A Cincinnati cop who tased an 11-year-old girl for suspicion of shoplifting at a Kroger supermarket was caught on video telling her “this is why there’s no grocery stores in the black community.”
Officer Kevin Brown is facing disciplinary action for the August 6 tasing of the unidentified girl, who is Black.
Brown, who is also Black, responded to a 911 call referencing shoplifting at a Kroger supermarket. In his police report, Brown said he fired his taser at the girl’s back when she refused his commands to stop and attempted to run.
Brown searched the girl’s backpack and found stolen food and drinks totaling $53.81. The cop also found beef jerky and candy in the bag.
While escorting the child to the manager’s office, Brown told her “You know, sweetheart, this is why there’s no grocery stores in the black community,” according to his bodycam footage.
“Sweetheart, the last thing I want to do is tase you like that,” Brown told the girl. “When I say stop, you stop. You know you’re caught. Just stop. That hurt my heart to do that to you.”
The Cincinnati Police Department policy allows cops to tase children as young as 7.
The girl was arrested on theft and obstruction of justice charges, but Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters later dropped the charges, and the city manager apologized to the girl’s family.
Dan Hils, the police union president, defended Brown’s actions.
“I think the officer was trying to express to this juvenile suspect that there are consequences, not only to herself, but to others when you don’t respect the property rights of another,” Hils told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Photo by Tirc83/Getty Images
