Gary Cameron/Reuters
Cincinnati police opened an investigation late Tuesday after one of its off-duty officers used a taser to stun an 11-year-old girl who he suspected was stealing food from a Kroger supermarket. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the police officer was working security at the shop when he approached a group of young girls at the Spring Grove Village store. The 11-year-old reportedly turned away from the unnamed cop and started to walk away when he used the shock device to strike her in the back. Police Chief Eliot Isaac has opened a probe of the incident, city officials say. “There needs to be a complete investigation," said Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman, chairman of council's Law and Public Safety Committee. “It’s hard to understand why an 11-year-old would be tased. I expect answers in 24 hours,” said Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman. The child was also arrested on charges of theft and obstructing the investigation. According to the Enquirer, Cincinnati police policy permits taser use on children as young as 7 years old. It reads: “Officers should avoid using the Taser on obviously pregnant females and those individuals under the age of 7 or over the age of 70 due to the potential for these individuals to fall when incapacitated by a taser, unless the encounter rises to the level of a deadly force situation.”