6 year old handcuffed in GA

[Lady Cop]

well i'm waiting to hear how this was police brutality. already had a few emails about it today.
it sounds to me like the girl needs some attention for possible emotional/behavior problems. i hope this incident forces the parents to have her evaluated.
and i agree with cuffing her for her own safety and the safety of other kids. i wasn't there and don't know how badly out of control she was.

your opinions?



MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - Milledgeville's acting police chief, Dray Swicord, said Tuesday that he stands by an officer's decision to handcuff an elementary school student for safety Friday after she allegedly threw a tantrum.

Swicord said the arresting officer is not under investigation for his actions.

According to the police report, kindergartner Salecia Johnson is accused of tearing items off the walls and throwing furniture.

She was crying in the principal's office at Creekside Elementary before police arrived Friday. The report says the girl knocked over a shelf that injured the principal. It also says she was seen biting the door knob of the office and jumping on the paper shredder. And, it says, she attempted to break a glass frame above the shredder.

The report says when the officer tried to calm the child, she resisted and was cuffed.

"Our policy is that any detainee transported to our station in a patrol vehicle is to be handcuffed in the back. There is no age discrimination on that rule," said Milledgeville Chief of Police Dray Swicord.

They took the child to the police station where she was charged with simple assault and damage to property. Because of her age, she will not have to go to court.

13WMAZ spoke with several other Central Georgia police and sheriff's departments. None of them could remember handcuffing a child that young. They say the use of handcuffs would be at the officer's discretion and based on whether the child is a threat to herself or others.

"A 6-year-old in kindergarten. They don't have no business calling the police and handcuffing my child," said Earnest Johnson, Salecia's father.

"Call the police? Is that the first step? Or is there any other kind of intervention that can be taken to help that child?" asked Candace Ruff.

Police say they tried to contact Johnson's mother but weren't able to reach her.

Her mother, Constance Ruff. says her daughter was suspended and cannot return to school until August.

"She has mood swings some days, which all of us had mood swings some days. I guess that was just one of her bad days that day," said Constance Ruff.

"She might have misbehaved, but I don't think she misbehaved to the point where she should have been handcuffed and taken downtown to the police department," said her aunt, Candace Ruff.

The police chief said the girl was taken to the police department's squad room, not a holding cell, and officers there tried to calm her and gave her a Coke.


parents

[JsMom]

Hey, I feel they had a right due to the fact she "was" a threat to herself and school personel as well as to the responding officer. JMO

[username]

I have no problem with the way the officers acted. That kid sounds like she needs a serious wake-up call.

[Disciple]

People, look at the series of events.

The girl was in the principal's office CRYING when the police arrived. The incident/incidents were over.

The officer "tried to calm her" and she "resisted"?!?!?!

WHO WRITES THIS SHIT?! Do you REALLY believe that? Came right from the cop's report, I'll bet. CYA at its most incredible.

And HOW THE FUCK do you arrest a SIX year old child?

Obviously this is a girl with emotional issues and I'll wager that she was in (or should have been) a special education class or one for emotionally disturbed children.

Guess she's lucky they didn't taze her.

Fucking barbarians!

[Jezreel]

People, look at the series of events.

The girl was in the principal's office CRYING when the police arrived. The incident/incidents were over.

The officer "tried to calm her" and she "resisted"?!?!?!

WHO WRITES THIS SHIT?! Do you REALLY believe that? Came right from the cop's report, I'll bet. CYA at its most incredible.

And HOW THE FUCK do you arrest a SIX year old child?

Obviously this is a girl with emotional issues and I'll wager that she was in (or should have been) a special education class or one for emotionally disturbed children.

Guess she's lucky they didn't taze her.

Fucking barbarians!

I didn't read anywhere where they said the girl was arrested. It states she was cuffed and taken to the station, she was not put in a holding cell, they tried to calm her down and offered her a coke-a-cola.

I honestly don't think a police officer would cuff a child if it wasn't necessary, yes it stated she was crying, but she still could have been throwing her fit at the same time, usually kids do cry while throwing fits.
Why would the officer try to calm her is she was sitting there crying?

Poor child sounds like she has some serious anger and emotional issues, not just moods swings as her mother put it. I have no doubt there will be major backlash on this incident, but in the end I hope the child received the obvious help she needs.

ETA: It doesn't sound like the incident was over according to this:
She was crying in the principal's office at Creekside Elementary before police arrived Friday. The report says the girl knocked over a shelf that injured the principal. It also says she was seen biting the door knob of the office and jumping on the paper shredder. And, it says, she attempted to break a glass frame above the shredder.

This all took place in the principles office...

[Duchess]

It reads like she was acting like an animal. I would have wanted to use a straightjacket but I don't have a problem with the cuffs.

[Adub]

Maybe she just needed a hug.

[Duchess]

Maybe she just needed a hug.

That may have been sarcasm, I don't know but I do think there may be a grain of truth in that statement. If I've gotten anything out of LC's crime forum it's that many parents treat their children as if they are insignificant.

[Lady Cop]

i think all the little troublemakers need to be cuffed up.

[Disciple]

She was charged with simple assault and damage to property.

At age 6.

After they cuffed her (and, I suspect, it was clear that the word was going to get out), they knew that they were going to face a shitstorm and had to ...

(all together now)

COVER THEIR ASSES ME!

Obviously the cop's attempts to "calm" the girl was as heavy handed (so to speak) as those storm trooper boots LC has the hots for.

