IN - Sixth grader handcuffed and charged over spilled milk.

[Anti Federalist]

Valpo sixth-grader handcuffed over spilled milk

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/4835372-537/valpo-sixth-grader-handcuffed-over-spilled-milk.html

By Erin Guerra Post-Tribune correspondent Apr 15, 2011 02:00AM

VALPARAISO — A 12-year-old faces two counts of resisting law enforcement for his alleged actions when he refused to clean up spilled milk in the Ben Franklin Middle School cafeteria.

A police officer was helping supervise the lunch period on Tuesday, because both the principal and assistant principal were in a meeting, and the boy got into a confrontation with a school staff member.

After refusing to wipe up the mess, according to the police report, the sixth-grader refused to sit and wait for the other students to return to class so the staff member could deal with him individually.

He then allegedly ran away — through hallways and the kitchen — when the police officer attempted to escort him to the principal’s office.

Once caught, he fought and kicked the officer in attempts to get away and eventually was put in handcuffs.

The student was released to a parent.

[PBrady]

Honestly, the title sounds a lot worse than what happened. If he had just "ran away", then I would think that handcuffs would be a little excessive, but considering that he (supposedly, anyway) "fought and kicked" to try and get away again, I don't see it as a huge stretch for him to be handcuffed in order to get to the principals office without further incidence.

It's far better than having to constantly apply physical force to a bratty 6th grader from one part of the school to another, which likely would have just led to something far more harsh, as I doubt the kid would have given up.

In the end, though, I wasn't there, and it's tough to get the tone of the situation from reading an article. I just don't see this as anything too drastic.

[TheNcredibleEgg]

In the end, though, I wasn't there, and it's tough to get the tone of the situation from reading an article. I just don't see this as anything too drastic.

A police officer being involved in a school cafeteria dispute involving a sixth grader is too drastic for me. Not to mention no actual crime was committed.

[PBrady]

And if you read the article, a police officer being there isn't the norm, and it's not supposed to be. I wouldn't be surprised if it was just the "school resource officer" who does DARE and whatnot who went down and watched over the lunch room since the people who normally do it were busy.

I can guarantee that you would be far more upset if he didn't handcuff him, the kid continued to kick and punch, and then the officer tazed him. Instead, he decided to actually tone things down (which is really quite surprising, coming from a police officer) by restraining him. He wasn't arrested. He wasn't threatened with jail. He wasn't hurt by the restraint. He was released to a parent without further incident.

[TheNcredibleEgg]

And if you read the article, a police officer being there isn't the norm, and it's not supposed to be. I wouldn't be surprised if it was just the "school resource officer" who does DARE and whatnot who went down and watched over the lunch room since the people who normally do it were busy.

I can guarantee that you would be far more upset if he didn't handcuff him, the kid continued to kick and punch, and then the officer tazed him. Instead, he decided to actually tone things down (which is really quite surprising, coming from a police officer) by restraining him. He wasn't arrested. He wasn't threatened with jail. He wasn't hurt by the restraint. He was released to a parent without further incident.

Well, I don't think there should be police officers at all in the elementary schools - that's why I think it was too drastic. It's an overreach and way too expensive.

But since he was there - I still don't think the police officer had any business chasing him down when there was no crime committed. Let the teachers deal with him. (Or preferably - his peers.)

Yes, he sounds like a bratty, little punk kid - but still - bratty, little punks have rights also.

[PBrady]

Unfortunately, those rights don't extend to punching and kicking other people - whether or not they are his peers or a police officer. If anything, considering how over the top police usually react, we should be commending him for not acting like an idiot, and not upsetting anyone (except for a few Ron Paul folks online).

I understand if someone thinks that it's unnecessary to have police in an elementary school. As I said earlier, he was likely a school resource officer or something that does the DARE stuff, and wasn't there to arrest kids if they act up. Arguing over whether or not he should be there in the first place is a completely different argument over whether or not he took appropriate action in this case, though.

[TheNcredibleEgg]

Unfortunately, those rights don't extend to punching and kicking other people - whether or not they are his peers or a police officer. If anything, considering how over the top police usually react, we should be commending him for not acting like an idiot, and not upsetting anyone (except for a few Ron Paul folks online).



But he didn't punch and kick until AFTER the police officer chased him down. That's my point. The police officer had no business chasing him down since no crime was committed.

The school knew who he was already - and if the school wanted to punish him (perhaps detention cleaning up something preferably far worse) for spilling the milk and not cleaning it up then the school did not need the police officer to chase him down to impose that punishment. Just tell him he's got detention later.

[guitarlifter]

A police officer being involved in a school cafeteria dispute involving a sixth grader is too drastic for me. Not to mention no actual crime was committed.

A police force even existing is too drastic for me.

[cubical]

I don't see anything that wrong here. I am guessing the police officer has the responsibility to keep kids on campus. If a kid is running away, the officer has to go after him. Handcuffs are an easy way to keep him from doing anything else. It's not like the cop hit the kid or put him in jail.

[aGameOfThrones]

The kid has a Right to resist unlawful arrest... And for milk, FFS!

[Mike4Freedom]

If someone tries to kidnap you, you would want to fight them as well.

[Anti Federalist]

I don't see anything that wrong here. I am guessing the police officer has the responsibility to keep kids on campus in prison. If a kid is running away, the officer has to go after him. Handcuffs are an easy way to keep him from doing anything else. It's not like the cop hit the kid or put him in jail.

There, fixed it for you.

I'm probably a little older than you, so what is eye-opening to me is the fact, as other have mentioned, that full time, uniformed police presence in school is expected and considered "normal".

When I was that age, the very idea of having the always present school cop handcuffing a kid over a spilled milk incident would have gotten you a look as if lobsters were crawling out of your ears.

We used to leave the school grounds and hit the local pizza place for lunch each day, hanging out and playing pinball and video games.

Try doing that now.

But to those who are twenty years younger than me, total lockdown and cops prowling the halls were the norm of their school days.