HARTFORD — A new report says more emotionally disturbed people and children were shot or threatened with stun guns by Connecticut police in 2016 compared with the previous year.
Analysts at Central Connecticut State University released the report Thursday. It says officers statewide drew their stun guns 542 times, an 11 percent decrease from 2015. Of the people shot or threatened with stun guns, 38 percent were emotionally disturbed, compared with 33 percent in 2015.
Officers also pulled their stun guns on 37 children under 18 years old and shot 13 of them in 2016, the report said. Police drew their stun guns on 22 children and shot nine of them the previous year.
Police officials say officers only fire their stun guns to protect themselves and others.
