A 15-year-old Winfield High School student was tased after school Friday when he scuffled with police who had placed him under arrest, authorities said Monday.
Police were called to the high school at 3:40 p.m. after Principal Greg Rinehart reported a student was causing a disturbance, said Winfield Chief of Police Jerry DeVore. Master Patrolman Erik Jarvis serves as the school resource officer and responded to the principal’s office.
After taking the boy into custody, the student broke from the officer and ran, DeVore said.
The boy was caught in the commons area but as Jarvis escorted the boy toward the exit, the boy “pulled back his arm to assault Erik,” DeVore said. Deputy Steven Deill with the Cowley County Sheriff’s Office was assisting at the scene and administered a shock with a taser gun when he saw the boy raise his fist, according to Sheriff Bob Odell.
The boy was taken to juvenile intake and later released to his parents. Authorities plan to charge the student with disorderly conduct, assault of a law enforcement officer and escape from custody.
A school official said administrators use their own judgement when it comes to calling for police assistance. This is thought to be the first time a student has ever been tased on school property in Winfield.
“If a student becomes physical, an administrator may choose to call a police officer,” said Kaylynn Smith, USD 465’s public information officer. “I don’t believe (tasing) has ever happened (before) at any school in Winfield.”
Smith did not have any further information about the student and could not specify what had originally caused the disturbance, just that it was a “disciplinary incident”. She did not know if the student had been suspended from school or penalized in some other way.
Chief DeVore said he doubted the student had been warned about the possibility of being tased “because it happened so fast.” He did say the taser use was a preventative measure.
“That’s why we’ve got the tasers, to avoid physical contact, because that’s when people get hurt,” he said.
DeVore was not aware of any injuries caused by the taser gun.
Sheriff Odell said his deputy responded to the high school by request. After the tasing Dep. Deill filled out a use of force report, the sheriff said. Taser use comes before physical contact and use of a baton on the list of options for subduing a subject, according to the sheriff.
