The Brave Tasing Of A UT Teen

There are some conflicting accounts of this incident.

One claims the boy was already on the ground when tased:

SALT LAKE CITY - Salt Lake City police say officers used a Taser on a 14-year-old boy who was resisting them.

Police say two officers working at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City were helping mall security escort an unruly group of juveniles from the property on Saturday night. One of them pulled away from the officers and took an aggressive stance.

An officer brought the 14-year-old boy to the ground but he kept resisting. The officer Tasered him and he was taken into custody and transported to a juvenile detention center.

Another writes that he took an "aggressive stance" before being tased:

"He said his group was waiting for someone, and they were not leaving until they did so -- despite what police and security officers were telling them to do," said Salt Lake City Police Department Detective Dennis McGowan.

The boy cursed at officers and clenched his fists, taking "an aggressive stance," McGowan said.

McGowan said the boy refused to turn around to be arrested and pushed back at officers.

"He wouldn't go on the ground, and officers were unable to gain control," McGowan said. "Apparently they were falling on top of each other, so as a last resort, the officer pulled out his Taser."

Already on the ground or not, I take great comfort in knowing that our big strong police officers have tasers to protect themselves and the public from the universally recognized deadly menace of 14-year-old children.