Tasering of ten year old child points the finger at the police-but surely social service providers should be under scrutiny for failing this family.

This scenario once again places the police in a situation that they should not have been in. A child should not have to be tasered. This family is being let down by its community.

Last week, PC Jonathan Broadhead was cleared of using force which was not necessary, after tasering a ten year old girl.

The initial reaction of the community was that of shock at the thought of a child being tasered. The incident happened in Brixton, south London, in January 2021. It was heard that the mother of the child had called the police after her daughter had attacked her with garden shears and was also brandishing a hammer. PC Broadhead tasered the ten year old eight seconds after entering the property.

Of course, his actions were heavily criticised and the officer faced an IOPC panel hearing where his actions were scrutinized.

It is safe to say the community were extremely concerned at just why a child can be tasered and were eight seconds justified in using such force against a child. So, next we ask ourselves what would have been the best resolution to this shocking incident? What would we have done if we were confronted with a violent child brandishing a set of garden shears at us? Eight seconds can seem a very long time and perhaps is the only time the officer had.

Unless we have actually been in a similar situation, it is very easy to pass judgement that is incorrect. This was a very difficult situation, one I’m sure the officer did not want to be in and when he arrived to the call, he must have had a sense of dread in his stomach to know that he was faced with a child and the child acting in such a violent manner meant he saw it fit to use a taser.

The whole situation here makes for uncomfortable reading. It is believed the child had ingested some form of drugs and was extremely violent towards her mother, hence why the initial 999 call was made.

We can scrutinize this whole event time and time again. We can point the finger of blame at the police officer, however this is not a police failing, but a failing by all social service providers and education providers. This family is being let down by social services. How can a ten year old child reach the stage where she has ingested drugs and attacks her mother? Are there care providers involved here and have they failed this family?

Has a further investigation been launched into the fact that the girl had ingested edible cannabis? Are her education providers aware of these issues? And ultimately, who is failing this family as clearly there are many questions here that need to be answered and this ten year old and her mother have the right to access the correct help they need.

This scenario once again places the police in a situation that they should not have been in. A child should not have to be tasered. This family is being let down by its community.

It is hoped that as quick as this officer’s actions were referred to the IOPC, another investigation has been launched into the endless list of failings this family has been through and they are as heavily scrutinised as PC Broadhead’s actions were on that day.

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