A surveillance video showing a police officer tasering a 14-year-old girl in the groin has been released as part of a lawsuit she has filed against the officer and the city.

Keshana Wilson, from Allentown, Philadelphia, was tasered by the police officer on September 29 outside Dieruff High school as she was walking with a group of friends.

Though 100 seconds is missing from the video according to the lawsuit, it captures the final encounter between Miss Wilson and officer Jason Ammary, but not what preempted it.


In the video, Miss Wilson appears to raise her arms about a second before he shoots at her.

Attorney Richard J. Orloski, who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on behalf of Victoria Geist, the mother of the 14-year-old, says that Mr Ammary used excessive forced when he fired the Taser directly at the teenager's groin.


According to the Morning Call, Miss Wilson was taken to hospital to have probes removed before being arrested and charged with aggravated assault on the officer, simple assault, riot, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, failure to disperse and walking on the highway.

The assault and riot charges were dismissed in juvenile court.


USE-OF-FORCE CONTINUUM
The continuum is a standard that gives law enforcement officials guidelines regarding how much force may be used against a resisting subject in a given situation.


It allows officers to use non-lethal means to restrain and control an active resister after their presence and verbal commands fail.


These can include pepper spray, hands, baton or the taser.

Source: The Morning Call


The lawsuit filed against officer Ammary and the city of Allentown claims that the girl did nothing to provoke the officer, according to the Morning Call, but that he grabbed her from behind and shoved her into the car while making insulting remarks.

But Allentown police say that Miss Wilson was cursing, inciting a crowd of students and resisting arrest - which included elbowing the officer in the chin.

The Morning Call reports that Allentown Assistant Police Chief Joseph Hanna claimed the officer was justified in using the Taser because of the 'use-of-force continuum'.