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Taser dart hits infant in hand
 
By Staff Reports
Published: 10/14/2007  2:41 AM
Last Modified: 10/15/2007  11:16 AM

The mother allegedly used the child as a shield.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An infant was hit in the hand by a Taser fired by a bounty hunter, but apparently not shocked, when the child's mother used the infant as a shield, police said.

The mother, whose name was not released, was later arrested for child endangerment.

Preliminary police reports said the bounty hunter had tracked a man to a car at an apartment complex in northwest Oklahoma City on Friday night.

"At some point, the bounty hunter felt it was necessary to deploy the Taser, and a female in the car apparently held her infant up to shield herself from the Taser," said Sgt. Keith Vance.

One of the Taser probes lodged in the infant's hand, but the child was not shocked since the other probe missed, Vance said.

Emergency responders were called to the scene about 6:30 p.m. Friday to treat a child with a bloody hand.

During the commotion of the child being hit by the Taser probe, the man, whom police identified as Joel Hawkins, tried to drive away and crashed his car at the complex, Vance said.

After wrecking the car, Hawkins, 28, escaped after he jumped out of the car and ran away, dropping a firearm in the process, police said.

Police also arrested a second unidentified woman, who they discovered was listed as an escapee, though it was not clear from where she escaped, Vance said.

The bounty hunter, who also was not identified, apparently did nothing wrong, according to Vance.

"He can certainly use a Taser if he feels there is a need to do so," Vance said.

By Staff Reports

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b, (10/14/2007 1:25:36 PM)
But he didn't even hit his intended target!! He was shooting at a MAN but ended up hitting a BABY that was used to block a WOMAN.....and he did nothing wrong? He put that baby in just as much danger as the terrible mother did. Oh, and the man got away? Maybe next time, killer.
Report Comment
LOL, Tulsa (10/14/2007 3:00:20 PM)
What a putz! Hitting a baby and a female while attempting to capture a male, and he got away after an accident. Pure putz.....lol!
Report Comment
Matt, Chicago (10/14/2007 10:18:55 PM)
At some point it the government going to regulate these things? Seriously they can cause major damage and innocent people shouldn't be at risk. They can kill people, two here in Chicago, and like the student at the University of Florida, it seems law enforcement is using these gadgets as plan A instead of a last resort. Does this not account to a form of torture?
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Westsider, Tulsa (10/15/2007 12:58:47 AM)
A) What kind of woman hangs with a known felon? and B) Was the baby in sight or pulled up from out of view as the bounty hunter fired? I'm sorry the baby was hit, and I know that some bounty hunters go beyond the limits.....but the good ones perform a necessary function.
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pk, (10/15/2007 1:16:25 AM)
umm, what makes you think she knew he was a 'known felon'? And I find the story suspicious, it's the bounty hunter who said she held the kid up - maybe she was picking him up to get him out of the way, get him into a car seat or whatever. Sorry, I've been lied to enough by the media, I want more facts before making a decision on how bad a mom this woman is - how bout it 'Tulsa World staff'? How bout interviewing the mom? How bout doing your job?
Report Comment
lizard, owensboro (10/15/2007 1:29:33 AM)
Exactly pk,I'm sure they just took the"bounty hunter" at his word.I view most,if not all bounty hunters as rats.
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tojo2000, Santa Clara, CA (10/15/2007 3:28:53 AM)
Don't tase me, Dog!
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Robert, (10/15/2007 3:48:13 AM)
Baby? Held up as a shield? That seems like a far-fetched story even by today's standards. Unless we can get some video proof or something, I'd say it's more like the bounty hunter making up a story to not look so bad for missing and hitting the kid.
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An Observer, Washington, DC (10/15/2007 7:14:06 AM)
While there is danger involved in any device used for restraint, there is also inherent risk involved in dealing with people who have no ability to live within the confines of the law. For all of you that denounce the use of the taser, first take a good look at all of the "individuals out there" who continue to break the law, make a spectacle out of themselves, and live with the belief that they are entitled to do whatever they choose to. As all parties in this case are negligent, just try to imagine yourself "not" in this situation. Stop blaming the bounty hunter and his actions, but instead look at what actions could be cause for such a situation to develop in the first place.
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Matt, Ocean Springs (10/15/2007 7:57:45 AM)
You just have to ask yourself, would you fire a taser with a woman and child in the car (regardless if the baby was a shield or not)? A rational person would not fire the taser if there were a risk of harming bystanders. The problem is these bounty hunters are seeing a pay day when they catch someone so chalk it up as acceptable. This could mean you being the next innocent bystander. What other liberties do these guys take - speeding, running red lights in pursuit, trespassing, etc, that put us at risk?
Report Comment
PC, San Diego (10/15/2007 8:02:37 AM)
To Matt, from Chicago (above posts)

The Taser IS plan A. The "last resort" is the police officer or bounty hunters firearm. Contrary to what you may have heard, tasers are NOT lethal and the only known deaths involving a taser were not due to the taser itself, but a pre-existing medical condition which the officers had no way of knowing about.

