5 year old girl handcuffed by cops, !!!!!!!!!! Options

[*nightmare4taki*]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 23) - An attorney says he plans legal action against police officers who handcuffed an unruly 5-year-old girl after she acted up in her kindergarten class.

A video camera, which was rolling March 14 as part of a classroom self-improvement exercise, captured images of the girl tearing papers off a bulletin board, climbing on a table and punching an assistant principal before police were called to Fairmount Park Elementary.

Then it shows the child appearing to calm down before three officers approach, pin her arms behind her back and put on handcuffs as she screams, "No!''

Largo lawyer John Trevena, who provided the tape to the media this week after obtaining it from police, says the officers went too far.

"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.

"It's incomprehensible ... There was no need for that,'' he added.



ABC News
The tape shows the girl lashing out at a school employee.

Police declined to comment, citing an official complaint by Akins that has sparked an investigation by the supervisor of the four officers who were present. Two are new officers who were being trained that day.

Spokesman Bill Proffitt said the investigation would be complete in about two weeks and the findings would be made public.

The 30-minute tape shows assistant principal Nicole Dibenedetto trying repeatedly to calm down the girl, who ignores her commands and begins punching her.

The child's mother was called but wasn't able to immediately come to the school.

After being placed in the back of a police cruiser, police released the girl to her mother after prosecutors informed them they wouldn't bring charges against a 5-year-old.


04-23-05 15:05 EDT




So what do you guys think? Should this girl have been arrested.

[sadolakced acid]

little kids think they can do anything cus they're little...

i don't see why handcuffs shouldn't have been used...

although: i don't think this is for entertainment...

[xXirockhardXx]

Those cops went to far. She is freaking 5 years old. Even though its weird that she went all crazy but i still dont thik the cops should of handcuffed her...

[JlIaTMK]

omg wow

is this more proof that little kids are getting worse and worse with every generation?

[*nightmare4taki*]

I think she just needed a paddling.

omg wow

is this more proof that little kids are getting worse and worse with every generation?

I agree

[xXirockhardXx]

omg wow

is this more proof that little kids are getting worse and worse with every generation?

Hmmm. I agree with this. Little kids are getting worse every day.

[EXPLO5ION]

I think arresting a 5 year old is getting a little too far, but I do agree that kids are just getting worse and worse. But it is part of the parents' fault on how their kids turn out.

[soulless727]

wow....she got it bad....when i was 6 they just came and knocked on my door and said dont do it again and then i had to go to the merril lynch (juvinial court)

[KELLYYY]

I dunno. There's a good and bad side of it.

The good side: This will probably scare other little children from doing anything like that 5 year old girl did.

The bad side: The cops went too far.

[*mona lisa*]

It's not going too far. She's worse than some unruly teenagers, in fact. If putting handcuffs on her was the only way to calm her down or keep her hands down actually, so be it. I feel bad for her parents. Actually, no I don't. It's partly their fault she acts like that.

[Spirited Away]

The cops should have fine the parents instead of cuffing the brat and bringing trouble on themselves.

[whomps]

Physically harassing a school official will get you expelled.. I don't think the officers really went too far. What else were they suppose to do? Handcuffing her would be the same thing as holding her down.

I wonder who videotaped it.

[*mzkandi*]

ST. PETE!! Thats near where I stay (Tampa, fl) She is just five years old, I really dont think the handcuffs were needed, they went a lil to far with that.

[vivieeeen]

yeah she's five years old. But punching people in the face doesn't necessarily make her innocent.. yea?

Her actions are simply screaming for some anger management. =/
this is what i would call... either "lack of home education" or "counsellor needed"

[zbrittanyz]

Handcuffs are a form of physical restraint. It's not to hurt people- it's to subdue them. It hurts if you thrash around, so it's meant to stop people from doing that. Plus, she was physically hurting a school official. So I personally don't think it was an excess of force.

[*jooleeah*]

It's not the police's fault that the girl misbehaved. I personally think handcuffing her is better than putting her down to the floor like most policemen would do to teenagers being violent.

[loljuliana]

i dont think handcuffs was really necesarry(sp?)

[Skyline Drive]

I for one am happy they handcuffed that little bastard. You should of seen how crazy and tough she thought she was until she saw the cops walk in.

[innovation]

oh jeez. violent kids these days.

[babierain]

stupid kids these days. she deserved it. its not like she actually went to jail or got fined..

[slipper]

imo, the cops went too far. but i loathe little kids like that. she had it coming i guess. ;x but if i was a relative of hers, i'd probably be really upset about it.

