel in a near straight line like a bullet does. Which is not to say I agree with his decision to use the taser, simply that I don't think he intentionally shot her in the head. If anything he was aiming mid-torso.

[Space05us]

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/crime_krqe_albuquerque_teen_tased_by_chief_of_police_200907101801

Dash cam rolls before
stun gun shooting

Updated: Friday, 10 Jul 2009, 7:27 PM MDT
Published : Friday, 10 Jul 2009, 7:27 PM MDT

* Reporter: Crystal Gutierrez
* Web Producer: Devon Armijo

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Dash cam video of Tucumcari's Chief of Police shooting a local teen with an electronic stun gun was recently released.

Chief of Police Roger Hatcher said he had no choice but to shoot stun darts at Kailee Martinez, 14, after she ran from him.

The video shows the chief chasing the girl after he confronts her near a park; the girl is merely feet in front of him and the chief already had the stun gun in his hand.

Hatcher has said after drawing his weapon he yelled at the teen, "I drew my taser and again told her to stop or I would tase her."

Before the chief is out of the view of the dash cam, he’s seen pointing the taser directly at Kailee.

Police said it started when Kailee’s mother took her to the police station because the girl hit her during an argument over sexually explicit cell phone messages and photos. When Kailee ran off, the chief went after her.

Moments later, the teen was rushed to the hospital with a stun gun dart embedded in her head and another in her hip.

It took 18 staples and six stitches to piece Kailee's head back together.

What you don’t see in the dash cam video is the chase that continued down a nearby alley. That’s where the chief pulled the trigger.

Kailee’s parents claim the chief was too aggressive.

“Just don't go and tase a 14 year old child,” Kailee’s father Donny Martinez said.

"I just wanted help, I didn't mean for my child to get injured the way she did,” Kailee’s mother Stacy Akin said.

Doctors told Kailee’s family that one of the darts went through her skull and hit her brain.

Hatcher has said he "had to get her stopped" and he had a "lawful reason" to use the weapon.

So far, no charges have been filed against Kailee for the fight she had with her mom.

Hatcher is on paid leave while the incident is investigated.

[SlowwHand]

So they expected a total stranger to have better control over her than they have exhibited. Alrighty then.

[Space05us]

Are the videos I embedded working for anyone?