Family demands answers after police hit five-year-old with stun gun during fight
An angry Missouri family wants answers from local police who shot their five-year-old son with a stun gun while trying to break up a fight. Reports say that the officers claim it was accidental.
A video taken by a bystander shows Zoee Fortenberry’s son, Jaxtyn Fortenberry-Tucker, was hit with a stun gun last Friday at Desloge Labor Day Picnic, Fox News reported.
“I could hear him screaming in the background, and I didn’t really know what happened,” Zoee said. Jaxton is seen in the video at the center of a narrow path among a massive crowd of people. Meanwhile, a shirtless man who seemed to be involved in the fight is seen kneeling a few feet away from the boy.
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A video taken by a bystander shows Zoee Fortenberry’s son, Jaxtyn Fortenberry-Tucker, was hit with a stun gun last Friday (Fox19)Police said they were dealing with two men at the picnic who were fighting. The two officers both fired their stun guns, which hit one suspect successfully while the other missed. The other Taser reportedly bounced off the ground and hit Jaxton who was passing by at the moment.
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Zoee and her mother, Angela Pratt, left Jaxton alone with his uncle Jeremiah Pratt just before everything happened. Jeremiah quickly called Zoee and her mother asking where they were.
“So, we had just left, and five minutes later, my brother had called me and he said there was an incident and that we needed to come back,” Zoee said.
Zoee and her mother, Angela Pratt, left Jaxton alone with his uncle Jeremiah Pratt just before everything happened (Fox19)Police Chief James Bullock said Jaxton did not suffer any serious injuries. Paramedics were called to check if he was okay; they transported him to a nearby hospital for further observation. Angela said Jaxton ran to her and his mother as soon as he saw them after the incident.
The family said they never received an apology from the officers for the incident. They also criticized their judgement for using a Taser in such a high-traffic area. Jaxtyn was back to his normal routine a day after the incident, but his family claims that doesn't make the agony of what happened any less intense.
“You don’t want him to fear officers because he will maybe need them in the future. So, you have to let him know they’re not the bad guys. But then again, how do you explain he was tased?” Angela said
Tuesday is when Jaxtyn's family will meet with police in an effort to learn more about the procedures that led the officer to use his Taser in response to the fight.
“Was everything done that should have been done? You know, is kind of why we’re waiting on the investigation. ‘Was this prevented or could have been prevented?’ is the question,” Angela said.
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