Tyranishia Watkins
/ Jim Kenyon
A Syracuse mother is calling for the "prosecution to the fullest extent of the law" of an Onondaga County Sheriff's deputy who she claims "tasered" her daughter Monday.
Rondrea Chavis told CNY Central's Jim Kenyon that her daughter, 9-year-old Tyranishia Watkins was hit in the hand when a warrant squad kicked open the door to her apartment on Furman Street Monday morning.
Chavis claims the little girl was near the door when the deputy, who did not identify himself, fired his taser into the hallway where she was standing. One of the barbs from the taser gun was lodged into the palm of Tyranishia's left hand.
The girl said she felt a shock enter her arm causing it to shake violently. Tyranishia says the deputy ripped the barb out of her hand, causing it to bleed profusely. Blood stained the hallway where the incident happened.
Chavis says the deputies arrested an acquaintance, James Merritt, who she says immediately surrendered when the door was kicked open. Chavis says a number of the officer's superiors showed up to talk with the warrant squad deputies, but did not take any statements from several people who witnessed the incident. Both Chavis and her daughter say none of the officers apologized.
An ambulance transported the girl to Upstate Medical Center where she was treated and released for a "puncture wound" according to the hospital report.
Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh says the department investigated the incident. Walsh says the girl "wasn't tasered." Walsh says "one of the barbs struck her", but the electrical charge was "never activated."
Walsh says in order for a person to receive a shock from a taser gun, two barbs must be lodged on a body. The Sheriff identified the officer who fired the taser as Sergeant Robert Conley who heads the warrant squad.
Walsh says the squad been looking for Merritt since February. Merritt was wanted on a federal probation violation as well as an assault charge in the City of Syracuse, according to Walsh.
The Sheriff says when the door to the apartment opened, Merritt began to run. He says Conley warned Merritt that he would fire his taser. When the taser was discharged, Walsh says the girl suddenly came out of a room and was hit in the hand with one of the barbs from the taser gun.
Walsh says he's sorry the girl was "accidentally" hit, but he says Conley followed proper proceedures.
