Police used a Taser on a 13-year-old gun-toting runaway in Alabama, whom authorities say fled from police as they approached him and reached into his pocket before being shocked and taken into custody this morning.
A .38 caliber revolver was recovered from the teen’s pocket, a Birmingham police spokesperson told ABC News — declining to disclose whether or not the weapon was loaded.
The boy was briefly hospitalized and later returned to police custody, where he is expected to be turned over to the family courts system, according to Birmingham police sergeant Johnny Williams, who added that the young man is “fine.”
Authorities were responding to an early morning report of two juveniles with a gun near Birmingham’s Green Acres Middle School. As police approached the pair and demanded they put their hands in the air, the 13-year old turned and ran, reaching into his pocket as he fled, Williams said.
That’s when police used the stun gun.
The boy is originally from the Woodstock area of Alabama, but was in custody of the state Department of Human Resources when he ran away. While no charges have been filed against him to date, authorities said his case would be handled by the juvenile court system.
A 15-year-old teen at the scene, who was not carrying a weapon, was not charged. Instead police called his parents, Williams said.
ABC News’ Benjamin Stein contributed to this report.
