9-year-old arrested for waving toy gun [arrested at gunpoint and handcuffed]

The Morning Journal ^ | 10-28-03 | The Morning Journal

[ambrose]

[ambrose]

An officer aimed his weapon at the boy's head, ordered him to the ground, handcuffed him and arrested him for juvenile delinquency by reason of inducing panic, according to the police report. Saunders, 28, was also charged with obstruction of justice and resisting arrest when she pleaded with police not to arrest her son and to give him a warning, according to a police report.

[exit82]

Why does the image of Barney Fife come into my head when I read this?

If this happened forty years ago, the sergeant would have smacked the patrolman upside the head for being so damn stupid and causing a problem.

Kids do stupid things. Once they determined it was a toy gun, a strict lecture was in order. Instead, the kid gets arrested, and so does his mother for being so rash as to plead for the police to exhibit common sense in the situation.

It's just as bad here in NJ. Four boys were suspended for playing cops and robbers on the school playground, using their HANDS for guns. They were in kindergarten.They were humiliated by school personnel, and the parents hit the roof! It caused a big stink. Zero tolerance means never having to say you're sorry.

[JoJo Gunn]

When the Leftists scream about cops, in cases like this who can argue?

[Ruth A.]

Police Gone Wild. This is craziness. Sure you approach with caution when you aren't certain about a situation, but then you give 'em hell verbally.

[Drammach]

FYI all those who are interested;

Lorain is in OHIO, just west of Cleveland.

[Ajnin]

The problem with liberals is that they would think the arrest of a nine year old waving a toy gun is a legitimate bust. However, when a cop arrests a murderer the libs would scream about human rights abuses.

[Prodigal Son]

Oh my.

[Veracious Poet]

LMAO...are these cops for real?

[dasboot]

Lorain is in OHIO, just west of Cleveland

I knew there had to be a rational explanation.

[cricket]

Police response understandable; the follow-up, arresting the child, citing and threatening the Mother are beyond the pale - or sadly, used to be - before Liberalism became the accepted consciousness of the day.

The question is, 'can we stop the insanity'?

As for poor Barney, he acted out of a kind of innocent ignorance; a naivete. His truth was he wanted to harm no-one.

This abusive action reminds me more of an 'Elian Gonzales' scenario. . .and the same for the kindergarteners using their fingers as guns . A mindless overkill. . .facilitated in this case by Zero Tolerance.

[Ronin]

Thomas, who his mother said has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, said he was frightened by the incident.

What rational human being would NOT be frightened by this?

I suppose if the kid had not dropped his toy the cop would have been justified putting a bullet through his nine-year-old noggin. Let's get real here. Yes, there are some replicas, pellet guns, etc., that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

I do not believe this was the case here. This was an obvious toy and the cop KNEW it was a toy, but went into his macho LAWMAN routine anyhow.

The questions then becomes, what in the heck was the kid arrested for? Having a toy gun is not, as far as I know, against the law. He dropped the thing when the cop told him to. Where is the justification for cuffing him and hauling him in?

[Porterville]

Something needs to be done, but what??

[BulletBobCo]

"Saturday Night Live" could only improve upon this story by having two guys walk by the cops hauling away a cash register from the beauty parlor without a second glance from the cops as read the kid his rights.

[Consort]

[roadcat]

"Something needs to be done, but what??"

Post pictures everywhere of the cop with the slogan "Child Molester".

[Porterville]

I think that would work, teach them about harrasment.

[Iconoclast2]

Why do you assume the action was "mindless", or "innocent"? Isn't it more likely that the whole point of these sorts of responses is to normalize hysterical overreaction to the mere sight of guns in the possession of anyone other than Government? You underestimate our enemies.

Once the majority of Americans regard guns with fear and horror, the Second Amendment is dead no matter what is written on a piece of paper. We are well along the way; I have had a hell of a time deprogramming my own kids from this State-programmed response.