Florida Police Handcuff 9-Year-Old Student in School for 13 Minutes: A Deep Dive into the Incident and its Aftermath

A wave of outrage has swept across Central Florida after bodycam footage emerged, showing police officers handcuffing a 9-year-old student for 13 minutes inside his classroom. The incident, which took place on February 2nd of this year at Stenstrom Elementary School in OVO, Florida, has sparked a debate about the use of force against young children in schools.

The incident report reveals that two OVO police officers were called to the school in response to reports of an “unruly child.” Officer Mona’s bodycam footage shows the child throwing paper and books, with scattered belongings across the floor as staff members struggle to calm him down.

Bodycam footage shows a young boy throwing objects in a classroom, while school staff attempt to calm him down.

Officer Manata attempted to de-escalate the situation by approaching the student, but was met with resistance, including fists and profanity from the 9-year-old. The situation escalated further as the student kicked a teacher while continuing to throw objects, including a wet floor sign.

The student continued to act out, kicking a teacher and throwing objects across the classroom, prompting a response from Officer Mosley.

Officer Scott Mosley arrived at the classroom and promptly handcuffed the student. The incident report justifies this action as being “out of concern for others in the room.” However, the disturbing footage shows the child repeatedly kicking the officers while restrained.

Even after being handcuffed, the student continued to yell and resist, prompting Officer Mosley to adjust the handcuffs higher on the child’s arms to prevent self-injury, as documented in the incident report.

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While Officer Mosley restrained the child, Officer Manata attempted to de-escalate the situation verbally, explaining the potential consequences of his actions and encouraging him to calm down. The footage captures her saying, “You don’t care, but you can go to jail for things like that, and I don’t want to see you go to jail for things like that, okay?”

Officer Manata attempted to reason with the student, explaining the potential consequences of his actions and urging him to cooperate.

After several minutes of restraint and dialogue, a teacher stepped in to speak calmly with the student. This interaction seemed to diffuse the situation, leading Officer Mosley to release the handcuffs.

The aftermath of the incident saw the student being escorted to the guidance counselor’s office. However, the story doesn’t end there. The child’s parents, deeply disturbed by the incident and the potential psychological impact on their son, decided to take legal action.

At the end of September, the parents filed a lawsuit against the city and the police department, alleging that the officers’ actions caused extreme harm and exacerbated their child’s existing behavioral condition. Their lawyer issued a statement to local media, emphasizing that “9-year-old children should not be handcuffed by police officers at school” and criticizing the City of OVO for failing to address the situation and its impact on the family.

The case has sparked outrage and brought to light the ongoing debate surrounding the role of police in schools and the use of force against young children, especially those with emotional or behavioral challenges. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for appropriate training and resources for law enforcement officers and educators alike, ensuring that they can effectively and safely address challenging situations involving young students.