The mothers of two 12-year-old Kankakee Junior High School students allegedly Tasered in a classroom this week by a police officer have sued the school district, the police department, the city of Kankakee and the officer himself, claiming their sons were targeted because they are black.
The suit alleges that the officer -- identified in the suit as Lonnie Netzel -- "only used his taser gun upon African American students at Kankakee Junior High School ... and race plays a role in the actions from which this case arises."
"Shocking two 12-year-olds with a taser gun for no reason is reprehensible and criminal," said James Rowe, the lawyer representing Alta Young and Stella Bender, the boys' mothers, in a statement. "This was abuse, and it was perpetrated upon students of color and only students of color."
Kankakee remains abuzz today about the incident Tuesday when Netzel, a school-resources officer assigned to the school, allegedly entered the classroom where his friend was a teacher, called out "Who wants a Taser," and asked for student volunteers for one-second stuns.
Three boys volunteered and were shocked, police said. After one student's mother reported the incident, the department place the officer on administrative leave. Both Kankakee School District 111 and the police department are conducting investigations into the incident.
The mothers allege that Netzel shocked their sons "without cause or justification, and that the teachers (as mandated reporters) failed to report the alleged abuse in violation of the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act," according to statement from the mothers' attorneys.
-- Staff report