Police
14-year-old boy with autism tased by police in what family says was case of mistaken identity
An Illinois family is demanding answers after their 14-year-old autistic son was tased by police in what they maintain was a case of mistaken identity.
An Illinois family is demanding answers after their 14-year-old autistic son was tased by police in what they maintain was a case of mistaken identity.
14-year-old autistic boy tased by police
In an interview with WLS Chicago, the family says that the teen, Avarius Thompson, suffered injuries, including a fractured hip, during an encounter with Dolton police on the morning of Nov.
Police’s incident report
According to the Dolton Police Department’s incident report, Dolton police were assisting police in the nearby neighborhood of Riverdale in the search for four Black males who had fled from a crashed, stolen vehicle, two of whom were allegedly carrying rifles and a handgun.
Dolton officers spotted two subjects, one of whom matched the description of a suspect sought in the incident, in a nearby backyard and pursued them, according to the incident report.
An officer pursuing Avarius ordered the teen to stop before tasing him, according to the incident report.
The incident was captured on the officer’s body-camera footage.
“Hands up! Hands up!” a Dolton police officer can be heard yelling in the body-camera footage as he runs toward Avarius with his Taser extended. After the teen jumps over a fence, the officer deploys the taser, the footage shows.
Avarius attempts to get up when the officer deploys his Taser again a few seconds later, the footage shows.
“Don’t move. Don’t move,” the officer says. “You move, you’re going to get some more.”
Avarius’ father, Eric Thompson, told WLS that the footage was “frightening.”
Real stories. Real impact. Straight to your inbox. Join thousands others. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter today
Discover more from Unheard Voices Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
Community1 week agoGoFundMe launched for daughters of Keith Porter after fatal shooting by off-duty ICE agent
-
Police2 weeks agoFamily of Los Angeles man fatally shot by off-duty ICE agent demands answers
-
Community2 weeks agoBeloved Pennsylvania mother killed by ex during custody exchange
-
Community2 weeks agoGoFundMe for family of Minn. woman killed by ICE raises $1.5 million
-
Black Excellence1 week agoVeteran actor T.K. Carter dies at 69
-
Black Excellence1 week agoFirst Black woman chef on ‘America’s Test Kitchen’ dies from ovarian cancer at 49
-
Business6 days agoOWN greenlights first-ever ‘Belle Collective’ spinoff Belle Collective: Birmingham
-
Community1 week agoBlack Harvard resident dean removed after old social media posts surface; GoFundMe launched



