Guardian of B.C. boy jolted by police Taser sues province for negligence

VANCOUVER – The guardian of a B.C. boy who was jolted by a police Taser while in foster care is suing the province for subjecting him to a lifetime of neglect and abuse.

Court documents say the now 14-year-old boy endured years of emotional and physical trauma while living in numerous foster homes and group homes.

The documents say he was zapped by an RCMP Taser when he was 11 years old, after he escaped from a group home and stabbed the manager below the ribs.

The lawsuit alleges the Children’s Ministry failed to protect the child and that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, speech disabilities and malnourishment.

Last year, his case was documented in a report by B.C.’s children’s watchdog, who said the teen’s suffering could have been prevented if the ministry had invested in proper residential care.

The report said the teen experienced various forms of abuse such as being kept in a locked shed and being put in cold showers for wetting his bed.