Michael Jackson's children embroiled in Taser incident at family home

(Gabriel Bouys)

Michael Jackson's children: Paris (left), Prince Michael (right) and Prince Michael II, also known as Blanket

The children of the late pop star Michael Jackson have been embroiled in a bizarre family drama after their teenage cousin ordered a Taser gun over the internet and tested it inside one of the bathrooms at their extended family home.
Child service workers are investigating the incident, which occurred at the Jackson compound in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Encino last month, where Michael’s three children live with their grandparents alongside their cousins, Jermaine Jackson’s children, and other family members.
According to Adam Streisand, a lawyer for the family matriarch Katherine Jackson, the controversial stun gun – usually only used by police - was ordered by Jermaine’s 13-year-old son Jafar, and delivered to the family home where he proceeded to test it in

in a bathroom.

The celebrity gossip website tmz.com, which broke the news of Michael Jackson’s death last July, quoted sources alleging Jafar had aimed the Taser at eight-year-old Prince Michael II (also known as Blanket), the pop star’s youngest son. The website quoted a source saying security had allegedly “stopped Jermaine’s kids from stunning Blanket”.

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However Mr Streisand denied this, saying the pop star’s children were never exposed to the dangerous Taser.
“Jafar opened the package in his bathroom and tested it on a piece of paper,” Mr Streisand said.
He said that Katherine Jackson and the family’s security guards heard the sound of the Taser being used somewhere in the house and confiscated the weapon immediately.
He said Michael Jackson's oldest son, Prince, saw the stun gun after it was taken by security.
“Blanket Jackson never saw or heard the Taser. Neither did Paris Jackson. Prince saw the Taser in possession of security.” Mr Streisand said.
Child service workers then arrived at the house and confiscated the weapon. They are now investigating the incident.
Katherine Jackson has had custody of Michael’s three children - Prince Michael, 13, Paris, 11, and Blanket - since the pop star’s death last June.
“All of the kids are happy, healthy and wonderful, and that is Mrs Jackson's only objective and concern,” Mr Streisand said.
Prince Michael and Paris are the children of Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe, who was granted some visitation with them after the singer's death. The identity of Blanket's mother has never been revealed.
As part of an agreement between Ms Rowe and Mrs Jackson, a child psychologist was required to structure visits and monitor the children. A judge has oversight of Mrs Jackson's guardianship of the children and has praised her in open court.
Mr Streisand said that he does not expect the stun gun incident to become a factor in the guardianship case.
Michael Jackson was fiercely protective of his children's privacy and their images when he was alive, often covering their faces with scarves and masks when they were in public.
However they officially unveiled themselves in public at a star-studded memorial honouring the pop star in Los Angeles last July when Paris made an emotional tribute to her father in front of a live audience of thousands at the event, which was broadcast to millions more on television around the world.
Paris and her older brother Prince Michael also spoke on stage during a segment at the Grammy Awards last month where Michael Jackson was given a posthumous lifetime achievement award.