Police Handcuffinf a 5 Year-Old Girl

Video Shows Police Handcuffing 5-Year-Old Girl

ABC News

The girl screamed "No!'' as officers put handcuffs on her.

Watch Multiband Video:
Teacher Tapes Tantrum, Arrest

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050423071009990003&ncid=NWS00010000000001

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 23) - An attorney says he plans legal action against police officers who handcuffed 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 screams, "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,'' he added.

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.

don't care what age the child is if the child or childeren are unruly the police must do everything to control the siuation if that means puttin the child in cuffs it has to be done

[Jimbo]

I saw the video, and think that little brat should have gotten a little taste of pepper spray as well as being handcuffed. What the alternative? Having some little brat, growing up learning that it's ok to go around assaulting people?

Of course now the lawyers move in, looking to nail a couple cops for being abusive. If they had not put the cuffs on the little brat, then they would get sued later for not properly controlling her. You can not win these days, being a cop. Do 1,000 things right, that's fine. But do 1 thing that people think might be wrong, and all the good you do is forgotten in an instant.

[Gary]

An attorney says he plans legal action against police officers who handcuffed an unruly 5-year-old girl after she acted up in her kindergarten class


I'd say it's time to disbar one lawyer :angry:

Pretty typical though; blame the law enforcement instead of holding people accountable for their actions. :noclue:

or in this case hold the parent or parents responsable for the hell there child is raising

[Hillbilly]

Kneejerk response is of course the one PUMPED by media and lawyers. Stop & think a minute........With 4 officer's there to keep an eye on things, what better objective lesson could there be than taking a EXTREMELY unruly child, and giving them a little taste of what that kind of behavior will get them. Then, you sit the parent down & say "Look, its your responsibility to raise your child, not let them run wild, and then turn them loose on the educators. Like I say, with 4 officer's there to make sure she didn't get hurt, it was a fitting experience.

i say put the cuffs on the child and the parents