A video has surfaced showing a 12-year-old boy being forcibly restrained by police in Sacramento, igniting widespread condemnation online. The footage, which recently gained traction on social media, depicts the boy, identified as African-American, enduring a 25-minute confrontation with law enforcement that involved them placing a bag over his head.
According to reports, the incident unfolded on April 28, when officers observed a security guard pursuing the child. After apprehending him, the boy reportedly resisted and attempted to escape, during which he allegedly spat in the officers’ faces. Bystanders at the nearby carnival recorded the scene, questioning the necessity of arresting a minor who seemed to have committed no apparent crime. They demanded to know the officers’ names and badge numbers.
In the video, the officers can be seen handcuffing the boy and pushing him onto the ground while onlookers express their distress. The officers’ actions, particularly the use of a “spit bag,” raise concerns, as this method is typically reserved for adults resisting arrest, making its application to a child highly controversial.
A private security guard claimed that the boy was being detained for soliciting food from carnival attendees. However, the family’s attorney stated that an adult chaperone had merely asked the boy to retrieve change from their vehicle, leading to a misunderstanding that resulted in the child’s flight from the officer’s request for car keys.
After the encounter, police released the boy to his mother, issuing citations for battery against an officer and resisting arrest, but no additional charges were filed. Local activist and founder of Black Lives Matter Sacramento, Mia Johnson, emphasized the need for accountability, stating, “Our police must learn how to appropriately handle situations involving young children.”
The boy’s family has engaged civil rights attorneys from the Thompson Law Group, who are also representing the family of another victim in a high-profile case involving police violence. They have publicly condemned the treatment of the child, asserting, “This young man was simply trying to enjoy his time at the carnival.”
The ongoing investigation has also initiated settlement talks between the police department and the boy’s family. This incident is just one of several police-related controversies in Sacramento, including a lawsuit concerning the death of Marshall Miles, a 36-year-old African American man who died in custody.
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In summary, a video showing police detaining a 12-year-old boy has caused a significant uproar, leading to calls for accountability and raising questions about the appropriateness of police actions towards minors. The situation is currently under investigation, and discussions about a potential settlement are in progress.