The 12-year-old boy was running away from his foster home when the deputy was dispatched.
The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training determined a Kansas sheriff deputy hogtied, shoved, and tased a 12-year-old autistic boy who ran away from his foster home.
The Commission found a 12-year-old, referred to as L.H in a document, was attempting to run away from his foster home when Matthew Honas was dispatched to the scene.
The KSCPOST, a law enforcement oversight body, issued a summary order of reprimand to Honas, an officer for the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, on Aug. 22 for his use of excessive force on a 12-year-old boy on Feb. 23.
The KSCPOST determined Honas used excessive force by shoving, elbowing, carrying, pulling, and hogtying the boy, reports the KSCPOST. Despite the boy already being in cuffs and shackled by the ankles to the handcuffs, Honas deployed his taser at L.H without warning. KSCPOST deemed L.H was not a threat to Honas or other officers.
According to KSCPOST, this was not the first interaction between the officer and the young boy. In a prior incident Honas had a physical altercation with L.H but Honas was not wearing a bodycam to record the altercation, according to the KSCPOST order.
In the Feb. 23 altercation, Honas also was without a bodycam but the interaction was caught on the squad car's camera, says KSCPOST.
KSCPOST reprimanded him and he was discharged from his position. According to the Board of County Commissioners, Honas was making $23.55 an hour before he was discharged on March 3.
