Martial arts instructor fires BB gun at 8-year-old
Police are investigating a martial arts instructor who disciplined an 8-year-old student by shooting him in the abdomen with an Airsoft gun loaded with plastic BBs.
The boy’s parents filed a complaint this week against the sensei and president of a local (traditional) jujutsu school, a nonprofit dojo at that offers an after-school program for youngsters to study homework and martial arts. It also has adult classes.
The boy was not seriously hurt. The BB, fired from about six feet away, caused some pain and left a red mark that lasted a few days. His parents have pulled him from the program.
The instructor said he made an error in judgment and apologized to the student and the student’s mother. He said he had been ill and stressed and was frustrated with the student’s disruptive behavior. He said it was a “knee-jerk” reaction.
“When I make my mistakes, I have to be responsible enough to say I was wrong,” he said.
The boy’s mother said she’s disturbed by the behavior and by the fact that the instructor didn’t tell her until she confronted him. Her son reported it to her Tuesday, the day after it happened.
The boy was taken into the instructor's office, where he sat down, she said. The instructor then said “this is going to hurt” as he picked up the gun and fired once. The boy said the office door was closed; The instructor said his door was open.
“I just want to make sure other kids are safe,” Mother of the son said, “I feel that, as an adult, he should know better. He’s there to set an example, and this is not the type of discipline he’s trying to teach those kids. I can’t believe he did that.”
Both of the boy’s parents work for this newspaper.
Airsoft guns often are used during games in which participants try to shoot each other with paintballs or plastic BBs.
The Parents said they wonder why the gun was at the dojo.
The instructor said the spring-loaded gun belongs to his son, who stores it at the school. His son and older students occasionally strap on safety goggles and use Airsoft guns for games. It was out on his desk, which is why he reached for it Monday. He said he now keeps it locked up.
He said he has never used it on another student.
-Just found this in another forum.
Police are investigating a martial arts instructor who disciplined an 8-year-old student by shooting him in the abdomen with an Airsoft gun loaded with plastic BBs.
The boy’s parents filed a complaint this week against the sensei and president of a local (traditional) jujutsu school, a nonprofit dojo at that offers an after-school program for youngsters to study homework and martial arts. It also has adult classes.
The boy was not seriously hurt. The BB, fired from about six feet away, caused some pain and left a red mark that lasted a few days. His parents have pulled him from the program.
The instructor said he made an error in judgment and apologized to the student and the student’s mother. He said he had been ill and stressed and was frustrated with the student’s disruptive behavior. He said it was a “knee-jerk” reaction.
“When I make my mistakes, I have to be responsible enough to say I was wrong,” he said.
The boy’s mother said she’s disturbed by the behavior and by the fact that the instructor didn’t tell her until she confronted him. Her son reported it to her Tuesday, the day after it happened.
The boy was taken into the instructor's office, where he sat down, she said. The instructor then said “this is going to hurt” as he picked up the gun and fired once. The boy said the office door was closed; The instructor said his door was open.
“I just want to make sure other kids are safe,” Mother of the son said, “I feel that, as an adult, he should know better. He’s there to set an example, and this is not the type of discipline he’s trying to teach those kids. I can’t believe he did that.”
Both of the boy’s parents work for this newspaper.
Airsoft guns often are used during games in which participants try to shoot each other with paintballs or plastic BBs.
The Parents said they wonder why the gun was at the dojo.
The instructor said the spring-loaded gun belongs to his son, who stores it at the school. His son and older students occasionally strap on safety goggles and use Airsoft guns for games. It was out on his desk, which is why he reached for it Monday. He said he now keeps it locked up.
He said he has never used it on another student.
-Just found this in another forum.
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