A 14-year-old autistic boy, Avarius Thompson, was tased by Dolton police last November in an incident that his family claims was a case of mistaken identity. According to a report by ABC News, the teenager was injured, including a fractured hip, when he encountered the officers who were aiding Riverdale police in the search for suspects related to a stolen vehicle.
During the search on the morning of Nov. 20, 2023, Dolton officers, looking for four Black males, two of whom were allegedly armed, followed Avarius. The family's attorney, Calvin Townsend II, stated in an ABC News interview, that the boy's clothing was similar to a suspect's description. However, this appears to be an unfortunate error. Body-camera footage showed an officer commanding "Hands up!" before deploying his Taser as Avarius attempted to jump a fence. Moments after being tased, another officer can be heard questioning the identification, saying, "This might not be him."
Avarius' family expressed immense distress following the incident. "He's a little boy!" exclaimed his sister Allayja Toran on the footage obtained by ABC News. Furthermore, the boy's mother, Gwendolyn Toran, informed the officers at the hospital that her son had autism and contended against his arrest. "You can't arrest an autistic kid, man! Y'all tased him. Y'all did that," she said.
The Village of Dolton has promised a "thorough and transparent investigation with external reviews," in light of the "regrettable event," as stated in a statement to ABC News. The mayor of Dolton, Tiffany A. Henyard, has called for a full review of the circumstances surrounding the encounter and has requested cooperation from the Village of Riverdale. Attorney Townsend reveals plans for possible legal action, as per information from the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, the family is left grappling with the aftermath as disclosed by the teen's parents in interviews.
The legal team is currently awaiting response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed with Dolton police for details surrounding the incident and is checking whether the youth will face criminal prosecution. In an issue reminiscent of wider systemic problems, a separate lawsuit, according to the Chicago Tribune, alleges that Dolton's mayor instructed department heads to not cooperate with fulfilling such requests, casting a shadow on the transparency of the investigation process.
