UK police taser boy with learning difficulties

A 15-year-old boy with learning difficulties has been tasered by British police while he was at school.

The unnamed boy, was hit at the Chelfham Senior School near Plymouth bout 190 miles south-west of London, which educates “emotionally and socially vulnerable” children.

Police officers used the 50,000-volt stun weapon against the teenage boy after they were called in over an alleged assault on a teacher in a scuffle with pupils.

According to reports, the incident happened on December 1, but police did not release any details at the time.

The incident has infuriated campaigners, who say the use of taser on a vulnerable boy with complex learning difficulties was excessive.

Sophie Khan, the legal director at the Police Action Centre, blamed the police over the incident and said using taser guns on someone with behavioral difficulty or disability should not be allowed.

“Use on children is only allowed if there are no other alternatives to restrain the child,” she added.

Devon and Cornwall Police refused to comment on the case.

The incident comes after new figures revealed UK police use tasers against children as young as 11 almost every day.

The statistics, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, showed that British police officers discharged, targeted or threatened to use the stun weapon against youngsters 29 times in England in 2007.

The number, however, jumped to 323 by 2011 despite fears of a lack of training for officers, who use the 50,000-volt taser guns.

Concerns over the use of Taser guns by the British police were mostly raised after Collin Farmer was tasered by the officers in Chorley, Lancashire, on October 12, 2012.

The 61-year-old blind man said the police mistook his white stick for a samurai sword.

The British police force is also accused of murdering the 23-year-old Jordan Begley using taser guns.

According to reports, Begley was mistaken for his criminal namesake, who was on the run from prison.