Age 7 Boy Taken Away from School in Handcuffs after Incident That Started in Cafeteria
It is not the first time such an image has been seen by the public but it is still just as shocking. When a young child is taken away by police, in handcuffs, questions and outrage ensue.
In this case, the incident occurred in Miami, Florida, and the child was a 7-year-old boy. The triggering event was an outburst at school, reported NBC News.
According to WSVN via CNN, school police for Miami’s Coral Way K-8 Center stated that the boy had been removed from the school cafeteria for playing with his food.
In the hallway, he allegedly “attacked the teacher by repeatedly punching her on her back…” and then things escalated further.
As the teacher reportedly attempted to restrain the boy, he continued to attack, using his fists and legs. When the struggle landed them both on the ground, the boy allegedly pulled the teacher’s hair before he was successfully restrained.
At this point, the boy was taken to the principal’s office and the teacher opted to press charges. The family admitted that this is the second such incident with the boy in less than three month’s time, according to NBC News.
Miami-Dade Schools Police explained that the boy was removed from the school wearing handcuffs to prevent “harm to others or himself.”
They added that “the manner in which he was transported to the receiving facility was done in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures.”
The incident with the student and teacher had been captured on school surveillance video. NBC News reported that the boy’s father, Rolando Fuentes, was upset by how the whole thing was handled and shared that with NBC Miami: “I know my kid did wrong, and he will be punished for what he did.”
Fuentes added,”But what the police officer did afterward, this is out of hand. Unbelievable.” Fuentes also consented for the boy to be treated under the Baker Act in order to avoid arrest.
The boy’s mother, Mercy Alvarez, was noticeably distraught, and captured the handcuffed removal of her son on video.
It was reported by WSVN via CNN that through a translator, Alvarez said her son saw a psychologist following his outburst in November in which he was accused of kicking a teacher.
She explained that the psychologist said the boy was OK. Alvarez insists he has no “issues with aggression” or “mental health issues.”
Following the current incident, the boy had been taken by police to the hospital for an evaluation, reported Good Morning America.
Several hours later, the boy was released but has been suspended for 10 days.
The public has expressed mixed feelings about the case; some believe that handcuffing a child is too extreme while others make the case that in the case of alleged aggression or violence, it may be the only appropriate and safe way to defuse the situation.
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