Officer who used Taser on 11-year-old will be reimbursed for 7-day suspension

An officer who shocked a young girl in the back with a Taser will receive back pay.Cincinnati police Officer Kevin Brown will be reimbursed for a seven-day suspension he served for using a Taser on an 11-year-old girl in a grocery store.That's the findings of a grievance filed by Brown, which were released Tuesday evening.Brown was working an off-duty security job Aug. 6, 2018, at the Kroger store in Spring Grove Village when he stopped 11-year-old Donesha Gowdy and some friends outside the store.Police said they made contact with Donesha, who was suspected of shoplifting a backpack full of food.Police said Brown shocked the 11-year-old girl, saying she resisted arrest and tried to run away. Donesha was taken to Children's Hospital after the event and was released to one of her parents.The incident, which was captured on body camera footage, shows Brown telling the girl, "You know what, sweetheart? This is why there's no grocery stores in the black community, because of all this going on."Brown was initially suspended for seven days without pay for the incident, and barred from working outside police-related details for two months.On Tuesday, Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils said the incident was within the guidelines to use force.WLWT will continue to update this story as details become available.

An officer who shocked a young girl in the back with a Taser will receive back pay.

Cincinnati police Officer Kevin Brown will be reimbursed for a seven-day suspension he served for using a Taser on an 11-year-old girl in a grocery store.


That's the findings of a grievance filed by Brown, which were released Tuesday evening.

Brown was working an off-duty security job Aug. 6, 2018, at the Kroger store in Spring Grove Village when he stopped 11-year-old Donesha Gowdy and some friends outside the store.

Police said they made contact with Donesha, who was suspected of shoplifting a backpack full of food.

Police said Brown shocked the 11-year-old girl, saying she resisted arrest and tried to run away. Donesha was taken to Children's Hospital after the event and was released to one of her parents.

The incident, which was captured on body camera footage, shows Brown telling the girl, "You know what, sweetheart? This is why there's no grocery stores in the black community, because of all this going on."

Brown was initially suspended for seven days without pay for the incident, and barred from working outside police-related details for two months.

On Tuesday, Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils said the incident was within the guidelines to use force.

WLWT will continue to update this story as details become available.