Crime & Safety
Taser Used on Middle School Student
Middletown's school superintendent Patricia Charles says an incident took place early Wednesday between police and an unnamed student.
OUTSIDE HARTFORD, CT — A city student was subdued Wednesday morning with a Taser by Middletown Police outside Woodrow Wilson Middle School.
Middletown Police student resource and patrol officers "were called to the school today to assist the staff," according to Lt. Heather Desmond.
"When officers arrived, the student was uncooperative and combative. The officers tried to take the student into custody and during the arrest, the student was “drive” stunned one time with a Taser. The student was then compliant with officer’s directions and the arrest continued without further incident."
No one was injured, Desmond said and declined to give out more details due to the student's age.
Superintendent of Schools Patricia Charles confirmed the incident took place at about 9:30 a.m. at the Middletown school that serves seventh- and eighth-graders, but was unable to provide much more information. Charles declined to provide the student's age, sex or grade.
The school, on Hunting Hill Drive, was never on lockdown, Charles said, as the incident was resolved in less than an hour.
"The staff took appropriate action but it became necessary to enlist the police and the police took the action that they felt was necessary based on the circumstances. At no point was the safety of our students or any staff member at Woodrow Wilson compromised," Charles said.
"Nothing is more important than the safety of our kids and that will remain
Drive stunned, Desmond said, "is a more localized shock where using the prongs and shooting the probes into someone tends to be felt throughout the body, depending on where the probes enter."
The last such known use of a stun gun on a Middletown student took place in September 2010, when police used an electronic pain device on Tanya Jackson's then-17-year-old son.
Jackson and her then-minor son, known only by the initials Z.J., brought a suit against the city, board of education and Middletown Police in May 2011. It was dismissed on Dec. 17, 2012.
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