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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
23 comments Add your comment
Upset parent
November 16th, 2012
6:06 pm
I was at this high school football game. I have a teen that attends ECHS. I was upset by how this boy was treated. Maybe the kid shouldn’t have ran across the field but yes it was funny it was a prank and that was it. It should have been a school problem or punishment…. nothing like what happened. The police shouldn’t have ever been involved. It was awful how many men thought they had to throw their selves across one unarmed teenager in his underwear, which is like a bathing suit. I was so disturbed by how law enforcement acted and then arresting this kid when he was not harming anyone that i complained to a few policemen outside the game when i left. This was before I even knew about an excited cop with a taser and cursing! When i did speak to these police they did not care they pretty much told me they didn’t have time for that because they had other things to deal with and he shouldn’t have been running across the field and they turned their backs when i was talking. This is how our Sheriff’s Dept reacts to a complaint or someone that is upset. If it’s one of their own I guess it’s okay and who cares. Thanks for
David
November 17th, 2012
11:21 pm
The video tells the story. If the deputy did nothing wrong then why did the Sheriff say that he did and suspend him? There is a video on youtube. To those who think that the kid’s parents aren’t upset with his choice. You are wrong. The child has had to suffer repercussions at home and at school. The child has not complained, he formally apoligized on his own by letter to the school and those who were to get awards during the half time intermission. The first complaint to the Sheriff’s Office was not even lodged by the child’s parents but by other concerned parents in the community. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTH0c0wccoE&feature=youtu.be
Mick Dee
December 2nd, 2012
7:10 am
Got to Tase him. If you don’t tase a kid in boxers, next he’ll be running around the pool in one o them Speedo bathing suits that looks like nothing but a pair of tighty whiteys. NIP IT IN THE BUD!