ForumGarden

i watched this video several times on CNN...the child was quite out of control, but i would not have cuffed her. if you click on the link it will take you to newspaper article...then click on CNN video to see it. i will say this however, we do cuff children if they are deemed a threat to others and themselves. it is policy, you cannot have a wild child flailing around.





Video Shows Police Handcuffing 5-Year-Old Girl







ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A 5-year-old girl was handcuffed by police after she tore papers off a bulletin board and punched an assistant principal in kindergarten class, according to a video released by a lawyer for the child's mother.







Video Shows Police Handcuffing 5-Year-Old





The 30-minute tape shows the child appearing to calm down before three officers pinned her arms behind her back and put on handcuffs as she screamed, "No!" After being placed in the back of a police cruiser, the girl was released to her mother.



The camera was rolling March 14 as part of a classroom self-improvement exercise at Fairmount Park Elementary, attorney John Trevena said.



Trevena, who provided the tape to the media this week, said he got it from police.



"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.











Police spokesman Bill Proffitt said an investigation into the matter would be complete in about two weeks and the findings would be made public.

I was impressed by how the principle and staff attempted to control the situation (hoping the tape was not edited of course), but I would not have been upset with that at all.



I would have been fired up at the police who responded. Things that come to mind are maybe if she was a threat to herself (hitting self, bashing head against the wall, etc) then maybe the handcuffs for her own protection. Or if she was a threat to others (one episode of attempting to bite wouldn't make it in my book). How much of a threat to adults is a 5 year old, especially of this size? Not sure why the police were even called on this deal....how about the parents? Maybe the police were given a different, more hyped up story by the school officials and going by that info, handcuffed her.



Based on the video footage that was shown, I think overall, it was overkill.

i was so shocked to hear they did that shes only five years old

Within 2 days of this happening, it happened to a 7 year old child at a nearby school. He claims the teachers never hear what the other kids say to him to get him started, they only hear his retaliation. They saw him throw the eraser back, but not the person who originally threw it at him. This happens soooo often in our school district. I hope if nothing else comes from these cases, the teachers take notice and start paying attention. I know it is hard to hear what ALL the kids are saying, but they are so busy listening to this one student while they assume the others "would never say anything bad" under their breath to this child.