Two children caught fighting in a schoolyard were tasered by a cop who shot without first trying to separate them.

The footage shows the two young men throwing slaps and punches at each other in Rockdale County, Georgia, in an altercation watched by their peers.

The teenagers barely land a single blow and none of them appear injured before they end up grappling in the video, believed to have been shot by a fellow student.

Two children caught fighting in a schoolyard were tasered by a cop who shot before even trying to separate them

Chilling footage shows the two young men throwing slaps and punches at each other in Rockdale County, Georgia, in an altercation watched by their peers

The teenagers barely land a single blow and none of them appear injured before they end up grappling in the video, believed to have been shot by a fellow student

Their peers then scream that the police have arrived, but the boys don't stop fighting, and one has the other in a headlock as the officer enters the frame

Before even making any effort to separate the boys, he immediately shoots them and, because they were grappling at the time, one shot drops them both to the ground

The young duo are then handcuffed by officers as they lay on the ground and they are arrested

Their peers then scream that the police have arrived, but the boys don't stop fighting, and one has the other in a headlock as the officer enters the frame, holding the taser up like a gun.

And before even making any effort to separate the boys, he immediately shoots them and, because they were grappling at the time, one shot drops them both to the ground.

One of the boys then moves his hands behind his back as the officer cuffs him and the other one remains still as another cop walks into the shot to assist with the arrests.

The other boy seems unable to move and lies still, flat on his back.

Students can be seen laughing in the video, which has been viewed more than 40,000 times on YouTube. But many of the people commenting were critical of the police.

One man, posting as Logic Bob, said: 'Wow! 20 years ago, a teacher (male OR female) would have singlehandedly pulled those kids apart and stopped the fight! Now we taser them?!?'