Sheriff Defends Deputies Who Detained and Handcuffed 11-Year-Old Girl After Mistaking Her for Suspect

Deputies’ Actions Called “Reasonable” by Sheriff’s Office

The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in New York has defended two deputies who detained and handcuffed an 11-year-old girl this week, saying that she matched the description of a suspect. The sheriff’s office called the deputies’ actions “reasonable” but said it would change its policy to notify a parent or guardian of any child who is detained for criminal investigative purposes, which it did not do in this instance.

Girl Handcuffed for Seven Minutes

The 11-year-old, who has not been publicly identified, was handcuffed for seven minutes by the deputies on Monday afternoon in Syracuse, according to a timeline of her detainment released by the sheriff’s office. The girl was dressed similarly to a person who was wanted in connection with the theft of a car. The suspect, who, like the girl, is Black, has not been identified or captured.

Deputies Mistook Girl for Suspect

The deputies mistook the girl for the suspect because she was wearing a pink jacket and camouflage pants, similar to what the suspect was wearing. The suspect was recorded by the dashcam of a deputy’s patrol vehicle as she was fleeing from the stolen vehicle.

Girl’s Mother Criticizes Sheriff’s Office

A woman who identified herself on Facebook as the 11-year-old’s mother and shared videos on her page of the girl’s interaction with the deputies could not immediately be reached. Her Facebook post had been shared nearly 6,000 times as of early Thursday afternoon and garnered more than 130 comments, the vast majority of them criticizing the sheriff’s office for having handcuffed the girl and not having notified her parents that she had been detained.

Video Shows Girl’s Detention

In the video, the girl stands with two deputies on a snow-filled sidewalk with her hands cuffed behind her back. One of the deputies tells the children who were with the girl that they can keep going, but one of the children responds that she has to stay with the girl because they’re related.

Deputies’ Justification

The sheriff’s office said a deputy with direct view of the dashcam footage had used FaceTime to view the handcuffed child and determined she was not a suspect. The sheriff’s office said it documented differences between the girl and the suspect, including in the camouflage pattern of their pants, the grain of their pink jackets, the length of their hair and their complexions.

Sheriff’s Response

Sheriff Tobias Shelley said he had met with the girl’s mother to discuss her concerns and that he understood why she was upset about not having been informed that her daughter was handcuffed. The sheriff’s office said it would change its policy “to notify a parent or guardian of any juvenile who is detained for criminal investigative purposes, no matter how brief the encounter is.”

New York Civil Liberties Union Condemns Deputies’ Actions

The New York Civil Liberties Union condemned the deputies’ actions, saying in a statement that it was “extremely disturbed by the aggressive treatment of an 11-year-old Black child at the hands of Syracuse Sheriff’s deputies, and their failure to notify the child’s parents.”

Conclusion

The incident has raised concerns about implicit racial bias and the treatment of children of color by law enforcement. The sheriff’s office has promised to change its policy to notify parents or guardians of any child who is detained for criminal investigative purposes. However, the incident has also sparked a wider conversation about the need for greater accountability and transparency in law enforcement.

FAQs

Q: What happened to the 11-year-old girl?
A: The 11-year-old girl was detained and handcuffed by two deputies in Syracuse, New York, after they mistook her for a suspect in a stolen car case.

Q: Why did the deputies handcuff the girl?
A: The deputies handcuffed the girl because they believed she matched the description of the suspect and were waiting for a photo of the suspect to confirm her identity.

Q: Did the deputies notify the girl’s parents that she was being detained?
A: No, the deputies did not notify the girl’s parents that she was being detained.

Q: Has the sheriff’s office changed its policy as a result of this incident?
A: Yes, the sheriff’s office has promised to change its policy to notify parents or guardians of any child who is detained for criminal investigative purposes.