Video Captures Police Handcuffing 5-Year-Old Girl

[Trinity]

I watched this video on Fox News just now, and I'll tell you what if that had been my child, they would have got their asses busted for acting like that to any adult!


Of course this is now getting turned into a racial issue! Go Figure!





ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- An attorney says he plans legal action against St. Petersburg police officers who handcuffed an unruly 5-year-old girl after she acted up in her kindergarten class.


St. Petersburg police officers are videotaped putting handcuffs on an unruly 5-year-old girl after she acted up in her kindergarten class.






A video camera, which was rolling March 14 as part of a classroom self-improvement exercise, captured images of the girl tearing papers off a bulletin board, climbing on a table and punching an assistant principal before police were called to Fairmount Park Elementary.

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

Largo lawyer John Trevena, who provided the tape to the media this week after obtaining it from police, says the officers went too far.

"The image itself will be seared into people's minds when you have three police officers bending a child over a table and forcibly handcuffing her," said Trevena, who represents the girl's mother, Inga Akins. "It's incomprehensible ... There was no need for that."


The video camera was rolling as part of a classroom self-improvement exercise.




Police declined to comment, citing an official complaint by Akins that has sparked an investigation by the supervisor of the four officers who were present. Two are new officers who were being trained that day.

Spokesman Bill Proffitt said the investigation would be complete in about two weeks and the findings would be made public.

The 30-minute tape shows assistant principal Nicole Dibenedetto trying repeatedly to calm down the girl, who ignores her commands and begins punching her. The child's mother was called but wasn't able to immediately come to the school.

After being placed in the back of a police cruiser, police released the girl to her mother after prosecutors informed them they wouldn't bring charges against a 5-year-old.



Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


http://www.local6.com/news/4407028/detail.html

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Reminiscent of the 10 year old kids getting handcuffed for trying to bring Terri Schiavo some water.

The loonies are running the asylum.

 

[Nienna]

What was wrong with the child? Why was she going crazy in the classroom? Were they hitting, pushing, or hurting her? Maybe I'm the weirdo, but handcuffing doesn't sound all that harmful to me. If the child was out-of-control enough to have the police called on her in kindergarten! Handcuffing and sitting in a police car don't sound too much different from time-out, unless they were whacking on her or something.


Seriously, a five-year-old girl punching a cop? Better cuff her now than shoot her later. She needs intervention.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

What was wrong with the child? Why was she going crazy in the classroom? Were they hitting, pushing, or hurting her? Maybe I'm the weirdo, but handcuffing doesn't sound all that harmful to me. If the child was out-of-control enough to have the police called on her in kindergarten! Handcuffing and sitting in a police car don't sound too much different from time-out, unless they were whacking on her or something.


Seriously, a five-year-old girl punching a cop? Better cuff her now than shoot her later. She needs intervention.

A five year old child doesn't even understand who or what a cop really is. The "age of reason" is seven. But you are right, the child obviously needs help of some kind since it is obvious she isn't getting the right kind of parenting. Not the child's fault.

However, calling in the POLICE for taking care of a child having a tantrum is just plain idiotic and a waste of community resources. They needed to call the parents and call in a counselor.

No wonder our schools are going down the drain - if they can't even handle a 5 year old child.

 

[Trinity]

What was wrong with the child? Why was she going crazy in the classroom? Were they hitting, pushing, or hurting her? Maybe I'm the weirdo, but handcuffing doesn't sound all that harmful to me. If the child was out-of-control enough to have the police called on her in kindergarten! Handcuffing and sitting in a police car don't sound too much different from time-out, unless they were whacking on her or something.


Seriously, a five-year-old girl punching a cop? Better cuff her now than shoot her later. She needs intervention.

I watched both videos all the way through and did not see that anything was done wrong! However if I had been the teacher, I would have put that little girl over my knee and gave her an old fashion spanking which appearently is lacking in her life!

