Gerald Adams Called KWPD on 8-Year-Old Boy
O.K. We’ve got to ask: Are our school officials really unable to handle a misbehaving 8-year-old boy without calling for his arrest?
A video of Key West police officers arresting an 8-year-old boy at Gerald Adams Elementary School in December of 2018 is getting a lot of attention – and criticism – after attorney Ben Crump posted it to his Twitter page. According to Crump, the boy is special needs.
The recording shows a Key West officer trying to cuff the child after telling him he’s going to jail. Problem is – the kid’s wrists are too small. They end up telling him to walk with his hands in front of his body while leading him from the school grounds to transport him to the Stock Island jail.
According to the arrest report, the boy had punched a teacher in the chest. Officer Michael Malgrat wrote in the report that the teacher, Ms. Ashley Henriquez, told him the boy wasn’t sitting in his cafeteria seat and after asking him to sit down multiple times she asked him to come and sit by her. She told the officer he refused and said, “don’t put your hands on me.”
According to the arrest report the teacher told the officer she then instructed him to walk with her (which he did) but that he told her, “My mom is going to beat your a**,” before punching her in the chest with his right hand.
Officer Malgrat wrote in the incident report that after punching the teacher the child “had his hands clenched in fists and he was postured as if he was ready to fight.” The 8-year-old was charged with a battery felony, but since he’s a juvenile what happened next in the courts is not something we can get a look at.
In the video, the child seems to be quietly sobbing. A school staff member comforts him before the police take him to their car.
The officer told the child, “I hate that you put me in this position, that I have to do this, alright. The thing about it is you made a mistake. Now it’s time to learn from it and grow from it, right? Not repeat the same mistake again.” Then he walks the child to the police car.
We wonder if he also hates that school administrators put him in that position?
What do you think?
This is but one more example of the complete failure of our public school system. If the teachers, guidance counselors (or similar), or principal cannot handle an 8 year old child acting out then they are not qualified be in those positions in the school system. If they are teaching children with special needs, then they must be qualified to deal with the special needs of those children. Again, if they are not so qualified then they have no business being in those positions in the school system. And to involve law enforcement is beyond the pale. That is prima facie evidence that the school personnel are, in fact, not qualified to be in their respective positions. The *worst* case scenario should be that they separate the child from the other students while they call the child’s parents (or other guardian or responsible adult) to come help deal with the situation.
The article does not explain the details of attorney Ben Crump’s involvement with the situation, but from the information provided, it appears that one or more lawsuits would certainly be in order. Unfortunately, it will likely be the taxpayers who will be on the hook for any judgments that might result from any lawsuits.