Sheriff Defends Deputies Who Detained and Handcuffed 11-year-old Girl
A Sheriff’s Office in New York Defends Two Deputies Who Detained and Handcuffed an 11-year-old Girl
A sheriff’s office in New York defended two deputies who detained and handcuffed an 11-year-old girl this week, saying that she matched the description of a suspect. The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, responding to criticism after a video of the encounter was posted online, called the deputies’ actions “reasonable” but said the office 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.
The 11-year-old Girl’s Detention
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.
Video of the Incident
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.
Facts Revealed in the Investigation
* The deputies’ dashcam footage showed the suspect, a Black woman, fleeing from a stolen vehicle.
* The 11-year-old girl was detained a few blocks from where the stolen car was initially observed.
* The suspect’s face was obscured by the sheriff’s office.
* The deputies used FaceTime to view the handcuffed child and determined she was not a suspect.
Reaction from the Community and the Sheriff’s Office
A woman who identified herself on Facebook as the 11-year-old’s mother shared videos on her page of the girl’s interaction with the deputies. The 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.
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.”
Condemnation from the New York Civil Liberties Union
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.” The civil rights organization also raised concerns about implicit racial bias and the lack of appropriate training and protocols in the sheriff’s office.
Conclusion
The sheriff’s office’s decision to detain and handcuff an 11-year-old girl, based on a mistaken identification, has sparked outrage and criticism. While the office has apologized and promised to change its policy, the incident highlights the importance of thorough training and protocols in law enforcement agencies to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
* Who was the 11-year-old girl who was detained and handcuffed?
* The girl’s identity has not been publicly released.
* What was the reason for the girl’s detention?
* The girl was detained and handcuffed because she matched the description of a suspect who was wanted in connection with the theft of a car.
* Has the suspect been identified or captured?
* No, the suspect has not been identified or captured.
* How did the sheriff’s office respond to the incident?
* The sheriff’s office apologized and promised to change its policy to notify a parent or guardian of any child who is detained for criminal investigative purposes.
