The mother wanted to stress that her son and the other students in the classroom were not being reprimanded for misbehaving, but that the officer was just goofing off. She understands school is a place for an education but she says this is one lesson her son won't soon forget.
"A cop came in and then he pulled out his Taser, and was like, I'm giving out free runs for the Taser to try it out. And then everybody was like I want to try it and I said I'll try it in my finger and he was like, let me get you in your thigh," said Maiden.
Miles Maiden, 12, says the off-duty Kankakee police officer entered the classroom at Kankakee Junior High School and shouted, "who wants a Taser."
Maiden says the officer then went around the room and Tasered at least three boys, one in the buttocks.
Maiden says the officer is friends with the teacher and last week the same officer came to the classroom and Tasered some of the students in their fingers.
"I'm upset and at the same time I'm puzzled 'cause you have this type of grown adult around children and that's not a game that you play with children. That's dangerous. I'm blessed it didn't turn out another way but at the same time I'm also upset because it should never happen," said Alta Young.
Young says her son who suffers from a heart murmur and asthma began to complain of the pain in his leg, so she took him to the emergency room where he was treated and released.
Colleen Legge, superintendent for Kankakee School District 111, released a statement that says in part,"we are conducting a full investigation of the alleged incident and reviewing protocol regarding police in our schools."
In the meantime, Young is hoping the officer doesn't return to the school.
"At the end of the day, I don't want that man around my child. I don't want anyone of that staturem that's doing things like that around my child," said Young.
Young says she is going to follow up with the family's personal physician to make sure the Taser didn't affect her son's heart beat.
ABC7 tried to contact the Kankakee Police Department but so far there has not been a response.
