The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is conducting an “extensive review” after an officer “inadvertently” tased a 10-year-old girl while responding to a hostage scenario.
The incident occurred on Thursday, Sept. 12, when officers attempted to rescue the girl, who was being held hostage at knifepoint by her mother at the time, according to a release on the city’s website.
According to the announcement, the officers were first alerted to the hostage scenario soon after 3:30 p.m. local time by a man on Knox Avenue who said a woman had stolen his Chevy Equinox. According to ABC affiliate WTAE, police claimed witnesses witnessed a woman yank a driver from a car and drive away.
After finding the man’s car a half-mile away on Brownsville Road, police tracked down the mother, who was carrying two children, on a nearby street. As police approached, the woman “brandished a knife” and held the two children, a four-year-old boy and a ten-year-old girl, at knifepoint.
Police identified the lady as Gwendolyn Gilmore, 48. The 10-year-old is Gilmore’s daughter; the boy’s name is unknown, as the release states he is also “her” child, but WTAE reports he is Gilmore’s nephew.
According to CBS affiliate KDKA, when Gilmore was holding the two youngsters at knifepoint, an officer raised a revolver and ordered Gilmore to drop the dagger. Gilmore then put her arms over the children’s necks, holding the knife to her daughter’s neck, when officers told her they were moving to tasers, according to KDKA, citing the complaint.
“In an attempt to disarm the female and safeguard the welfare of the children, an officer on scene deployed a taser,” according to the release. “In the process, the 10-year-old female was inadvertently struck in the head by one of the taser prongs.”
WTAE reported, citing the criminal complaint, that the youngster was also tased in the leg.
After being mistakenly tased, the girl “had a seizure at the scene” and “suffered a minor laceration to her scalp.” According to the announcement, officers provided help and Pittsburgh EMS came to the site, transporting the girl to a local children’s hospital. She has since been released into the care of a relative, as has the boy.
Gilmore was detained and sent to “an area hospital for medical clearance,” according to the announcement. She has now been transferred to Allegheny County Jail, where she is charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and endangering the welfare of minors.
“The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police reviews all use of force incidents that occur in the city and involve Pittsburgh Police officers,” according to a press statement. “As such, an extensive review of the officer’s tactics from yesterday will be conducted to ensure reasonable force was used.”
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Sunday, September 15.
Beth Pittinger, executive director of the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board, told KDKA that police “did a very good job at managing that situation and ended up protecting those children from further harm,” based on the evidence supplied thus far. Pittinger added that the children were “faced with a threat,” and she believes officers “assessed that threat realistically and reasonably.”
“Physically, the children will be fine,” Pittinger continued. “But in terms of their psychological insult as a result of this by the mother, it’s just unforgivable.”
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