August 2017
An autistic student at Northwood High School in Caddo Parish left his classroom to go to the bathroom. On his way back, he started engaging in stimming behaviors, a repetition of movements that is common in kids with autism. He lingered in the hallway, rubbing against the wall, cupping his ears and closing his eyes. The school’s cop arrived and had his taser out as administrators engaged in a struggle with the student. The student was struck with thousands of electric volts, sending him tumbling to the ground. The student peed himself, either out of fear, or as a result of the random muscle contractions caused by the electroshock. He sat in a pool of his own urine until emergency responders intervened 13 minutes later, per a lawsuit filed against the sheriff’s office.
