Was a Taser necessary for high school streaker?
It’s been a few minutes since I was a teenager.
OK, a lot of minutes.
But high school pranks were around long before my time. I mean, who hasn’t headed out in the wee morning hours with enough toilet paper for a third-world country? Was anyone spared from those infamous “kick me” sticky notes?
Apparently, pranks have changed. At a Friday night high school football game, a 16-year-old boy was dared to strip to his boxers and sprint across the field during half-time.
And he did it. Now, Gunner Cook is in big trouble. He’s facing a criminal charge and suspension from school.
Thursday night, his mother told Channel 2 Action News a Coweta County deputy overreacted when he tried to use a Taser to stop the streaker. The deputy slipped as he tried to deploy the Taser. As the deputy escorted Gunner from the stadium, the deputy allegedly used vulgar language when telling students to get back in the stands.
Gunner’s mom says the Taser was too extreme for a harmless prank. But Coweta County Sheriff Coweta County Sheriff Mike Yeager told Channel 2 no excessive force was used. The teen’s actions deserved discipline he said.
I’m betting Gunner won’t be showing off his boxers again any time soon.
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23 comments Add your comment
nelson
November 16th, 2012
7:05 am
Taseing a streaker[wearing boxers] is hardly what a taser is for, it is far more than what is required. Since the inception of the taser several hundred people have died from being tased. The taser should be used only as an alternative to deadly force.
One of the first orders of business for every police department would be to restrict the number of times that it can be used on a subject.
One person was tased 18X and died. Also, people on drugs and othe drugs can have an incredibly adverse reaction.
50,000 volts, the electric chair only has 25,000 volts.
albert einstien
November 16th, 2012
7:05 am
No excuse for the cop to attempt that level of force.
Barney Fife
November 16th, 2012
7:09 am
Light him up. He knew it was wrong. The deputy did the right thing.
Barney Fife
November 16th, 2012
7:13 am
Don’t do the crime if you don’t want to ride the taser.
Grow A Pair People
November 16th, 2012
7:19 am
This is an example of what is wrong with this country today. Majority of the posts defending some punk-a$$ kid streaking across a field. All while slamming the police officer doing his/her job. And some wonder how Obama got re-elected.
Jesse
November 16th, 2012
7:26 am
Ok, the deputy made a fool of himself. Got it. But excessive force? Please. That was probably the first time that kid received any form of physical discipline. My clue? The mom complaining about it in the article. No acknowledgement that her son was being incredibly stupid. The kid and his friends were having a blast, thinking they own the world. Unless someone puts them in their place they’re right. They need to sit down, shut up, and enjoy the football game a little more if you ask me.
reader
November 16th, 2012
7:50 am
I think we ought to tase people who get pulled over for speeding. After all, “if you don’t do the crime, you don’t have to worry about the taser”. and , “light them up – they knew what they were doing was wrong”.
NotGuiltyDad
November 16th, 2012
7:53 am
So the cop may have used excessive force, but why are most people taking up for the kid? He should be the one people are condemning.
Esquire
November 16th, 2012
8:05 am
A taser is used for self defense as an alternative to more lethal force. This office admittedly used the taser as a former of “discipline”. The role of administering discipline properly rests with the Courts after due process. A world where law enforcement administers discipline at its discretion is a very scary place.
Lynn43
November 16th, 2012
8:26 am
This article does not tell the whole story. This was the biggest game of the season between two arch rivals, and many extra law enforcement were present because if anything unlawful was going to happen in the county that night, it would have been there. This happened during a very solemn ceremony honoring a recently deceased beloved faculty member who was part of this county’s athletic program. And now, did the boy get tased? No. And who said the deputy had a taser and used bad language? The kid (and maybe a few buddies) and the kid’s mom. This is what is wrong with society and our schools today. Little Johnny does what he wants to do, no matter how bad, and mom defends him. I feel mom is going to have to make excuses for much worse actions of little Johnny in the future with much worse consequences.