Cops Who Tasered 10-Year-Old Spark Outrage from Mayor and Citizens

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. (CBS/AP) Police officers are trained to take down suspects twice their size and to be able to keep their cool in any situation - so why did an Indiana cop taser a 94-pound 10-year-old?

The incident took place Tuesday at a day care center in Martinsville, Ind., about 30 miles south of Indianapolis, when cops were called to a disturbance complaint and found find the boy hitting, kicking and spitting on a caretaker as she held him down on the front porch, according to police reports.

Another woman, identified as the boy's guardian, also was on the porch, and several small children watched the struggle from the front yard.

According to the officers' reports Capt. William Jennings and Officer Darren Johnson tried to restrain the boy, but he remained combative and kicked Johnson. Johnson's report says that Jennings then smacked the boy in the mouth, although Jennings' report doesn't mention that.

The boy then lunged at the caretaker and Johnson used his stun gun for 1 to 2 seconds, according to the report.

Mayor Phil Deckard said he was "sickened" by the incident and officials in the 12,000-person city wouldn't tolerate unnecessary force by police officers.

The officers have been suspended with pay pending and investigation by The Morgan County Sheriff's Department, who took over the investigation from the Martinsville Police Department.

It was the second time police had been called to the day care for an incident involving the boy, who was not identified.

"I don't think that should have happened. I'm sure they could have detained him some other way," Kenneth Frazier, who lives next door to the day care, told CBS affiliate WISH.

"They take big grown ups down without tasing them...why a 10-year-old?"