Teen hit with Taser while waiting for Air Jordans

THE WOODLANDS, TX (KTRK) -- Chaotic crowds sought a chance get the coveted new Air Jordans Sunday morning.

At the Woodlands Mall around 9am, witnesses said a Montgomery County Sheriff's deputy fired a Taser at a 17-year-old girl caught in the commotion. They described the move as "excessive" and said the deputy used the Taser as a "scare tactic" to get people back in a formal line.

"It got rowdy about some shoes," said witness Carlos Harrell. "They asked us to back up. We easily backed up and the girl turned around. He pulled out his Taser and shot her."

Eyewitness News spoke with the Coldspring High School student who was hit with the Taser. Family did not want her identified.

She said all of a sudden, she heard what sounded like a firecracker, felt a pulse and started running. In a photo she provided to ABC-13, she said the Taser's prong ended up in her backside. She also said she was simply trying to move away when, without warning, the deputy fired the weapon.

"When I turned around, I heard this pop noise and the next thing you know, there was a Taser inside my butt," she said. "My sister came behind me and said, 'You've been tased. You've been tased' and she grabbed me," she said. "Tears just crying out of my eyes. I'm just like, 'Oh my God.'"

Cell phone video provided by witnesses show a rowdy situation. You could hear one person yell, "They hit her in the butt."

Family said paramedics checked the 17-year-old on-scene. They also took her to a Memorial Hermann to be evaluated after the incident. The young woman's mother said displaying Tasers were too much and that deputies could have found a better way to control the crowd.

Lt. Brady Fitzgerald with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office responded to our request about the use of force. He confirmed a Taser was used Sunday morning. He said around 4am, the sheriff's office received a 911 call from the Woodlands Mall. Staff said there was an unruly crowd consisting of several hundred people, prompting the large presence of law enforcement.

Per sheriff office policy, Lt. Fitzgerald could not comment or offer Eyewitness News specifics about the Taser. He stated, as in customary every use of force incident, it is reviewed by the agency. Since it is an active investigation, authorities with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office would not comment about whether the Taser was appropriate.

Crowds were out Sunday morning for tickets to purchase the Air Jordan 11 Retro Legend Blue sneakers. The sneakers cost about $200 and will be released next Saturday. But in order to get the sneakers then, shoppers had to line up Sunday.