Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac today updated Cincinnati City Council’s Law and Public Safety Committee on a review of an incident in which an 11-year-old girl was tased by off-duty CPD officer Kevin Brown.
Isaac says that review is completed, and that Brown likely violated the department’s policies. The chief also defended those policies, however, and said they’re more or less adequate.
Those policies allow for Taser use on anyone between the ages of 7 and 70, but stipulate the devices shouldn’t be used if a suspect is simply fleeing an officer.
Brown was working an off-duty security detail at the Kroger on Kennard Avenue near Spring Grove Village Aug. 6 when he was asked to investigate reports of a group of juveniles stealing food. According to Brown, he Tased one of the girls after she walked away from him as he was confronting her about stealing soda and chips.
Brown says he attempted to turn his body camera on before the event, but was unsuccessful.
Isaac says the Tasing was probably not permitted by CPD policy.
“Quite frankly, I believe the officer violated the policy,” Isaac told council. “It was unnecessary in this circumstance. We’ll take a close look (at department policy) as it relates to juveniles specifically.”
The incident caused an outcry from some elected officials and police oversight advocates. Eventually, theft and obstruction of official business charges were dropped against the 11-year-old.
The department will consider Brown’s actions at a pre-disciplinary hearing in the next couple weeks, Isaac says, and the department may “tweak” its policies going forward after some councilmembers called for changes to the Taser rules. Brown has been placed on "restricted duty" until an investigation into his actions is complete.
Isaac told council it can be hard for an officer to accurately gauge the age of a person in the midst of a tense situation, and that officers may need to use Tasers on underage suspects if they are armed or violent.
It’s not the first time CPD’s taser use has caused controversy. This spring, a video of officers tasing a minor in Clifton Heights was viewed thousands of times before being taken down. CPD officials say they’re still investigating that incident. Some police use of force experts have also questioned an incident that took place in August last year in which officers used Tasers on a man in his mother’s home.
