The video footage released by the family of 6 year old Kaia Rolle shows the traumatized 6 year old being handcuffed while pleading with the officers not to handcuff her. The officer Dennis Turner, worked for the Orlando Police Department. He restrained the first grader with zip ties at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy Charter School. When he pulls out the zip ties the 6 year old asks “What are those for?” He states, “It’s for you.” “No I don’t want handcuffs on! Please don’t!” The little girl cried to no avail. The original incident occurred in September 2019 but the video only became available on Monday. It is infuriating to say the least.
Kaia was originally charged with simple assault. (Wtf) for kicking a teacher. The charges were later dropped as Florida department policy requires a managers approval before arresting a juvenile.
The officer was fired last year after the incident but the video just became public for the first time yesterday.
Florida’s state Law still allows small children to be criminalized and children younger than 12 can be handcuffed with a supervisor’s permission. Interestingly (but I’m sure not coincidentally) the children being traumatized in incidents like these are black and brown ones. It’s truly difficult to watch staff of the school stand by and watch it happen… complicit.
“I don’t want to go in a police car! Please give me a second chance!” The child was placed in the back of a police car. Imagine being a 6 year old handcuffed by a strange man, placed in a police car, and taken away to a strange place… imagine being an adult that finds this appropriate to do to a 6 year old… this is America- a place where little black girls may have to plead with police for second chances at 6 years old.
Florida- hold your legislature accountable. Get involved in the process. Change the laws or get law makers in there who will be vocal about getting laws changed. This is the school to prison pipeline on full display.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9AT-sjBAGb/?igshid=150v6vwzkjacr