[tooeffingcrazy]

Instead of handcuffing her, give her a timeout. Put her into a room until she calms down. (:

The cops did go to far. Kids do get these kind of tantrums.

[jnukes]

that's crayzee ..

they should have just calmed her down .. or just punish her .. handcuffing a little girl ?? .. gosh that's too extreme

[mizz_mithy]

I think arresting her was going a little bit too far but the kid needs some discipline. kids these days think they can do whatever.

[jaeman]

They just used the handcuffs to restrain her from hitting the officers, I don't think they went too far with the handcuffs; they could've used those plastic zip-tie handcuffs though. Or they could've just called the girl's parents.

[gOODpIRATE]

wow.

if the mother didn't come as soon as she should have, maybe it was a good thing that they called the cops. although, the hand cuffs where not needed. i mean, she could be scarred for life because of that.

[Ballpointpencil]

The police didn't go too far. You guys seen the video of her attacking the assistant principal? Sure, she is a kid so she couldn't do much, but kids can do damage too. Maybe now she will know better than to hit people when she's pissed off.

[DanielleMaria05]

I agree that she was way out of hand. I don't disagree about the handcuffs, I just think that maybe, they should have called her mother, been like, hey, your daughter is being unruly, I need you here now, or, I'm handcuffing her...

She deff needs a paddling.

[shortiiex]

i saw a little fotage of what happened.....drugs these days...

[dahding]

they should've used a taser (sp?). that would've shut her up.

[waffles]

That's completely unnecessary. Arresting a five year old? The kid probably has A.D.D. or something. They went over board arresting a kid as young as her. Though they could arrest me at any age because I am COMPLETELY INSANE!!!!!

WORSHIP THE WAFFLE GODS!!!!!

[dahding]

That's completely unnecessary.  Arresting a five year old?  The kid probably has A.D.D. or something.  They went over board arresting a kid as young as her.  Though they could arrest me at any age because I am COMPLETELY INSANE!!!!!

WORSHIP THE WAFFLE GODS!!!!! 

no, it's called being a kid. and don't use A.D.D. as a scapegoat for whatever. i know people who have A.D.D. and it's treatable with some pills or whatever. and ur a weird person, u know that right? and not in a, "dustin, ur weird and random, but it's so funny and cool so we love u" weird. it's a, "okay, be quiet now." weird.

waffles are good tho..

[yellowgurl]

i guess not.. maybe suspended. but hey kids make mistakes maybe she was having a bad day.. instead of handcuffing her maybe they shud have just ask her whats wrong and lock her in a corner as punishment.. she wouldnt go to jail.. would she..? but i guess handcuffing her was the only way of calming her down ?

[parallel]

Wow. Very interesting. Lol. People these days..

[yukichan]

i think it was appropriate..
kids need to learn that if they do something wrong, then something like that will happen..

[sadolakced acid]

for god sakes she's a five year old she shouldn't be rebelling against athourity and punching school officials!

[Chii]

I saw it in the news last night

That is sooo stupid! To handcuff a 5 year old???

For gods sakes she's a 5 year old!! 5 year olds have damn tantrums.

I mean "she calmed down until people pinched her from the back and handcuffed her"

Damn people. . .

she did not calm down, i saw the the video like some of the others, she was thrashing about and jumping all over the place and yelling

[IamRad]

wow thats... interesting.. geez im speechless

[xXYouMeBedNowXx]

She was handcuffed by Policemen!

Response: She was a freakin' 5 year old!

She went ballistic on the Vice Principal!

Response: She was a freakin' 5 year old!

Now, if a FIVE YEAR OLD can do something like that, she needs the handcuffs.

[mouse_3k]

I saw tht on the news. It was WEIRD!! U cant handcuff a little kid...below the age of 8...wtf

[Levy2k6]

well the thing is kids are getting pretty smart and know what there doing half the time... and i read the article and i would have hand cuffed her..... crazy youth these days...

i saw one the other day trying to be all cool and stuff like he's a homie or something.

[demolished]

Cops went too far, that child is only 5 years old knowing nothing better. Well, she isnt a very violent person since the cops came. There was no need for handcuff.

[toodlepops.]

Thats stupid.
I mean, handcuffs for a 5 year old?

[Shattered_Hope]

Kids don't know better...but cops did go too far....

[Skyline Drive]

I found the video clips:

BEFORE COPS CAME

GIRL BEING HANDCUFFED

[Chii]

I found the video clips:

BEFORE COPS CAME

GIRL BEING HANDCUFFED

hmm, what the hell did i see on tv i could have sworn she was jumping around all over the place...oh well

[Skyline Drive]

hmm, what the hell did i see on tv i could have sworn she was jumping around all over the place...oh well

They only showed part of it.. it kind of makes it look like she didn't do much but I saw it on tv too and she was like ripping shit up.

