A deputy police officer who used a taser on a 12-year-old autistic child has been told he can keep his licence.
Matthew Honas was working as Jackson County Kansas sheriff's deputy when he handcuffed and hogtied the boy on February 23 in Holton, which is around 90 minutes away from Kansas.
He was responding to a call which said a foster child was trying to run away.
The officer shoved and pushed the child to the ground and hogtied the child, which involves putting the person on their stomach and tying his cuffed hands to his feet behind his back with an adjustable belt.
According to a report by The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, this method affected his "ability to breathe properly”.
It is also a method that has been widely stopped.
The child was then placed in the police car and handcuffed when the officer pressed on the boy's jaw pressure points.
The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training, who issue, suspend and revoke state law enforcement licences, said: “This appeared to be of a punitive nature."
Just five minutes later, Matthew used a taser on the 12-year-old as he was handcuffed and unable to move.
The CPOST said the child was not a threat to the officer or others around him.
The “unreasonableness” of Matthew were criticised as he refused help from two other colleagues and did not try and calm the situation.
He also swore at the child and threatened to taser him again. The report stated he also knew the boy was autistic.
The officer, who had worked at Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Kansas since 2006, breached the excessive use of force.
Matthew left the police on March 3 after he was sacked by Jackson County.
They found his use of force was excessive under the circumstances and its policy does not allow excessive use of force.
He is currently not employed as a police officer in Kansas.
The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training decided to reprimand Matthew, which means he can keep his officers' licence.
He could also be employed by another police force as his licence wasn't revoked.
Lauren Bonds, legal director for the National Police Accountability Project, said the decision of Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training to allow Matthew to continue to work in the police shows it does not take the public's safety seriously.
She said in a statement: “CPOST has again shown that it does not take police violence against civilians seriously.
"It is hard to think of a situation that more clearly demonstrates a person’s unsuitability to be a police officer than assaulting a special needs child.”
