NYPD sued for handcuffing a 10-year-old girl

By Hanna Ingber Win

The New York Sun

NEW YORK — After New York City police officers allegedly handcuffed a 10-year-old girl for being noisy and disruptive on a school bus, a prominent civil rights lawyer is bringing a lawsuit challenging the use of handcuffs on minors.

The advocate, Norman Siegel, said he wants the lawsuit to be a catalyst for the police department to discuss drafting written guidelines on how police should treat children who are not engaged in criminal activity.

"We should not be handcuffing our children with metal handcuffs when there is no criminal activity," Mr. Siegel said yesterday at a press conference outside the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.

After a police officer told a group of children riding a school bus to take their seats, he approached the girl, I'Mecca Burton Pearson, told her she was not moving fast enough, and threatened her with arrest, Mr. Siegel said. The officer then put his knee on the back of the child, grabbed her arms, and applied metal handcuffs, he said. The incident occurred in Bedford-Stuyvesant on January 15, he said.

"Our children should be nurtured and hugged, not handcuffed," state Senator Eric Adams said at the press conference. "We would love the police department to re-examine how they treat children."

The lawsuit states that the officer falsely arrested and unreasonably seized, assaulted, and battered I'Mecca. It also states that the city and police department did not properly hire, retain, train, and supervise the two officers who boarded the school bus. It seeks $500,000 in compensatory and another $500,000 in punitive damages.

I'Mecca's mother and grandfather said the child has suffered mental anguish and trauma as a result of the incident. I'Mecca now has trouble sleeping, does not go outside as often as she used to, and runs every time she sees the police, her mother, Taniesha Pearson, said.

The New York City Law Department said it has not yet received the formal legal papers but "will review the case thoroughly upon receipt."

I don't believe it for one minute. They are fabricating a story out of something no one would normally see a problem with so they can make some quick money. And the girl suffering from metal anguish and trauma, is BS. Nobody becomes a close in after one arrest or handcuff. She probably runs from the police, because she is doing something illegal when she sees them.

 What was she doing disobeying officers? I know I would have shut up straight away if told at that age..............or even 20.lol....So the child     has no respect for authority to start with. 

The question I would ask is "Why the officers felt the NEED to cuff a child?"  There was a reason for this child being cuffed, and it wasn`t cos the officers just felt like doing it.

We had several officers killed by young teens, if they are arrested then they should be handcuffed nuff said. Maybe we should get fur lined for them or mayby these people bring the suit would have rather had the zip cuffs applied instead of the metal. Let's put them all in time out.

bill9823 says ...

We had several officers killed by young teens, if they are arrested then they should be handcuffed nuff said. Maybe we should get fur lined for them or mayby these people bring the suit would have rather had the zip cuffs applied instead of the metal. Let's put them all in time out.

No, time out might also be emotional harming according to some people. All LEOs can do is say, " That's wrong, so stop." If stuff like this continues, that might just be true. I hope it never comes to that.

Good breakdown KSP. Not much to add after that.

This is BS. This child doesn't respect anyone, especially anyone with authority. The child had to be bad for the officer to resort to cuffing her butt. She's not suffering from mental anguish or trauma. Someone finally took the steps to calm her little butt down and show some authority. Something she's never seen or had!

"Our children should be nurtured and hugged, not handcuffed," This is true-BUT IT SHOULD BE BY THEIR PARENTS! Their parents also need to teach them some basic life skills, like respect for other people and AUTHORITY. If the kid had these basic life skills she would have listened to and obeyed the bus driver-never even involving the cops. 

How many "parent my child" calls does your agency get? I knwo we get aton in south Florida. The whole thing is BS to get a quick buck from the city. Problem is everywhere. 

 We have 0 incidents like this because they know we won't budge. We will back our Troopers as long as they followed the law and policy and procedure. If they can articulate why they did what they did the agency will stick by their side. The activists know this now so they don't mess with us.

ryamaz says ...

Spare the rod, spoil the child.

BUMP!!!!!!!

"...runs every time she sees the police, her mother, Taniesha Pearson, said..."

 

Probably something she picked up from that same mother...

Poor little thing. Prehaps instead of restraining her and then letting her go on her way when things settled. The family and there lawyer would have been happier with state authorized time out........criminal charges and detention.

This is a crock of bovine excrement that is motivated by $$$. This little girl needs to have her ass lit on fire because the quickest way to a childs mind is through their behind ( makes you wonder if this child's parents ever disciplined her).