As for the handcuffs it is mandatory all over the country, when someone is taken into custody, they must be cuffed, regardless of age! When they are combative you definatley cuff them! They were taking her into custody untill her Mother arrived!


If I were that teacher I would slap a lawsuit on her mother for raising such an unruly child!!!



Classroom video
http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2005/04/22/video/classroom.shtml



office video
http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2005/04/22/video/office.shtml

 

[dmp]

people are handcuffed as much for their safety as for that of the officers.

The little girl needs a severe beating from somebody who loves her enough to do it.

 

[dmp]

counting down till the 'race' card is played...

 

[Trinity]

counting down till the 'race' card is played...

It was thrown out there today, by some guy they were interviewing on Fox News, but can't remember what his name was!

 

[Nienna]

Corporal punishment is still allowed in our school. They have to have a police witness present, but the principal can swat. One reason it's good to live in the sticks! Anyone who saw this video should be able to see how well "reasoning" works with a 5-yr-old.

 

[Yurt]

CP is not allowed in CA, period. Though my 7th grade shop teacher would oft lament about this sad day and age we came too. At the time I thought he was an idiot, however, after looking back at my and my class's behavior I would tend to agree with him, in that, when there was CP, his class was never unruly.

As to handcuffs, I personally feel this is uncalled for. Come on, this is a FIVE year old girl. Grab her bar the shoulder/elbow/arm whatever, even if it takes two officers, but handcuffs, that girl will remember this event forever. Bad thing? Good thing?

When I was in elementary school (8-11 maybe) we had the police come and give a presentation. Well that had cuffs and my friends and I would not shut up until one of them let us play with them. Being the 80's (before the rise of suetoomuch lawyers) they let us. When the officer put them on me, it was a real experience. I immediately wanted them off and became somewhat scared. Arms behind your back, virtually no movement. I felt silly for laughing at my friend who had gone before me. I did say to myself, never, would I ever want those on me. Good thing.

However, if they had been forced on me at five, I would have a completely different view. Think back. When something happened to you at five, did the impact not have an enormous effect on your life? For good or for bad.

Imagine being five....

I was a year beyond in 1st grade. Most of us are. Can you imagine, no matter how unruly being "handcuffed?" Was there simply no other way? If not, then the question becomes whether this girl has a psychosis problem or maybe a serious home problem. I have not seen the video, but at first blush, surely there must be a better way.

 

[Trigg]

Not to be on the outside here, but the girl wasn't being unruly. The teacher needed to sit her down not arrest her.

She was dropping papers on the floor and toys she wasn't throwing things, at least on the video. Yes, it looked like she slapped the teachers hand away. Taking her hand and marching her to a small room, principals office would work, and sitting down would have worked. Not following her around the room and saying please stop.

What was the girl upset about, the film doesn't show that. It does show 2 adults following a child around and not really coming between her and the objects she was dropping. She didn't take the teachers seriously, but they weren't acting like athority figures either, they were taping themselves in order to cover their asses later.

 

[Annie]

Not to be on the outside here, but the girl wasn't being unruly. The teacher needed to sit her down not arrest her.

She was dropping papers on the floor and toys she wasn't throwing things, at least on the video. Yes, it looked like she slapped the teachers hand away. Taking her hand and marching her to a small room, principals office would work, and sitting down would have worked. Not following her around the room and saying please stop.

What was the girl upset about, the film doesn't show that. It does show 2 adults following a child around and not really coming between her and the objects she was dropping. She didn't take the teachers seriously, but they weren't acting like athority figures either, they were taping themselves in order to cover their asses later.

They did take her to the office, second video. It appears she destroyed that moreso than the kindergarten room. It's obvious the school is building a case for self-contained BD, I'm sure there is a continuous problem with this child. All the other kids and teacher had to leave the first room. The two women were 'security.' Interesting enough, in the office video, the principal never shows, just the police. In that video the child was most definately hitting and the one women restrained her, for moments, told her to calm down and released her-that's the most a school can do.

