Question of the day

How did we ever subdue broken-glass-wielding terrorist six-year-olds before Tasers? From CNN:

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Police used a stun gun on a 6-year-old boy in his principal's office because he was wielding a piece of glass and threatening to hurt himself, officials said Thursday.

The boy, who was not identified, was shocked with 50,000 volts on October 20 at Kelsey Pharr Elementary School.

Principal Maria Mason called 911 after the child broke a picture frame in her office and waved a piece of glass, holding a security guard back.

When two Miami-Dade County police officers and a school officer arrived, the boy had already cut himself under his eye and on his hand.

The officers talked to the boy without success. When the boy cut his own leg, one officer shocked him with a Taser and another grabbed him to prevent him from falling, police said.

I honestly don't know where to come down on this one. Note that the article was published today, while the incident took place over three weeks ago (back in the good old days of the first W administration). Did it take the cops this long to come up with a consistent story?

Apparently not only the general public was kept in the dark. From a much more thorough Miami Herald article:

Miami-Dade School Board Vice Chairman Robert Ingram, who spent 20 years as a Miami police officer and more than five years as Opa-locka police chief, said board members were not told of the incident. He learned of it from a reporter.

I guess I'd say that there's an outside chance that the cops responded well under the circumstances. Cops carrying Tasers into elementary schools just don't seem to be good circumstances. Especially in Miami.