Officer Tases Teen While Serving Warrents to Mother
By: Mike Rush, KSDK
Updated: August 1, 2012
A 12-year-old girl is recovering after she was tased by a police officer inside a St. Louis Victoria's Secret Wednesday afternoon.
Police say the officer came into the Victoria's Secret looking for the girl's mom, who had warrants for her arrest.
"This one goes in my chest. It was stuck in there so she had to keep on pulling trying to pull it out," said Dejamon Baker, as she pointed to a small wound on her chest.
Baker has a matching wound on her stomach.
"I had fell on the floor and I couldn't control myself, I just kept on shaking and stuff," said the girl.
Baker, her mother Charlene Bratton, and some other relatives were in the Victoria's Secret.
Bratton had just tried on some shorts and was about to buy them when she says a St. Louis County officer came looking for her.
Bratton had warrants, she says, for numerous unresolved traffic tickets.
She claims the officer told her to put her hands on her back, and when she questioned him, he tackled her.
"I was just crying. I guess he got mad because I was crying or something, then he just took it out and just tased me," Baker said.
A police spokesman says the officer stated the girl was physically involved and would not back away, but Dejamon and her mother deny that.
"He should have had enough control to tell her to get back instead of pulling out his gun, I guess he was nervous or whatever, and tasing people," said Bratton.
The police spokesman says he believes the officer's actions were justified, but he admits it's a unique situation.
Police say the officer came into the Victoria's Secret looking for the girl's mom, who had warrants for her arrest.
"This one goes in my chest. It was stuck in there so she had to keep on pulling trying to pull it out," said Dejamon Baker, as she pointed to a small wound on her chest.
Baker has a matching wound on her stomach.
"I had fell on the floor and I couldn't control myself, I just kept on shaking and stuff," said the girl.
Baker, her mother Charlene Bratton, and some other relatives were in the Victoria's Secret.
Bratton had just tried on some shorts and was about to buy them when she says a St. Louis County officer came looking for her.
Bratton had warrants, she says, for numerous unresolved traffic tickets.
She claims the officer told her to put her hands on her back, and when she questioned him, he tackled her.
"I was just crying. I guess he got mad because I was crying or something, then he just took it out and just tased me," Baker said.
A police spokesman says the officer stated the girl was physically involved and would not back away, but Dejamon and her mother deny that.
"He should have had enough control to tell her to get back instead of pulling out his gun, I guess he was nervous or whatever, and tasing people," said Bratton.
The police spokesman says he believes the officer's actions were justified, but he admits it's a unique situation.
