This officer was arrested on child abuse charges in January, 2 months after he shot his stepdaughter with a taser gun, hitting her in the eye... District Attorney's office said he was showing her how to test it.[EXCERPTS FROM RECENT NEWS]
A Broomfield police officer who partially blinded his stepdaughter when he accidentally hit her in the eye with a Taser gun was sentenced Friday to 18 months of probation and 150 hours of community service. Broomfield police officer William "Skip" Van Arsdale told the court he "did something stupid" and had a "momentary lapse of judgment" when he shot his teenage stepdaughter while demonstrating the weapon... Van Arsdale — a 16-year veteran officer — has been on restricted duty and not allowed to carry a Taser gun or firearm since his Jan. 28 arrest... he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of knowing and reckless child abuse resulting in bodily injury and prohibited use of a weapon... Although the victim's father [Aurora police officer William Cavalieri] asked that Van Arsdale not be allowed to possess a weapon during his probation, Judge Harlan Bockman said he would leave that decision up to Broomfield police... Prosecutor Sean May also said it was "extremely puzzling" that Van Arsdale and his wife, Erica, didn't call an ambulance and drove the girl's brother to school before taking her to the hospital about 40 minutes later. Although family members and the stepdaughter said they forgave Van Arsdale, the girl's father said that was unacceptable... Cavalieri said his daughter, who lives part time with both parents, has a blind spot in her right eye the size of a fist and will probably need a lifetime of surgeries to correct cataracts... "She did not deserve this and there is no explanation on earth that excuses him"...
This was a case of the Broomfield chief of police Tom Deland caring more about one of his own that the citizens he is sworn to protect. He never has once apologized to the injured child. He hides behind' " no comment" "talk to the DA's Office." What a coward! The police officer that shot that girl should have been fired. He wasn't, he is working today. Sad!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds simplistic but how does someone who commits crime reserve the right to arrest others.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the message to the girl in this? What is she worth? What is her safety worth? And all children, or all girls - Where are the boundaries of what grown men / or police can do to them?