Parenting Tools for the Tough Times
Unbelievable!!! From the paper...
I was reading yesterday's paper (our metro Star Tribune) and was shocked by a tiny tidbit in the nation section. The story warranted only a snippet, which I could not believe. Here is the text:
"Deputy zaps, threatens children at shelter"
A sheriff's deputy zapped three children with a stun gun at an East St. Louis, Il, emergency youth shelter, threatening to sodomize one of them before choking a fourth child and throwing her in a closet, according to a federal civil-rights lawsuit. The suit claims the attacks were unprovoked. No charges have been filed in the case. Sheriff Roger Mulch, who also is named in the suit, said Monday the deputies did "nothing out of the ordinary."
OMG, the deputies did nothing out of the ordinary??? So, this is standard fare for children entering a youth emergency shelter? I know that I do not live in Illinois, but I think this story is a bit bigger than a page 8 snippet.
So the officer used a stun gun on three children and choked another, then threw her in a closet. Holy Moly. I am surprised and shocked about the story, but equally shocked that I haven't seen this news over every network station across the country. Perhaps this really is "nothing out of the ordinary" for our children in crisis. No charges filed?
I understand that kids can get out of control-especially children who are in crisis, who are afraid, and maybe have years of trauma and abuse in their backgrounds. Things can get out of control quickly, and that is why good professionals are needed to work in these shelters. Workers and police need to be trained in de-escalation and shelters need to be set up with the safety for all in mind. But I would think that charges would still be filed in a case like this. I am glad to hear that someone is filing suit representing these kids. At the very minimum, if the papers are going to "report" on this, I want more detail than a snippet on page 8!
I just couldn't get this one out of my head and thought I would get it into yours!
"Deputy zaps, threatens children at shelter"
A sheriff's deputy zapped three children with a stun gun at an East St. Louis, Il, emergency youth shelter, threatening to sodomize one of them before choking a fourth child and throwing her in a closet, according to a federal civil-rights lawsuit. The suit claims the attacks were unprovoked. No charges have been filed in the case. Sheriff Roger Mulch, who also is named in the suit, said Monday the deputies did "nothing out of the ordinary."
OMG, the deputies did nothing out of the ordinary??? So, this is standard fare for children entering a youth emergency shelter? I know that I do not live in Illinois, but I think this story is a bit bigger than a page 8 snippet.
So the officer used a stun gun on three children and choked another, then threw her in a closet. Holy Moly. I am surprised and shocked about the story, but equally shocked that I haven't seen this news over every network station across the country. Perhaps this really is "nothing out of the ordinary" for our children in crisis. No charges filed?
I understand that kids can get out of control-especially children who are in crisis, who are afraid, and maybe have years of trauma and abuse in their backgrounds. Things can get out of control quickly, and that is why good professionals are needed to work in these shelters. Workers and police need to be trained in de-escalation and shelters need to be set up with the safety for all in mind. But I would think that charges would still be filed in a case like this. I am glad to hear that someone is filing suit representing these kids. At the very minimum, if the papers are going to "report" on this, I want more detail than a snippet on page 8!
I just couldn't get this one out of my head and thought I would get it into yours!
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Comment by Jodee Kulp on July 24, 2009 at 8:42pm
- Yikes - Liz was billy clubbed by a police officer who thought she was drugged - she was drugged on her sleeping medication - she had eight large bruises to help her wake up off of her sleeping meds....been there more than once - I would say SLIGHTLY out of the ordinary....???? The community office kept calling to see if she was alright, I of course wanted to march right over there and billy club someone - at some point I hope to be standing in front of the gentleman doing and FASD conference and watch his face get red.
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