[*mzkandi*]

I found the video clips:

BEFORE COPS CAME

GIRL BEING HANDCUFFED

Like I said before, completely unneccasary *shakes head*

[*x____duckii*]

It's not going too far. She's worse than some unruly teenagers, in fact. If putting handcuffs on her was the only way to calm her down or keep her hands down actually, so be it. I feel bad for her parents. Actually, no I don't. It's partly their fault she acts like that.

I agree.


Just because she is 5 doesn't mean they're going too far. If we let kids off easily, then they're gonna end up worse then they already are.

[EmmalieV]

She shouldnt have been arrested thats too much maybe held or hugged to stop her form hitting.

[emazing]

Nah, that's wrong. Very wrong. But still, the girl should get some help; I mean she's only in kindergarten and already punching her V.P. and talking back to them.

[b0st0ngrl]

The cops went too far in my opinion. Although she hit someone, it doesn't mean the cops have to flipping arrest her. I mean she's probably in Kindergarten. How many kids in Kindergarten do not hit people? It's a thing little kids do. She should've just been sent to time out or the principal or something..Maybe that girl ahd a really bad life at home and was trying to get some anger out. And besides, how hard do little kids punch? I'm sure nobody was severly injured..

[belg]

^^agrees.. it's a Big NO NO to handcuff a LITTLE girl...
i dont think i have to explain why.... those cops were dumb!

[q-tips rule]

oh yeah i heard it on the news. i dont know, but that little kid was i tiny bit wild.

[[o0p]]

5 year olds dont really know what they are doing..even adults dont even no right from wrong.. i think the cops went too far!

[blondisnirvana]

WTF!!!!!!!!!! That's insane. I'm hoping it was somekind of giant monster child the cops couldn't control 'cause if it wasn't this is unacceptable.

[*stephinika*]

i think thats going too far. yes she was hitting and screaming and whatnot, but arresting her seems a bit much.

[Heathasm]

i would never have done that shit when i was five. im glad the cuffed her, youd be surprised a how much, even a five year old, can do because no one wants to hurt them

[kryzcoak47luv666]

Yeah I heard about that yesterday, she was getting violent as hell, I don't blame the cops for cuffing her, she went psycho man! That girl tried to hit everyone around her, and so I think they had all reason to cuff her for the safety of the people, and before she hurt herself...

[belg]

Yeah I heard about that yesterday, she was getting violent as hell, I don't blame the cops for cuffing her, she went psycho man! That girl tried to hit everyone around her, and so I think they had all reason to cuff her for the safety of the people, and before she hurt herself...

you got a point there!... but they could habe just grabbed her than handcuffed her... that's way more humane...

[*wind&fire*]

i didnt think handcuffs came child size

[starlette]

I was handcuffed once for saying "well I guess I won't live anymore" to my boyfriend regarding some big family drama in a cops presence. They said it was because I made a threat to myself. I'm like whatever, if I go back in the house, I'll be locked up, it'll be like living, but they went thru all this bs to make sure I wasn't suicidal. Point is? Cops really overreact. They had no reason to cuff that little girl. Pick her ass up around the waist, sit her ass down, and talk to her. But u don't hancuff her. that shit is soooo pain ful. They turn your wrists out in a way that hurts really bad so u cant fight back. not cool. They should be taken to court for assult.

[xMayleex]

Thats mad to handcuff a 5 year old!

[Ballpointpencil]

She shouldnt have been arrested thats too much maybe held or hugged to stop her form hitting.

Hugged? Have you ever tried to hold down a violent kid? Back when I volunteered at the Children's Home there were several times that kids (including ones around her age) got violent, and I know everyone there wished we had a cop around to help control 'em. I remember fairly vividly once when a six year old boy got angry because another kid "stole his stuff" (he had just misplaced it). I was moderating the situation, listening to both sides of the story when the kid took a swing at the other one. I put my arm around his stomach and pulled him backwards, away from the other kid. He turned and started hitting me in the face, and when I held him tighter, trying to get him arms pinned so that he would stop hitting me, the boy bit me on the arm then on the collarbone (both drew blood). Another volunteer helped me calm him down, finally, but it was not as easy as I think you some of you assume.

[sadolakced acid]

She shouldnt have been arrested thats too much maybe held or hugged to stop her form hitting.

hahhaa.... four grown men (police men) hugging a five year old girl. do you think maybe there's a reason they didn't do that?


it's either cuff her or put her in a straight jacket.

and she was not arrested. she was put in restraints.

