The Police Worry About Your Health

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

19. That's the estimated number of times the Ozark police tasered 16-year-old Mace Hutchinson whom they found lying underneath a highway overpass with a broken back that apparently resulted from fall. (News item here.) The police had been summoned by a 911 call that, one presumes, was placed by people who wished to help the teenager. Mace did not obey the policemen's orders but spoke incoherently instead and, so, they tasered him up to 19 times -- each time repeating the command -- before one of the police wondered aloud whether they should call an ambulance. In intensive care for the broken back and broken heel, Mace had to wait two days for surgery because the tasering had raised his white blood count and caused a fever.

The police use of tasers on Mace is not being officially questioned -- of course! The official reason offered for taser use: the officers were concerned about keeping him out of traffic, keeping him from getting hurt. Yeah. They were worried about his health.