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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Six year old girl arrested in Florida

218 replies

Userwhatevernumber · 26/02/2020 21:44

Sorry if there is already a thread about this, I couldn’t find one.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-51638871/six-year-old-girl-arrested-at-florida-school

AIBU to think this is totally unacceptable and the US police are heartless and cruel?

It’s things like this, that put me off ever living in America 😢😡

OP posts:
Coyoacan · 26/02/2020 22:46

My ex ended up teaching in a school in Chicago. The school called the police on a five-year-old who stole from the teacher's purse.

I don't blame the police as much as the teachers. I cannot imagine trusting any child of mine to people who would be capable of doing that to a child.

It is also self-defeating if the idea is to terrorise the poor wee things into behaving, all this does is harden the child.

Devlesko · 26/02/2020 22:46

The officer has been sacked, I thought it was old news, must have read wrongly.
It's awful, that poor kid, she was crying and scared to death.

Rosehip10 · 26/02/2020 22:46

@Leaannb Yeah American healthcare is brilliant, unless you can't afford decent insurance, but those people are probably deserve it hey? Are they the same sort of people who are shot by police, Walter Scott for example?

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 26/02/2020 22:48

I can’t imagine any world where being cable tied by a police officer whilst pleading for him not to and being taken alone to a police car, and then a police station, again, alone, whilst crying, would make life better for a 6 year old.

SachaStark · 26/02/2020 22:48

Do stop laying into the teachers, please. It says very clearly in the report that it was the school’s security officer who called the police and had her arrested, not her teachers.

Besides which, you can see from the body cam footage at the end that the arresting officer is discussing the arrest with a group of black, female members of staff... and what do you think would happen to a group of black females if they had resisted on behalf of the little girl? Their body language clearly shows that they are fearful of the officer.

HerRoyalCarbyLess · 26/02/2020 22:50

That was fucking heart wrenching.
That poor baby.

I have a six year old girl. She's so tiny. I can't imagine anyine just standing by and watching as she got taken away in handcuffs by the police.
And it's not like she's a perfectly behaved girl. She is horrible at times. She has a severe anxiety disorder which manifests in numerous ways. Her teachers wouldn't dream of phoning the police on her. Not because it's not allowed here, but because she's a little girl who just needs help, not frightening.

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 26/02/2020 22:50

Their body language clearly shows that they are fearful of the officer.

Totally agree. They were very wary of appearing to challenge him.

BlueHarry · 26/02/2020 22:51

I think I have read this story before but that the footage is newly released. That's actually made me feel sick. I wonder if the teachers said nothing because of the fear of being shot. I don't see how anyone could have witnessed that and not felt compelled to help that poor child. God knows what affect that will have on her for her whole life. Just awful. I'm glad the officer was sacked but I think he should be arrested for child abuse.

LyndaSnellsSniff · 26/02/2020 22:52

I got as far as the first “help me” and had to stop watching.

Barbaric.

chomalungma · 26/02/2020 22:52

Bodycam videos and mobile phone footage certainly shows a disturbing side to police behaviour. There have been some appalling videos out there - God knows what the police got away with before such evidence was available.

contentedsoul · 26/02/2020 22:53

I was going to post this earlier too

Did I read it right that the person with the bodycam that filmed it was fired?

As for arresting a 6yr old and zip tying her ... the mind boggles at the absurdity of the us police and armed forces. Big, Brash and....Brainless

Sleepover1 · 26/02/2020 22:53

@Leaannb

@Sleepover1 No more than you guys. At least I didn’t have to wait 6 months for a gall bladder removal. Not to mention I arrested a 12 yo today myself and is sitting in Juvenile Detention until his court date next week. Did I feel bad when I tased him? Nope. Did I feel bad when I arrested and put him in my squad car? Nope. Did I feel bad bad for the teacher who will have to have reconstruction surgery on her face. Most definitely

12 is a hell of a lot older than 6 first off... second off yeah you should feel bad because that “child” is acting out for a reason “most probably because of some sort of abuse, lack of understanding/presence from adults around him...including you today!!
And thirdly “no more than you guys”... you have no idea where I am from and you have just assumed I am from the uk huh??🤔

DreemOn · 26/02/2020 22:54

I’d love to know all the details about this. I wonder what caused the school to call the police and I wonder why they took the girl to the police car? Was she actually properly arrested? If so then that’s really shocking.

