(RightIsRight.co) – The parents of a nine-year-old Florida boy handcuffed by police at his school have filed a lawsuit alleging the use of “unnecessary and unreasonable” force.
The incident unfolded at Strenstrom Elementary School in Oviedo, Florida, when officers were called in response to the boy allegedly throwing items at school staff. Police bodycam footage, recently released, captures the chaotic scene as the boy screamed and hurled objects in a mail room. School staff tried to protect themselves with mats before the officers resorted to handcuffing the child, as reported by FOX35.
According to the lawsuit, the boy had a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that identified his behavioral issues, including “hitting, kicking, pushing, throwing items, and property destruction.” The BIP instructed staff not to engage in conversations with the student during episodes of aggression, FOX35 reported.
Despite the officers’ attempts to de-escalate the situation, the student continued to act aggressively, screaming obscenities, kicking, punching staff, and attempting to break a window, according to Click Orlando.
In the recently released video, one officer can be seen handcuffing the student, citing safety concerns, while the child appears to curse and scratch at another officer.
One officer tried to reason with the student, saying, “If you can relax, we can take the cuffs off. But you’re literally endangering everybody here by hitting everybody.” The student responded with profanity.
Former Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon commented on the incident, saying, “Ultimately, what every law enforcement officer wishes is that the situation is de-escalated before they even get involved, but in this situation obviously there was a lot going on.”
The family has initiated legal action against the city and school resource officers (SRO), seeking more than $75,000 in damages. They argue that the officers violated the SRO agreement by handcuffing a child who had not yet reached sixth grade, as reported by FOX35.
