SANTA FE, N.M. — The legal guardian of a 10-year-old Tularosa Elementary School student, who was shot in the chest with a 50,000-volt Taser gun by a New Mexico police officer during a career day visit, has filed a civil lawsuit against the cop and the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS).
During the May 4 career day event, Officer Christopher Webb spoke to groups of students in the school playground about gun and Taser safety, reports thesmokinggun.com. During the demonstration, Webb allegedly pointed his less-lethal weapon at the victim, known as R.D. in court documents, after the boy jokingly said he would not clean the officers patrol unit. The lawsuit goes on to claim that Webb then fired his Taser X26 model at the victim.
Filed Oct. 26, the lawsuit alleges that the five-second jolt from the weapon knocked the boy to the ground and caused him to black out. Additionally, the child has scars resembling cigarette burns on his chest and suffers Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome symptoms. Further, the civil complaint accuses Webb and the DPS of battery, negligence and failure to render medical care.
Webb maintains that the Taser accidentally discharged, and that after the incident, he immediately escorted the victim to a school bathroom to help the boy clean up.
