Guard Uses Stun Gun On Dad Holding Newborn

Hospital Incident Captured On Video In Spring; Father Says Baby Has Head Trauma

(AP)  In a confrontation captured on videotape, a hospital security guard fired a stun gun to stop a defiant father from taking home his newborn baby, sending both man and child crashing to the floor.

Now the man says the baby girl suffers from head trauma because she was droppped.

“I've got to wonder what kind of moron would Tase an adult holding a baby,” said George Kirkham, a former police officer and criminologist at the University of California-Berkeley. “It doesn't take rocket science to realize the baby is going to fall.”

The trouble began in April when Williams Lewis, 30, said he and his wife felt mistreated by staff at the Woman's Hospital of Texas so they decided to leave. Hospital employees told him doctors would not allow it, but Lewis picked up the baby and strode to a bank of elevators.

The elevators would not move because wristband sensors on each baby shut off the elevators if anyone takes an infant without permission.

Lewis, who gave the video to The Associated Press, said his daughter landed on her head, but it cannot be seen on the video. He said the baby seems injured since the episode.

“She shakes a lot and cries a lot,” Lewis said, noting doctors have performed several MRIs on the child, Karla. “She's not real responsive. Something is definitely wrong with my daughter.”

It was not clear whether the baby received any electrical jolt.

Child Protective Services has custody of the baby because of a history of domestic violence between Lewis and his wife, Jacqueline Gray. Agency spokeswoman Estella Olguin said the infant seems in good health.

The hospital and the Houston Police Department did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

David Boling, an off-duty Houston police officer working security at the hospital, and another security guard can be seen on the surveillance video arriving at the elevators and trying to talk with Lewis. Lewis appears agitated as he walks around the elevators holding his daughter in his right arm.

Within 40 seconds of arriving, Boling is holding the Taser. He walks around Lewis and whispers to the other guard, who moves to Lewis's right side.

About a minute later, Boling can be seen casually standing near Lewis, not looking in his direction, when he suddenly raises the Taser and fires it at Lewis, who was still holding his daughter.

Lewis drops to the floor. The other guard, who has not been identified, scoops up the baby and gives her to the child's mother, who was standing nearby in a hospital gown.

The guard then pulls Lewis to his feet with his arms locked behind him. Lewis's T-shirt has two holes under the left side of his chest where the Taser prongs hit him.

Lewis said he did not see the stun gun.

“My wife said we want to leave and then he just Tasered me,” Lewis said. “He caused me to drop the child.”

Lewis was arrested and charged with endangering a child. A grand jury in May declined to indict him on that charge, but charged him with retaliation, accusing him of making threats against Boling.

Lewis also has been charged with a second count of retaliation alleging he made a threatening call to Boling at his home.

Lewis denies both charges. He said he is considering suing the hospital but has not filed any legal papers.

Some 11,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies use Tasers, which have been officially listed as a contributing factor in about 12 deaths nationwide, according to Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Taser International Inc., which makes the weapon.

Some experts contend the weapon can be deadly, particularly when used on suspects who use drugs or suffer from heart problems.

“The Taser itself is a legitimate law-enforcement tool,” Kirkham said. “The problem is the abusive use of them. They're supposed to be only used to protect yourself or another person from imminent aggression and physical harm. They're overused now.”

[haukolajake]

I believe that any patient can walk out of a hospital AMA - but you can''t take a baby out without doing the paperwork.
This happened in April. Why is it suddenly hitting the headlines?

[michellem99-2009]

I am against the taser usage. I am against this break up of child and parents. I pity the child if that little soul ends up in foster care. I know that life. It is no life for him/her. I also see some medical treatments as barbaric. Sorry but they are. The hospital is DIRTY, the staff have to be told to wash their paws/hands.What does that tell you. It is a money cow.

[grammawhamma]

Our first son was a big baby, so they wanted to test his blood EVERY HOUR, which really pissed me off because they woke him up every hour and stuck his foot with a needle!
Hospital staff sometimes forget that we are CUSTOMERS!!!! - NOT COWS!! Sometimes physicians and nurses need to be reminded of their actual positions in society!
Posted by S_Temper at 02:55 AM : Aug 15, 2007

The problem you had was a lack of communication. It should have been explained to you why they needed blood every hour...(I'm thinking they were testing your baby's blood sugar). Lay people that think they know more then doctors or nurses should just stay home and treat themselves!

[navyretired2]

"Likely this: "Child Protective Services has custody of the baby because of a history of domestic violence between Lewis and his wife, Jacqueline Gray."
Posted by WiccanTexan at 09:24 AM : Aug 15, 2007"

Ya the wording is "CPS has"...it doesn't say, "prior to the incident, CPS had taken custody." If that's the case, it would shed a whole new light on the father's actions, yet, sorryass reporting left that out.

[susieq_13]

What an awful thing to do to a person holding a baby. That security guard should be charged. Even if the father has a history of abuse, that doesn't give that guard any right to tase him while holding a baby.

[cfin5]

Thought I'd better say I meant no disrespect for the old ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW as I have'nt seen a better/funnier show on television since Don Knots left it.

[cfin5]

Aside from the/any reason why the parents wanted to leave the hospital (been there done that) because of rude staff, that security guard just won the BARNEY FIFE award.....Yes siree bob! That hero stopped the Dad from violatin' the hospital security gaurd IQ rating #5,4,3,2,1,.....0. He needs a new badge on his chest big enough to shield that big heart of his just in case some viking heatherns attack. Give'em some drool-proof wax for it to keep the finish from getting spoiled too.

[lawchicksc]

"Under no circumstances should the stun gun had been used against the father as long as the infant was in his possession. That was a stupid move and I could care less that he is a police officer. Sounds like he needs more training.
Posted by gggirl4 at 09:09 AM : Aug 15, 2007"
I agree completely. Unless the child's life or health was in immediate danger, there is no excuse for using a tazer on the father, while he held the baby. I'm not usually a cop basher but this was just plain dangerous and irresponsible.

[nsane4fab4]

to oakishpines (yet again), What are you on?? Your entries NEVER have anything to do with the story. You need your own rambling blog...Anyway, to the REAL story, the guard should have given the father a warning at the very least. You just don't taser anyone holding a baby, especially a newborn!

[candy-apple]

We don't know the whole story, but somehow I don't believe that the "family" was ready to leave the hospital. The father was leaving with the baby and the mother was still in her hospital gown. I don't know about other mothers out there, but when I left the hospital after having my children the first thing I did was put on my own clothes. How do we know that the father wasn't trying to take the baby from the mother (no excuse for the taser while he was holding the baby) just to show her that he could do it at any time. If there's a history of domestic abuse they need to get away from one another. Leave the child with Social Services until they can fihure out which of these parents was abusing the other (don't assume that he was the abuser and she the abusee).