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.
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks agoFisk University basketball player Andre Bell killed in Nashville highway shooting
-
Black Excellence1 week agoDr. Gladys West, GPS pioneer whose calculations transformed modern navigation, dies at 95
-
Uncategorized2 weeks agoMinneapolis family says ICE released tear gas under vehicle with six children inside
-
Community2 weeks agoFlorida bride grieves fiancé’s death as venue refuses refund, GoFundMe launched
-
Culture2 weeks agoBLK app survey finds Black Gen Z increasingly discussing kink in dating
-
Crime & Justice2 weeks agoBeloved Edison, N.J. teen girl, 17, shot by boy she reportedly dated
-
News2 weeks agoFlorida best friends, 14, die after sand pit collapses
-
Community1 week agoArkansas siblings lean on each other after mother’s sudden death from brain aneurysm



