RIVERTON, Utah — A Riverton woman has been arrested after using a taser on a 9-year-old boy.
April Shurtleff, 37, has been charged with multiple counts of child abuse, aggravated assault and threat of violence.
Police were called to the area near the 12000 block of S 2700 West on Friday after it was reported that a taser had been used on a child in a church parking lot.
The boy was conscious and breathing when an officer arrived, but was in pain and crying while lying on the grass. The officer noticed marks on the boy's chest that were similar to those from a two prong taser, according to the incident report.
A witness told police they saw a woman driving away from the location.
The boy told police that he and his friend were riding scooters in the parking lot and noticed a woman possibly filming them while she sat in a car. Feeling uncomfortable, the boys left the lot.
When they returned and continued to ride their scooters, the woman showed the boys her taser and yelled "I am going to ________ tase you!"
As the boys began to go away, the victim said the woman drove towards him at a high rate of speed before getting out of the car and chasing him. She eventually caught up to the boy, allegedly placed the taser on his chest and activated it for what the victim said was about 4 seconds.
The woman drove away as the boy began screaming and crying.
Shurtleff later admitted to police that the vehicle seen on video surveillance was hers, but that she did not own a taser and denied threatening the boys. However, she later said she did own a taser, but did not use it.
Upon inspection of Shurtleff's vehicle, police found the taser and an investigation showed it matched the burn marks on the boy's chest.
