Cincinnati cops use Taser on 11-year-old girl caught stealing from Kroger supermarket

Cincinnati police officers used a Taser on an 11-year-old girl accused of stealing from a supermarket.

Officers approached the girl on Monday night after suspecting she was using a backpack to shoplift items from the Kroger store. The girl resisted and fled, according to cops, before she was shocked with the stun gun.

The girl, who was taken to a hospital and released to a guardian, was charged with theft and obstruction of justice.

Tasers can be used on people who are 7 and older, according to department guidelines, but Police Chief Eliot Isaac has launched an investigation.

“We are extremely concerned when force is used by one of our officers on a child of this age," Isaac said in a statement. "As a result, we will be taking a very thorough review of our policies as it relates to using force on juveniles as well as the propriety of the officer's actions.”

Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman told the Cincinnati Enquirer that "it's hard to understand why an 11-year-old would be Tased," and also called for an investigation.

According to Cincinnati police guidelines, officers "should avoid using the TASER on obviously pregnant females and those individuals under the age of 7 or over the age of 70 due to the potential for these individuals to fall when incapacitated by the TASER, unless the encounter rises to the level of a deadly force situation."

The guidelines state that the Taser is a "non-lethal force alternative" used to assist officers.

"We're still waiting on bits and pieces of information but I can see no reason, I have a 12-year-old daughter, but I can see no reason why an 11-year-old child would be Tasered given the circumstances for shoplifting," Councilman Jeff Pastor told WLWT.

• With News Wire Services