(S)he should have backed off and let someone with some counseling skills handle it. I suspect that the facts will show that the cop only made things worse.

I don't know the elements of the crimes with which she is charged, but almost all have some mental intent element (known as the intent requirement): knowingly, deliberately, recklessly, etc. My feeling is that the prosecutor is going to have a difficult time proving the intent requirements in this case. Six year old emotionally disturbed kid and the cop pours gasoline on the fire.

Forget it. It won't matter.

NO prosecutor is STUPID enough to push this one. Watch the prosecutor/police do their ""we were only trying to prevent further violence and damage" boogie and try to make this one go away. I hope the parents and public shove it up their collective asses.

This really is outrageous behavior on the part of the police. If you don't know what the fuck you're doing, let someone who does handle it.

[Disciple]

It reads like she was acting like an animal. I would have wanted to use a straightjacket but I don't have a problem with the cuffs.

Duchess, I'm going to stick my neck out and guess that you don't have a special needs child.

[Adub]

Maybe she just needed a hug.

That may have been sarcasm, I don't know but I do think there may be a grain of truth in that statement. If I've gotten anything out of LC's crime forum it's that many parents treat their children as if they are insignificant.

We have a little, lovely four year old that has practically become family. She is spoiled. Not by hugs but by spankings. They whip her ass over anything and everything.

And she is a terror. Everytime they tell her to do anything she starts loudly whining and crying which results in her ass getting whooped.

My opinion is that she starts whining and crying because she knows that her ass is going to get whooped.

And her parents are nothing short of bullies.

Maybe when this little girl was told that she was being sent to the office, and that the office was calling her parents, she knew what was coming.

But seriously, this public school thing is tricky. Had staff or administration tried to restrain her they could have lost their job. You can't touch the children, regardless of what they do. Unless maybe if it is toward another child.

And mom and dad say we all have good and bad days.....

[krystalshores]

She was charged with simple assault and damage to property.

At age 6.

After they cuffed her (and, I suspect, it was clear that the word was going to get out), they knew that they were going to face a shitstorm and had to ...

So you think the police were called bc the little girl was crying? Not because she was out of control biting, scratching, pouncing and acting like she was possessed? I don't know....but I don't think so.

ME!

That's the first time I have seen that smiley.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

People, look at the series of events.

The girl was in the principal's office CRYING when the police arrived. The incident/incidents were over.

The officer "tried to calm her" and she "resisted"?!?!?!

WHO WRITES THIS SHIT?! Do you REALLY believe that? Came right from the cop's report, I'll bet. CYA at its most incredible.

And HOW THE FUCK do you arrest a SIX year old child?

Obviously this is a girl with emotional issues and I'll wager that she was in (or should have been) a special education class or one for emotionally disturbed children.

Guess she's lucky they didn't taze her.

Fucking barbarians!

So I am guessing you have noi idea what is going ou out there in the schools these days? Some of these kids were raised by animals, sounds like this is one of them. Where is it written that anyones kid has the god given right to near destroy a classroom, throw furniture and chew on the door knobs? Why would MY child have to deal with it when YOUR child decides to go apeshit in class because you never taught them any better?
Now they need to handcuff the parents

[ZEROSPHERES]

In this case it's just early training to get the child accustomed to what she will soon experience as a teenager and adult. I wonder how soon she may appear on mugshots.com.

[Duchess]

So I am guessing you have noi idea what is going ou out there

Gawddamn I hope he chooses to respond to that.

[Disciple]

People, look at the series of events.

The girl was in the principal's office CRYING when the police arrived. The incident/incidents were over.

The officer "tried to calm her" and she "resisted"?!?!?!

WHO WRITES THIS SHIT?! Do you REALLY believe that? Came right from the cop's report, I'll bet. CYA at its most incredible.

And HOW THE FUCK do you arrest a SIX year old child?

Obviously this is a girl with emotional issues and I'll wager that she was in (or should have been) a special education class or one for emotionally disturbed children.

Guess she's lucky they didn't taze her.

Fucking barbarians!

So I am guessing you have noi idea what is going ou out there in the schools these days? Some of these kids were raised by animals, sounds like this is one of them. Where is it written that anyones kid has the god given right to near destroy a classroom, throw furniture and chew on the door knobs? Why would MY child have to deal with it when YOUR child decides to go apeshit in class because you never taught them any better?
Now they need to handcuff the parents

I am WELL aware of what is going on in the schools today, Tex.

God given right? Jesus! Nobody is saying that she had any right to act that way. Quit your histrionics! Your child shouldn't have to deal with it. Nobody's should.

The child has mental health issues. It isn't a law enforcement matter. The earlier you start mental health treatment, the more likely it is that treatment will be successful. Treat the cause, not the symptoms.

Or just keep calling the cops. Create a full blown sociopath. We need more serial killers.

[Disciple]

So I am guessing you have noi idea what is going ou out there

Gawddamn I hope he chooses to respond to that.

Your wish is my command, your Loveliness.

[Lady Cop]

in the moment i doubt professional counseling was available. the immediate issue was to get the child under control. yep, good thing nobody tased her delinquent little ass. it is not unusual at all to temporarily place a child in cuffs. nobody sat her under a bare light bulb and beat her with a rubber hose.
but i'll bet we discover the parents have been negligent in getting her help. this was not the first time the school has had to deal with her problems.

[Duchess]

I don't profess to know anything about children but it seems to me that at six yrs. old & acting out like that she has probably been neglected her entire short life. That's a very bad kid, one who knows no boundaries. I would run away from a kid like that.