As she cried and begged
Newly released body-camera footage shows the moment a police officer in Florida arrested a six-year-old girl as she cried and begged not to be taken from school.
Kaia Rolle was led to a police vehicle with her hands fastened behind her back in zip ties after having a tantrum at her school in Orlando that included kicking and punching school personnel.
Later in the story we learn that she has sleep apnea which is thought to affect her behavior.
By the time police officers arrived at the Lucious & Emma Nixon academy, she had already settled down.
In the video, Kaia can be seen seated and listening to a teacher read as officers approach her.
Leading us to wonder what the hell for. If she’s still kicking and punching, surely summoning other adults to help restrain and calm her makes more sense than calling the police, and if she’s not…why are the police even allowed to enter the classroom?
After she asks what the zip ties are for, an officer, Dennis Turner, responds: “They’re for you.”
Kaia starts to cry as a second officer, who has not been identified, binds her wrists.
From this point on the video becomes excruciatingly painful to watch.
“Help me. Help me, please,” she can be heard pleading and crying, as officers restrain her.
As the officers lead her to a patrol SUV, Kaia can be heard saying: “I don’t wanna go in a police car.”
The second officer replies: “You have to.”
“Please, give me a second chance,” she sobs.
And continues to sob. It’s not fake-crying, it’s not tantrum-crying, it’s not rage-crying, it’s frightened pleading child crying, and it’s unbearable. SHE’S SIX YEARS OLD ffs.
Turner was later fired for violating policy. Apparently it’s not policy to terrorize small children.
According to the Orlando police department, a supervisor must first be present to approve the arrest of a child younger than age 12. Turner reportedly did not contact one.
In the clip, he brags about having arrested other minors. and attempts to reassure school officials that the juvenile detention center is not that bad.
He tells administrators he has made more than 6,000 arrests in his career, including of a seven-year-old, for shoplifting. School employees tell him that Kaia is six.
“Now she has broken the record,” Turner replies.
Sadism is too much in fashion in this country.
I know some teachers, and they tell me it’s gotten crazy. They’re not allowed to touch the children anymore, for pretty much any reason. They’re especially forbidden from restraining kids, except in specific cases and even then they better damn well justify it. Ironically, an overconcern with physical abuse from teachers might be creating a situation where, legally speaking, the police have to be called.
It was my first thought when I read this. The little girl could have gotten violent again if disciplined. The schools hands were tied, before the child’s hands were tied. Maybe.
I had a niece who used to have tantrums (she’s in her 30s now; I presume she hasn’t had one in a long time). No one arrested her; they dealt with her in an appropriate manner. Yes, punching a teacher is bad. If she were a high school football player, that might be call for some sort of restraint; even then, I would hesitate to say arrest him, unless it were so chronic there were no other options.
But a 6-year-old having a tantrum? A 6-year-old being a 6-year-old? What have we become when men can grope, rape, and dominate women without real consequence, but a 6-year-old gets arrested for throwing a tantrum?
We suck.
I cried too. Just out of curiosity, has any one seen any footage of little white girls being arrested or otherwise disciplined by police officers?
Well…. not policy to terrorize small children without asking a supervisor first. That seems like a world of difference.