[c0oki3_m0n$tah]

i can't believe they called the police on her..omg she's just a 5 year old! its sad how teachers and parents can't control their children anymore..scary in a way..i guess she just wasn't raised right=|

[FoOd]

Evil 5 year-old child.

I would never hit a school teacher, I was too afraid to hit one.

[LiLEthiopian]

wow..they didn't really need to call the cops..

just turn off the tape, give her a good slap in the face, and she would have been fine.

[saysaydaplay]

little kids think they can do anything cus they're little...

i don't see why handcuffs shouldn't have been used...

although: i don't think this is for entertainment...

i agree all the way...lil booger

[*suddenly she*]

she could have started lashing out again, so yes, they were necessary.

it's still kinda sad that teachers can't control a five-year-old though.

[hollesther]

That little girl needs to CHILL.She thinks she can do anything.I don't think the cops wnt to far.She frikkin punched the vice pres.She's retarded.LOL!

QUOTE(gotnoheart @ Apr 23 2005, 7:49 PM)
It's not going too far. She's worse than some unruly teenagers, in fact. If putting handcuffs on her was the only way to calm her down or keep her hands down actually, so be it. I feel bad for her parents. Actually, no I don't. It's partly their fault she acts like that.


I totally agree

[*Azarel*]

Initially, my reaction was that they were irrational, but after reading posts, I'm conflicted. She's five, for christ's sake. This is really sad though, having to treat a five-year-old the same way convicts are treated.

[WrathOfOnigo]

Well they did have to restrain her some way. But the thought of a little girl being handcuffed is sort of sad. Should have just tazed her. Or even better sedated her.

[*nightmare4taki*]

Should have just tazed her.  Or even better sedated her.

You couldnt taze a littler girl. Tasers have killed over 80 americans since they were first put in use. Those things pump out over 50,000 volts. Hell a the typical American home runs on 150 volts. Even though the volts dont kill and its actually the amps that do, im pretty sure that at 50,000 volts the Conventional current will be way to high for her to survive.


CONVENTIONAL CURRENT = (charge of proton)(Electrons / meters cubed)(cross sectional area)(Velocity of the proton)

wich equals out to COLUMBS PER SECOND which is classifieds as AMPS.

[sammehmyst]

Are you kidding me? Tons of kids have attitude problems when they are younger. Especially at 5 years old when they always want their way. handcuffing her was too much. Ridiculous.

[sumipark]

she's too little to know better. they went too far..

[ApocalypseAelis]

Well...it did say that they tried without success to restrain her...I don't see what's wrong with handcuffing her.



The little brat deserves to be flogged mercilessly with a cat o' nine tails.


Sorry...I just hate little kids who think they can do anything they want and get away with it.

[sadolakced acid]

You couldnt taze a littler girl. Tasers have killed over 80 americans since they were first put in use. Those things pump out over 50,000 volts. Hell a the typical American home runs on 150 volts. Even though the volts dont kill and its actually the amps that do,  im pretty sure that at 50,000 volts the Conventional current will be way to high for her to survive.
CONVENTIONAL CURRENT = (charge of proton)(Electrons / meters cubed)(cross sectional area)(Velocity of the proton)

wich equals out to COLUMBS PER SECOND which is classifieds as AMPS.

quite knowledgeble about electricity, but not about american homes. Americans homes run on 120 volts.

europe, and american washing machines, use 240 volts. (generalizing for europe.)


the 50,000 volts is no more dangerous to her than an adult. It's just that
1. it's considered inhumane.
2. if the jolt is at a certain point in her heartbeat, her heart can stop.

[*wind&fire*]

0.001 amps can kill you

ill findthe exact number later... i tazer probably can kill you since the lower the voltage the higher the current

[KERP1UNK]

i think its going too far...

[s0pnayish]

The handcuffs was uncalled for. Of course the little kid is gonna act up. I mean, she is only 5 years old, and little kids will do whatever the hell they want. If they wanted to calm the kid down, they could've done something else but put handcuffs on her.

[*wind&fire*]

^ they must have been justified to take that extreme action... in a twisted way it might help the girl to behave...

[kryzcoak47luv666]

^ agreed

and I def prefer handcuffing her than tasing her, that would have been inhumane, and anyways the girl needed to be restrained and everytime that lady in the video tried to grab her she ran and tried to hit her, I do not feel for that little girl or her parents, because I know too many kids that act like that, and they know they can get away with it, they got to learn young, and that girl was a threat to a lot of people in the school, not so much to the adults but what about students in her class....

