Police in Knoxville say a man was arrested and charged with child neglect for disciplining his 12-year-old son with the use of a dog shock collar.
According to court records, 35-year-old Daniel Hardwick used a variety of cruel and unusual ways to punish his pre-teen son, including placing him in a high chair near the street curb with a sign that read, “I refused to eat my big boy food. Please feed me, I’m hungry.”
Knoxville Police Chief Dan Losada said Hardwick also put a shock collar, which is typically used to train dogs, around the boy’s neck to “encourage the child to do things within the home.”
But Hardwick said all of this is just a big misunderstanding, and with a house full of five boys, this is just their typical roughhousing, or in his words, “fun and games.”
“To me, it’s fun and games you know, even though chores were a part of the deal. It’s all fun and games, and when the 12-year-old is laughing about it, what can you do?” Hardwick said.
Because everyone uses shock collars to get their kids to do things around the house. Fun and games, right? No big deal. That’s probably what Hardwick was thinking, but unfortunately for him, the law takes this type of stuff pretty seriously.
In addition to child neglect charges, Hardwick is also facing child abandonment charges and could spend up to 10 years in prison if he’s convicted. He’s scheduled to appear in court later this month.
As for the boy, he’s said to be living with his grandmother.
Screenshot via KCCI News 8
