In an exclusive CTV News interview, the parents of an 11-year-old boy Tasered by an RCMP officer in Prince George, B.C. earlier this month say Mounties are fortunate he wasn't killed.
The Northern B.C. couple, who cannot be named to protect their son's identity, say their boy has bipolar disorder, a speech impediment and stress cardiomyopathy – a heart condition triggered by emotional stress that can lead to acute heart failure.
"The officer, I'm sorry, is very lucky that our child did not die that day," his mother said.
Heart doctors and cardiologists have testified that Taser shocks can put a great deal of stress on the heart and central nervous system – and potentially cause cardiac arrest.
The pair, who admit they are not ideal parents, say their two daughters were taken into government custody and they voluntarily gave up care of their son because he was too difficult.
"He's very fragile. He's been in care for his special needs for a long time," his mother said. "[He] doesn't remember five minutes from now, so if he were to do something five minutes later he won't remember he had done it."
He has been violent in the past, once striking his mother in the face, but they say using a Taser on him never should have been an option.
"I was devastated," his father-in-law said. "This kid has a lot of potential."
The couple says they have spoken to their son by phone, and that he spent one night in hospital after being arrested and did not suffer any serious injuries.
The officer who used the Taser remains on administrative leave.
The West Vancouver Police Department announced Friday that their officers had wrapped up the preliminary stage of their probe into the incident without speaking to the officers involved.
The Mounties were responding to a 911 call on April 7 that a 37-year-old man had been stabbed at a B.C. children's ministry facility.
The boy, a suspect in the stabbing, was found at a nearby property. When he emerged, he was Tasered and taken immediately to hospital.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Brent Shearer