 

[Trigg]

They did take her to the office, second video. It appears she destroyed that moreso than the kindergarten room. It's obvious the school is building a case for self-contained BD, I'm sure there is a continuous problem with this child. All the other kids and teacher had to leave the first room. The two women were 'security.' Interesting enough, in the office video, the principal never shows, just the police. In that video the child was most definately hitting and the one women restrained her, for moments, told her to calm down and released her-that's the most a school can do.

Ok, just watched the second video. It's clear the child didn't see the teachers are authority figures..although she clearly saw the police in that light.

I still think the whole episode was blown out of proportion. This child was upset for whatever reason and the adults following her around video taping the session didn't help, it hindered.

The teacher should have sat her down in a chair and sat in front of her possibly holding her hands in order to keep her there.

Now, I'm not a teacher. I am a mother of 4, 3 of which are in public school. I have been called to school, and if my child is in the wrong they're punished when I get them home. A lof of kids know darn good and well that teachers can't do a darn thing to them when they are disruptive and that's the problem. My kids also know they can't be spanked at school, but they also know if they get in trouble at school they're in trouble at home also, and I do spank.

Somtimes it seems that the people doing the most complaining about disruptive kids are the same ones trying to pass laws against spanking. Makes you think doesn't it???????

 

[Yurt]

They did take her to the office, second video. It appears she destroyed that moreso than the kindergarten room. It's obvious the school is building a case for self-contained BD, I'm sure there is a continuous problem with this child. All the other kids and teacher had to leave the first room. The two women were 'security.' Interesting enough, in the office video, the principal never shows, just the police. In that video the child was most definately hitting and the one women restrained her, for moments, told her to calm down and released her-that's the most a school can do.

Hmmm, watched the 2nd video after the 1st one, and hmmm.

My shop teacher would not have had this problem in his day. Why? Because little kids then knew they could not get away with it, because the older children could not. Now, they know the school can do nothing, so they do whatever they want, until the police show up. Fair? I don't know. I was not a kid when CP was allowed, so I do not know if abuse occured or what not.

However, the police came in, they mentioned to her that just like that told her mom, so are they going to put the cuffs on her. But notice before they spoke, she either knew, or saw them coming, but she was still. MB she was tired, I don't know. But she was sitting. At that point, is it not possible that the officers could have waited until she acted out again? We are not talking breaking the law, as a we all know a five year old is not culpable. What we are talking about is having the officers talk with her when she is calm (giving the benefit of the doubt) and if she acts up again, then the cuffs come on.

I don't care if someone disagrees with me. However, consider this: this footage would have been vastly different had it shown the officers coming in, comforting somewhat this child, and then the child acting (punching the officer or what not) and then they put the cuffs on her. In a bleak outlook, which is unfortunately the legal system at "some," NOT, all, time can be, we must be ever vigiligent of the camera, of the perception.

Great leaders have won victories not because they acted according to the way it has always been done, rather, by seeing it how it really is. See Brian Boru, last of the great Irish Kings.

 

[archangel]

A five year old child doesn't even understand who or what a cop really is. The "age of reason" is seven. But you are right, the child obviously needs help of some kind since it is obvious she isn't getting the right kind of parenting. Not the child's fault.

However, calling in the POLICE for taking care of a child having a tantrum is just plain idiotic and a waste of community resources. They needed to call the parents and call in a counselor.

No wonder our schools are going down the drain - if they can't even handle a 5 year old child.

I do not fault the police for following policy by handcuffing the child...policy applies to anyone taken into custody regardless of age or gender or heritage..
Also it was reported that a attempt to call the mother prior to calling the police was made...the mother was not at home!I also watched the video...I saw no abuse by the teachers or police...just a out of control child...I place the blame on the parents not the system..and now we have another ACLU intervention or is that a perversion of justice...enough is enough! :bangheads

 

[Nienna]

They did take her to the office, second video. It appears she destroyed that moreso than the kindergarten room. It's obvious the school is building a case for self-contained BD, I'm sure there is a continuous problem with this child. All the other kids and teacher had to leave the first room. The two women were 'security.' Interesting enough, in the office video, the principal never shows, just the police. In that video the child was most definately hitting and the one women restrained her, for moments, told her to calm down and released her-that's the most a school can do.