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Keepitreal, Tulsa (10/15/2007 8:56:07 AM)
An Observer and PC you two are nuts. I wish I could shoot you two with a taser and see if you two have "pre-existing medical conditions". With my luck you probably don't. :o(
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Jasen, Louisville (10/15/2007 8:57:33 AM)
Yay, more bounty hunter violence. These scumbags are little better than the criminals they're chasing.
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Nate, (10/15/2007 9:16:11 AM)
Hey, at least the guy didn't actuall shock the the baby. If he was really as bad a guy as you're all making him out to be, he would have just shocked the baby just for kicks. How, do we know that he wasn't trying to hit the guy but then this lady jumped in with her kid so that he wouldn't shoot. Problem is just how fast are your reflexes. If your finger had the trigger halfway pulled would you be able to stop your finger from moving that extra 1/8 of an inch? Before we start calling anyone a rat, or throwing claims of negligent parenting around lets wait and see what the police actually have to say. Since, it's pretty obvious they weren't willing to give out that much info at this point. Oh, never mind you've all made up your minds anyway!
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Skunky, Santa Clara (10/15/2007 9:48:33 AM)
The article said the baby didn't get shocked because the other probe missed, not because the bounty hunter did not pull the trigger.
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TheSilence, Boise (10/15/2007 10:41:03 AM)
Matt,

The bounty hunter might not have been seeing a "pay day" when this happened. I work as both a bondsman and a bounty hunter. When I bounty hunt, I am usually trying to bring someone in to save my own financial skin, so I don't have to pay the bond and sue the co-signer in civil court.

I do not condone using a taser gun or any other weapon besides pepper spray. A well taught bounty hunter carrys only a weapon that she wouldn't be killed with should the hunted get the weapon.

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54, Overland Park KS (10/15/2007 11:08:11 AM)
Oh come on, the bad guy here is not the bounty hunter but the mother who would use the child as a shield. Hard to believe some of you think the mother did not know the man was a felon. Wake up! Most of the mothers knowingly put their children in such situations to have a man. Its good the child was not hurt and they should pursue child endangerment charges against the mother. Maybe she will help them apprehend the "man" in her plea agreement. Don't always believe these women are so innocent. I am sure she knows more than she is telling. Another woman was an escapee. Great class of people she has the baby associating with but make it out to be the bounty hunter who is a bad guy. That is what is wrong with America. The criminals always have rights and the ones trying to apprehend them are the bad guys. Yikes, America!!!
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Voice of Reason, Tulsa (10/15/2007 11:15:28 AM)
1. Don't commit a crime, you don't get arrested.

2. Don't get arrested, you don't need bail.

3. Go to court you don't have bounty hunters looking for you.

4. Don't attempt to flee from a bounty hunter, you don't get beaten/tased/shot.

Is it really that hard to understand people? By definition, criminals who try to escape the law have committed multiple crimes by the time that bounty hunters/bail bondsmen come looking for them.

Report Comment
Bill G, Newburgh (10/15/2007 11:23:02 AM)
Your all a bunch of idiots. Regulate tasers, Charge the bonty hunter with a crime, "someone" should do something...how about not letting FELONS back out on bail no matter what !!!! America always looks to treat the symptoms, not the underlyng cause. In this case it's letting knowns felons back out onto he street on bail in the hopes they actauly come back for court? Duh !!!

Matt...your just an idoit.

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Dylan, Tulsa (10/15/2007 12:23:01 PM)
I THINK THE TULSA WORLD IS DOING THERE JOB AND YEA THEY CAN ASK THE MOTHER QUESTIONS BUT WHAT MAKES YOU THINK SHE WON'T LIE!!!
Report Comment
Rusty Miller, (10/15/2007 12:41:41 PM)
19. 10/15/2007 11:23:02 AM, Bill G, Newburgh

"Your all a bunch of idiots."

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john thomas, Tulsa (10/15/2007 12:44:12 PM)
#18 is brilliant, brilliant, I say. Obviously, no one who gets arrested is innocent. I say, don't arrest em, shoot em!!! That'll save our government spending by a huge amount.
Report Comment
Shane, Tulsa (10/15/2007 1:06:11 PM)
I agree. Bullets cost pennies.
Report Comment
sa, kansas city (10/15/2007 1:25:57 PM)
Felony assault with a lethal weapon on an infant is a felony with extenuating circumstances (serious jail time). lack of brain matter is not an excuse to let a bounty hunter off. I have one criminal case going on a bounty hunter (lost licence, civil lawsuits and criminal covictions) etc. Note although that bounty hunters are allowed to use force on the intended "capturee" they are not allowed to touch or endanger anyone else (same as cops). this is criminal use of "police" force and has caused and will cause death & injury to bystanders. last, tasers are leathal force regradless of how cops are trained. Just look at the lawsuit settlements.
Report Comment
Goebel, Lexington (10/15/2007 1:26:40 PM)
A new way to abuse children.
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