A 13-year-old Harrison student was brought under control by a Taser recently after causing a disturbance in class. According to the Harrison Daily Times the boy, whose name has not been released, has some mental and behavioral issues. He was charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree battery on a police officer. He was later cited into juvenile court and released to a guardian. Harrison police say the response was appropriate given the boys behavior.
According to Police Chief Paul Woodruff, a school resource officer was called when the boy started the misbehavior. School officials were apparently trying to talk to him, but he refused to cooperate. The officer tried to remove the boy from the room and a struggle ensued. Woodruff says the boy began to throw punches at the officer and the two went to the ground and back up two or more times. The officer decided to use the Taser as opposed to other force. Chief Woodruff says the incident went under full review.
The Taser was analyzed and it showed a short burst rather than any stronger force. There were several witnesses to the incident and they were interviewed as well.
Superintendent Dr. Melinda Moss says she cant comment on any matters concerning student discipline. However, she said that, ironically, school officials were in an in-service training seminar regarding crisis prevention and intervention. Moss said there was no discipline hearings scheduled before the Board of Education as of the time of this report.
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