[gladz612]

no she shudn't hf been arrested... that's way too much for a 5 year old girl.. why didn't they just bring her parents in in the first place?

[starlette]

Okay I just watched the movie clip, and that was really uneccesary. I've seen kids act way worse than that. ( i was a girl scout, way too much volunteering) and the little girl was just throwing a hissy fit. I mean, there was no actual punching. Kids do that when they dont want to be touched. She got up on the table to feel bigger than the woman because the woman was trying to over power her. Its all a defense mechanism. But I'm sorry, I have seen children behave way worse than that. Sometimes I behaved worse than that, and I got my butt whooped. All that little girl needed was to get her but whooped. Not beaten, not abused, just smacked. Btuseriously, someone said they've been unruly teenagers that don't act that bad? Thats bullsh*t. that little just didnt want that woman touching her. Lots of little kids throw fits when they dont want to be picked up or touched. And I agree, someone should have hugged her. Because it would have helped stop her from flailing her arms like thatm and probably would have calmed her down. Its a damn shame that no one knows how to control children anymore, to the point they have to have 3 officers involved. That sad thing is that she had been arrested before. Seriously, thats rediculous.

[iliang86]

dang...handcuffs seems a bit harsh...unless they had consent from the parents...but i dunno what kind of parent would allow the cops to handcuff their 5 yr old

[*lolita kitty*]

holy shit, i can picture some innocent 5 year old doing that.
geez... thats horrible >.<;;

[canny]

Interesting...

[*nightmare4taki*]

quite knowledgeble about electricity, but not about american homes.  Americans homes run on 120 volts. 

europe, and american washing machines, use 240 volts.  (generalizing for europe.)
the 50,000 volts is no more dangerous to her than an adult. It's just that
1. it's considered inhumane.
2.  if the jolt is at a certain point in her heartbeat, her heart can stop.

Your most definitely right about the jolt hitting her at a certain point is fatal but I thought that American housholds run on 110volts and a frequency of 60(cycles per second)hertz. Maybe Im wrong. It could be Britian Im thinking of.

[vampireduster]

if the kid was kicking and biting then i woulda done the samething but dont know. I just think if the kid deserved it then the kid got it

[FiendAngelical]

Whoa... thats just taking it too far. Handcuffs on a 5-year-old girl??

[StarryEyedSurpri...]

oh like a little 5 year old can really hurt someone... that was uncalled for

[IamRad]

i dont thiink its right that she got hand cuffed. i think she just needed a spanking. spankings arent considered abuse. so she needs a slap in the face to calm the fck down

[freeflow]

i heard about that .. first off the teachers should of sat the child down and held her until she was quiet again .. calling the police was a lil too far .. and teh police went wayy to far ..come on know shes 5

[ItzOnlySydney]

i saw that on "todAY" but i have mixed feelings about this. i can see everyone's point of veiw here. becuase she didn't get hurt or anything and her mom couldn't come and get her and the teachers have strict intstrustions not to touch her. but the again she's 5 for pete's sake! she is a child! do they not believe in time outs anymore??

yea so i am not sure who's side i am on yet.

[sadolakced acid]

Okay I just watched the movie clip, and that was really uneccesary.  I've seen kids act way worse than that. ...

that clip was edited, you know that, right?

Your most definitely right about the jolt hitting her at a certain point is fatal but I thought that American housholds run on 110volts and a frequency of 60(cycles per second)hertz. Maybe Im wrong. It could be Britian Im thinking of.

the acceptable range of americans homes is 110V- 130V, so appliances are designed for 120V. what's comming out of the socket should be 120V, but if it's not, then in that range.

[miss barnes]

i saw the video on the today show and omg that was no necessary esp. since when the police arrived she was sitting in a chair calm as ever. and it doesnt take 3 police to control a 5 year old

[sandy_lumpy_shor...]

did the cops do something soo bad. i mena what if it was a first grader or a second, i eman it you hurt like 2 people you should liek have punishment but shes not going to jail is she?

[..:loveee.NuTTii]

I don't think it was going too far at all. Handcuffs are used as a restraint. She was totally out of control. To all the people who say she didn't know what she was doing because she's only 5-let me tell you right now your wrong. 5 yr olds have brains and they know how to use them. This probably happens a lot at her house and she finds it gets her what she wants.

Edit.
I did a little more research and found that the mother said she'd be there and the police wouldn't let the kid talk to her mom. I'll admit, they went a bit too far that time.

[MiLKDUD_DOKiE]

that is just crazy o_o