My kids went to a school overseas ( Not the US) where the police were called to deal with a boy on two occasions. He was 7 or 8 at the time and was huge and very very strong. The police restrained him by sitting on him during one of the incidents. One sat across his torso and the other held his legs. ( I didn’t see what happened the other time) . The boy had completely lost control and was a danger to himself as well as others. I guess a photo of the boy being restrained like that by two police officers would have looked shocking too. I don’t know if he had any diagnoses of anything or not - it was a regular private school. He wasn’t expelled either. He was from a wealthy family and was white.

TopShelf · 26/02/2020 22:54

That poor child, six years old...

This country doesn't put kids in handcuffs yet thank goodness.
On the other hand it just keeps a report of kids utterances to log as wrong think.

AlexaShutUp · 26/02/2020 22:55

Horrible. That poor child.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 26/02/2020 22:57

Totally agree. They were very wary of appearing to challenge him.

That black lady, timidly questioning whether the cable ties are appropriate while he brags what a big man he is, you just know she is thinking, “You absolute dickhead,” and realistically, what can she do?

In the UK I think we are less scared to challenge the police.

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 26/02/2020 22:58

Was she actually properly arrested? If so then that’s really shocking.

If she wasn’t properly arrested that’s even more worrying though- it would mean a police officer just took a child away from school, bound by cable ties, with no official reason for or record of doing so.

JuanSheetIsPlenty · 26/02/2020 23:04

Kaia was one of two 6-year-olds arrested by Turner on Sept. 19. No charges were ever officially filed against either child.

He arrested another 6 year old that day!! What the hell? I’m really happy this guy no longer has that kind of power over children.

Sofonisba · 26/02/2020 23:05

The US is a shithole, stories like this are completely unsurprising nowadays.

Tiggering · 26/02/2020 23:06

I am a teacher in a school where it is common for children to kick, hit or spit at teachers. Several times a day they day things like “Go die in a fire”, “I fucking hate you and I wish you were dead” or “You deserve to get raped”. I’ve had gum stuck in my hair, I’ve had children break into my office to steal my things, I’ve seen children smash up computers and windows and attempt to hurt other children. I teach 10 year olds. In my country (not the UK or the USA) we can’t contact the police about this, but I wish we could. It’s also illegal to give detention or confiscate items here so all we can do is call the parents. When the parents arrive at the school the child suddenly becomes adorable, polite and reasonable, even if they were wishing you dead, kicking you and smashing things a few minutes before. If her behaviour was so extreme that the school had to contact the police then I hope this shocks her into not behaving that way again. So many children are failed by the school system because because they learn that hitting their teacher gets them a hot chocolate and a lovely chat with the principle about why they hate that teacher. They apply that logic at work and get fired or arrested. And for everyone else stuck with that kid in their class also has their education ruined. If patients in a hospital treated doctors the way that children treat teachers we wouldn’t be surprised when they got arrested. It shouldn’t be shocking when the police deal with violent crime even if the aggressor is a child.

HerRoyalCarbyLess · 26/02/2020 23:07

justasking111
That article states a "lapse of judgement" on the officers part! A lapse of judgement?! What the fuck? No. It was fucking disgusting is what it was.

As for full facts, how about was acting out in class, a side effect of a lack of sleep from a medical condition she wasn't well, they tried to calm her by grabbing her wrists and that's when she lashed out.
Something my own 6 year old would do if feeling anxious.

HerRoyalCarbyLess · 26/02/2020 23:10

Tiggering read the articles linked.
This is not a child constantly acting up and attacking teachers viciously. She is also not ten.
I have an 11 year old and a 6 year old. The difference in maturity and emotional control is staggering.
You hope it teaches her a lesson? The only lesson that poor girl is learning is that it's ok for people to assert their power over her.
That man, if you can call him that, arrested two 6 year olds that day. He was clearly determined to be a prick.

Justaboy · 26/02/2020 23:13

Isn't there something moronic and stupidily officous about American police? You can see it in all the vids on Youtube!

Just hope that Boris dosent do a deal to privatise our lot and have it run by an American outfit!

Streamside · 26/02/2020 23:15

She had to stand on a chair to get her offenders photo taken