Suicidal 14-Year-Old Subdued with TASER Device

Surrey RCMP found themselves with no other choice, but to employ a TASER device on a suicidal 14-year-old youth who was trying to kill himself.

Police responded to the incident after an emergency call was placed to them from the youth’s parents explaining that their son wanted to kill himself. When officers arrived they discovered the young boy expressing significant signs of distress with a desire to kill himself after already having made a number of attempts.

After assessing the situation officers decided to arrest the 14-year-old youth under the Mental Health Act and deliver him to hospital for treatment. However, when officers attempted to do this a violent struggle ensued with the youth. The youth, who is described as being five feet 10 inches tall and weighing 180 pounds, proved difficult to subdue for officers, even with the assistance of family members and physical restraint.

During the struggle the youth was seen grabbing a mallet where he attempted to strike himself with it. Because the options already used to subdue the male had been ineffective and as a result of him posing a risk to those around him and himself, officers concluded that the utilization of a TASER device was necessary for deployment.

Once the youth was subdued he was then arrested with no other incident and subsequently takes to hospital for treatment under the Mental Health Act. Furthermore, the youth was also checked out at the scene by the B.C. Ambulance Service.

The use of the self defense device was only made after all other options had been exhausted and a careful risk assessment had been undertaken. Police often find themselves called to handle individuals who are suffering from a mental health crisis and as a result these situations can generally be volatile.

This means that the officers main goal is to apprehend the person and to make sure that they get the medical treatment they need without further harming themselves or those around them.

After the incident with the youth, senior RCMP officers met with the family in order to conduct a review of the incident that took place. According to the officers, the family who were there the entire time were satisfied with the response from police.