Police: Handcuffing 5 year old girl not a violation

MIKE BURN

Quote:
Thursday, August 4, 2005; Posted: 9:07 p.m. EDT (01:07 GMT)

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) -- Police officers committed an error of judgment when they handcuffed an unruly kindergartner at school in March but did not violate policy, the department's chief said Thursday.

Chief Chuck Harmon said the two officers who handcuffed the 5-year-old girl were reprimanded for minor errors in handling the situation, which gained worldwide attention when a videotape of the confrontation was released to broadcasters.

But Harmon said the officers were not punished for shackling the child, who had torn up a classroom and hit an assistant principal before the officers arrived.

Still, Harmon said, the officers should have done more investigation, explored ways to defuse the situation and allowed school officials to take the lead in handling it.

"This child needed some intervention, but I don't think it was by law enforcement," Harmon said, calling the handcuffing "premature."

The video of the March 14 confrontation prompted criticism of the police and school system, and charges of racism that brought the Rev. Jesse Jackson to town to meet with school officials. The girl is black, and the police officers are white.

Harmon said Thursday that the report found no evidence of racism by the officers.

A video camera captured images of the girl tearing papers off a bulletin board, climbing on a table and punching the assistant principal before police were called.

Then the tape shows the child appearing to calm down before officers approach, pin her arms behind her back and put on handcuffs as she screamed, "No!" and began to cry.

The girl was put in the back of a police car and had her feet restrained after she tried to kick out the window. She was released later without charges.

Why not handcuffing 3 months old as well?

ans · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

"Why not handcuffing 3 months old as well?"

Because cuffing a three month old would also be an error of judgment. :ft

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

I think the gravest error in judgement was made by the parents of the child long before the police ever showed up. Any child that defies authority to the extent of physical violence at the age of five has serious issues...and I'm not so sure I disagree with handcuffing her. It depends on a lot of unknowns.

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

"The girl was put in the back of a police car and had her feet restrained after she tried to kick out the window."

Seems to me that her parents have allowed her to be influenced by TV...it's not good for a 5 yr old to watch "Cops".

Melody and Instruments for the soul...

Galmin · The King has spoken! Joined: 30 Dec 2001 Posts: 1711

It's hilarious that professionals cannot cope with a 5 (five!) year old but call the cops who's judgement is as good as the "professionals'".

Congratulations. Darwin award?

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

Galmin, either you're just being a pontificational turkey, or you don't understand things here in the US...my guess is a little of both. :bleh

The "professionals" don't want to get sued because of what they would have to do to restrain such a little girl, who obviously has parents who don't teach her respect for authority, other peoples property, etc. Maybe you don't recall yourself at that age, but kids know how to refrain from behaving so IF they are raised in a properly structered environment. The "professionals" knew they would have to do much the same thing as the cops ended up doing, but also knew they stood much less chance of being sued if they called the cops to do it.

I feel sorry for the little girl, and extremely disappointed in her parents. They are the real criminals here.

Galmin · The King has spoken! Joined: 30 Dec 2001 Posts: 1711

oh please

ans · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

'The "professionals" don't want to get sued because of what they would have to do to restrain such a little girl'

I don't doubt that. We live in a litigious society. Any one of ten thousand lawyers would jump on the chance to represent the little girl and her family.

". . . who obviously has parents who don't teach her respect for authority, other peoples property, etc. "

That's not obvious at all. The kid could be mentally unbalanced, or simply one of those rebellious types - the kind that turn into juvenile delinquents or hippies no matter what their parents try to teach 'em. I know kids like that, and I know not to fault their parents.

" kids know how to refrain from behaving so IF they are raised in a properly structered environment."

Sure they do, but many kids intentionally resist parental authority no matter how much their parents attempt discipline. TV deprivation, spanking, hollering, stand-in-the-corner . . . often times nothing works.

"The "professionals" knew they would have to do much the same thing as the cops ended up doing, but also knew they stood much less chance of being sued if they called the cops to do it."

Absolutely. But handcuffs? Was the kid trying to gouge out her own eyes are otherwise attempting to harm herself?

"I feel sorry for the little girl, and extremely disappointed in her parents. They are the real criminals here."

That sounds uncomfortably like

"Look, terrorists just killed a bunch of innocent men, women and children by blowing up a hospital . . . GODDAM BUSH!!!"

Doesn't wash.

:ft

Galmin · The King has spoken! Joined: 30 Dec 2001 Posts: 1711

Quote:
" kids know how to refrain from behaving so IF they are raised in a properly structered environment."

What is obvious is that the 'professionals' didn't have any authority whatsoever and let the kid take total control, for all I know the kid could have been the one in control from day one. It wasn't the first time the cops were called to deal with this five year old, was it? I bet if one of these 'teachers' have a dog, the dog is the one in command. Zero peronal integrity, zero authority and these people are in charge of children? The kids could aswell be supervised by a fruitbat with a 911 hotdial.

Then the police officer shows up and display the same judgement as the fruitbats.

Rev9Volts · Joined: 10 Jul 2003 Posts: 1327

she assaulted a teacher handcuff her and take her away. she deserved it.

Galmin · The King has spoken! Joined: 30 Dec 2001 Posts: 1711

[sarcasm]Why not provide teachers with handguns and circumvent the entire costintensive business with calling the police? it's taxpayers money for crissake! Then the fruitbats could simply shoot any and all offending five year olds, that'll teach them not to hit the fruitbats. If they hit the teacher at the age of five, they'll end up in death row anyway.[/sarcasm]

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

ans - "I know kids like that, and I know not to fault their parents."

To be honest, you know no such thing. You only know of what you have seen. Kids end up the way they do for a reason...some are harder to get a handle on that others, true. but how come we haven't had this kind of problem going on until only recently (as in ever since the advent of the TV) though? Hmmmmm.

ans - "TV deprivation"...only occurs when the TV has been allowed to become a permanent fixture in the lives of kids. See above paragraph.

ans - ""Look, terrorists just killed a bunch of innocent men, women and children by blowing up a hospital . . . GODDAM BUSH!!!""

Nope...doesn't wash. Adults are resposible for their own actions...but are ALSO resposible for the actions of their children until they become adults.

Melody and Instruments for the soul...

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

Galmin - "What is obvious is that the 'professionals' didn't have any authority whatsoever and let the kid take total control..."

And who is responsible for teaching a child to respect authority? The parents.

Melody and Instruments for the soul...

ans · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

"To be honest, you know no such thing."

Yes, I do.

DreamTone7 · Joined: 20 Sep 2002 Posts: 2571

ans - "Yes, I do."

Have you ever raised kids? Think again...and without the partiality of desiring to assuage responsibility. While genetic characteristics are in place at birth, social interaction is learned soley by environmental circumstances...which are, in turn, controlled by the parents...or not, as the case may be. Either way, the parents are responsible. And if they can't own up to it, they shouldn't have kids.