Doesn't the policeman say "remember me?" to the kid. Obviously this is an on-going problem. What else can the school do? Can you imagine the lawsuit if they had physically restrained her?

 

[Annie]

Ok, just watched the second video. It's clear the child didn't see the teachers are authority figures..although she clearly saw the police in that light.

I still think the whole episode was blown out of proportion. This child was upset for whatever reason and the adults following her around video taping the session didn't help, it hindered.

The teacher should have sat her down in a chair and sat in front of her possibly holding her hands in order to keep her there.

Now, I'm not a teacher. I am a mother of 4, 3 of which are in public school. I have been called to school, and if my child is in the wrong they're punished when I get them home. A lof of kids know darn good and well that teachers can't do a darn thing to them when they are disruptive and that's the problem. My kids also know they can't be spanked at school, but they also know if they get in trouble at school they're in trouble at home also, and I do spank.

Somtimes it seems that the people doing the most complaining about disruptive kids are the same ones trying to pass laws against spanking. Makes you think doesn't it???????

I agree with your reasoning, I do teach. I'm very glad not kids this young. My guess, which we will never know, is this child has problems-which are not being dealt with. The school has most likely tried to get the parent(s) help, unsuccessfully for any number of reasons. At this point, it becomes a documentation procedure, ie the video, different settings, calling the police.

Fortunately there are few children of 5 or 6 this out of control at school, though many are at home. For some reason the really problem kids, do not have any respect for authority-though as you noticed, police/men may engender a bit more 'respect' or fear if you will.

I noticed the policeman did say something to the effect, "I told you and your mother that we would need handcuffs if we had to deal with you again." Which is when she started screaming. She has been traumatized, though I'm not sure it was with this one incident.

While there may be some underlying physical/psychological cause, in all likelihood it's environmental: Lack of discipline, neglect, abuse...

In any case, she needs more help than a regular classroom can provide. Once the police are brought in, so will social services and psychological services. As for corporal punishment, parents that are good at discipline seldom if ever should have to use it. When parents are NOT good at it, obviously the case here, lord help the child if they start using it. As for teachers, sorry it's NEVER appropriate.

 

[budboomer]

The only thing I saw in the videos was an out of control spoiled little brat in need of a good ass whipping. Instead of the parents apologizing to the teachers for their daughters behavior they run to a lawyer (thinking the whole way,it's PAYDAY!!!!).

If that was me at that age, I wouldn't have been able to sit down for a week. That was my mom's favorite saying and her weapon of choice was a wooden spoon. I grew up just fine getting an occasional ass beating. I usually deserved it.

As far as handcuffing a 5 year old, big f*cking deal. She needed it the way she was acting.

 

[Annie]

The only thing I saw in the videos was an out of control spoiled little brat in need of a good ass whipping. Instead of the parents apologizing to the teachers for their daughters behavior they run to a lawyer (thinking the whole way,it's PAYDAY!!!!).

If that was me at that age, I wouldn't have been able to sit down for a week. That was my mom's favorite saying and her weapon of choice was a wooden spoon. I grew up just fine getting an occasional ass beating. I usually deserved it.

As far as handcuffing a 5 year old, big f*cking deal. She needed it the way she was acting.

When you have a 5 or 6 year old acting that way, it's way beyond any regular classroom teacher's ability to control. This is nearly May, you think it just started?

 

[Trinity]

When you have a 5 or 6 year old acting that way, it's way beyond any regular classroom teacher's ability to control. This is nearly May, you think it just started?

No I doubt it has just started, this has been going on all year and the teacher's are fed up! Can't say that I blame them!