A 10-year-old girl is recovering after she was accidentally tased by Pittsburgh Police Department deputies while she was being held at knifepoint by her mother.
In the statement on the City of Pittsburgh website, officials revealed the incident happened at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12. It was revealed that officers from Zone 3 were flagged down at the 300 block of Knox Avenue by a man who claimed he had recently been carjacked.
He stated that his Chevy Equinox was stolen by a woman. The car was quickly discovered approximately a half-mile away on Brownsville Road. Officers were able to find the suspect, who had her two children with her, a 4-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl.
However, as the officers approached the suspect, she pulled a knife and held her children as hostages at knifepoint. In an attempt to disarm the woman and safeguard the children, officers attempted to tase the woman. Unfortunately, the 10-year-old girl was accidentally struck in the head with one of the taser prongs.
The city stated the child suffered a minor laceration to her scalp and subsequently had a seizure at the scene.
Officers assisted the child until Pittsburgh EMS arrived. She was then transported in stable condition to Cildren’s hospital. She has since been released and is in the care of a relative.
The city further revealed that the 4-year-old boy was safely placed in the custody of a relative.
The mother, identified as Gwendolyn Gilmore, was taken into police custody following the tasing incident. She was taken to a nearby hospital for medical clearance before being transported to the Allegheny County Jail. She has multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, including theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and endangering the welfare of children.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is reviewing the incident.
Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board Executive Director Speaks Out About Girl Tase Incident
While speaking to Pittsburgh station KDKA, Beth Pittinger, executive director of the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board stated the responding police officers “did a very good job at managing that situation and ended up protecting those children from further harm.”
Pittinger also cited information that had been provided about the incident and noted that the children were “faced with a threat.”
The executive director then noted she believed officers “assessed that threat realistically and reasonably.”
“Physically, they’ll be okay,” Pittinger said about the children. “But in terms of their psychological insult as a result of this by the mother, it’s just unforgivable.”