The family of a 12-year-old boy is suing police and the American School for the Deaf, alleging that the officer tasered a boy, while the school abused him and denied him food. The student ran away from school to escape staffers who had beaten and choked him when he was caught by a police officer and tased without warning. The boy is totally deaf.
The boy had been choked by staff and had his head slammed to the ground causing significant injuries. His requests for food were denied and when he tried to call his parents for help, the staff disconnected his call. When he ran away trying to get help, staffer Chris Hammond attempted to violently subdue him, punching him with closed fists. He picked up a stick to defend himself which caused the staff to retreat, leaving the lonely little boy sitting on a pile of rubble outside the school, crying.
Police arrived after dark, knowing the boy was deaf and making no attempt to warn or communicate with him. They tasered him from behind, watching him writhing in pain and paralysis before they rushed in and cuffed him. He was treated for electrical burns at the hospital. The parents are now suing for excessive force, municipal liability, violations of the ADA and negligence. The boy is 5’6″ and weighs 140 lbs.
