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Police Forced to Pepper Spray Unruly Second-Grader; Mother Claims Excessive Force
Video Capture
The Daily Mail
April 06, 2011
An eight-year old boy named Aidan was pepper sprayed by Lakewood, Colorado police after acting up in a classroom.
Teachers had barricaded themselves in after the second-grader threw a violent temper tantrum.
Aiden, whose last name was not revealed to protect his privacy, had torn a piece of wooden trim off the walls and was wielding it like a weapon, according to a police report filed about the incident at Glennon Heights Elementary on February 22.
He also threw a television and was threatening to kill the teachers. When police arrived, a spokesman said, they felt they had no option but use use the pepper spray on him.
Aidan told local 9 News, ‘It burned my eyes, and I couldn’t see.’
He was reportedly treated for minor skin irritation.
This was the third time police had been called after Aidan’s temper tantrums, although his mother, Mandy, is criticizing the police for what she considers excessive force, and for treating her young son ‘like a common criminal.’
According to the police report, Aidan ‘was climbing the cart and spitting at teachers. He also broke wood trim off the walls and was trying to stab teachers with it.’
‘I wanted to make something sharp if they came out because I was so mad at them," Aidan said. ‘I was going to try to whack them with it.’
After he refused to obey police, they sprayed him with pepper spray two times. He dropped the stick, and they handcuffed him.
Lakewood police are defending their actions. Aidan was placed on a ‘mental health hold’ and was transferred to a school for children with behavioural issues.
Aidan’s mother told 9 News that her son had been seeing a doctor, but has not been diagnosed with mental problems and is not on medication.
‘I have some anger things,’ the child admitted. ‘I don’t think they’re ever going to go away.’
drfsmom_30
about 2 years ago
12 Comments
The child may have some mental issues but the mother apparently does not know how to raise a child either. She is smiling and almost laughing in the video clip from the news report like she thinks this is all fun and games. It is serious stuff. Next time the situation could be so much worse and will she still say they treated "my baby like a common criminal". I think three times is becoming a rather repeat offender and someone needs to step in and do something. Maybe time in juvenile detention would be good for him away from mommy coddling him. My daughter would get her little ass whipped. No she would NOT be beat but she would know I did NOT approve.
onetime
about 2 years ago
1300 Comments
The officers were justified, the child had already displayed his willingness to use force by throwing a TV and spitting on teachers. I do agree that the child is in need of help however it is not our job to determine if he does or doesn't, our job is to defuse the problem when called to do so.
rhood
about 2 years ago
23592 Comments
This kid is in desparate need of mental health treatment. The parent has shown that she is incapable of properly taking care of his problems. Could this incident been handled in a differeny way, possibly, but the officers made a decision and did what they needed to do to bring this incident to a close.
tacguy
about 2 years ago
1488 Comments
First of all, I was not there. As a firems anc OC instructor, I can say that we carry OC, Tasers and Batons so that we do not have to go "Hands On" with someone. If the safest way for the officers to get the person under control was to use OC, then that was their option. It looks like no officers or teachers were injured, and the second grader only received temporary minor injuries from the pepper spray. He looked fine on TV.
I give the officers credit and my support, and hope they will do the same thing again if they need to.
LAWMANTUKES
about 2 years ago
6558 Comments
"Huge BUMP..!!!" SWATSARGE..!!!
Boy do I miss the good old days of "A$$ Whippings... I just don't think that this kid's mother has a clue as to how to raise and dicipline this little punk kid. I always said that the phrase; "Spare The Rod..Spoil The Child" is more of a fact contributing reality than most people realize. I'm willing to bet that if just half of the population of prisoners now behind bars had parents that did what they were supposed to do, that they would not be in prison at all. Well there "Momma"...as my brother SWATSARGE suggests, do your GOD given job of parenting that includes discipline, and just maybe...this little punk kid of yours will stay out of prison.
janus41
about 2 years ago
378 Comments
Dealing with children is always a sensitive issue. Im not going to "monday morning quarterback" what happened in the classroom, but I would have not maced the kid. By the way, mace is supposed to burn and irritate the skin. Read the label
SWATSARGE
about 2 years ago
642 Comments
Hey Momma, be a freakin parent here. You say they were treating your eight year old like a common criminal. Well, if he wasn't acting like one he wouldn't be treated like one. You ought to br charged with neglect since you haven't done anything to remedy or correct his behavior. I'm glad he didn't hurt any of the teachers or officers. if he had, you would have defended him as "being misunderstood".
MeanStreets949
about 2 years ago
2306 Comments
Without proper treatment and attention to his impulsiveness and anger issues, thiskid will becaome an unfortunate member of the penal system.,.....
Ashurbanipal
about 2 years ago
74 Comments
i think they did what needed to be done. now get the kid the help he needs, please.
Catwoman911
about 2 years ago
7096 Comments
MBosley: You obviously have no training in psychology or have not known adults and children with mental disorders. I have! And I can tell you, it is not as simple as disciplining a child at home. Sometimes, Doctors need to get involved. It is not all about just making rules to apply to these types of kids.
MBosley
about 2 years ago
10 Comments
How come this didn't happen when I was in school? Probably because principals would paddle the crap out of you. Advice for the mom, take this opportunity to raise the level of dicipline at home. To many people are using mental problems as an excuse. If you set rules and make reprocussions for breaking them, you will find that things like this will not happen as much. Until then pepper spray away!
Cashdawg644
about 2 years ago
12 Comments
Having previously worked in a school setting I understand how difficult these situations can be. As in any setting you need to weigh the need to restore order with the force necessary. I have had to "bear hug" kids and carryt them kicking and screaming from schools. Fortunately I never had to deal with one who was armed. This child had damaged property and threatened to hurt people. The article said teachers were barricaded to protect themselves. This child was clearly out of control and a danger to himself and others. All too often in an elelmentary school parents, doctors, and teachers are in a position to try to determine disabilities and how best to deal with them. It's not really clear in the article but just because one has not been diagnosed with a disability does not mean they do not have one. This child is exhibiting many signs that would indicate he has some diability. I assume that since this behavior has shown itself before that the doctor is either not educated in the diagnosis of mental health disorders or is just incompetent. It may also be that mom is in denial. I hope the mom uses the referals she more than likely recived when her child was being evaluated.
The mother was right. He was treated as a common criminal because, at the time, he was. In Colorado, if he were 10 years old, he more than likely would have been taken to a juvenile detention facility for criminal mischief, harassment, Interference with a school, and felony menacing.
Catwoman911
about 2 years ago
7096 Comments
This child obviously has mental issues that need to be resolved. I'm surprised that the doctor had not diagnosed him with with any mental disturbance, especially when the child has outwardly said he has anger issues. Time for a new doctor maybe??? As far as the particular force that police showed, using pepper spray, I can not make a comment on that not knowing if they could not restrain the child using other actions. In a way, I feel sorry for the kid and the family because this child has serious problems at such a young age. It must be very difficult to deal with. Hopefully the child will receive the proper care.
gammyland
about 2 years ago
438 Comments
Kid probably thinks he's the victim now....... nice. Good lesson to learn.
KMueller
about 2 years ago
254 Comments
It is sad that it has come to this that 8 yr olds aren't discplined enough from parent and or guardian But factual truth is 1) he is out of control already. 2) attempting to assault with a deadly weapon on a teacher 3) had LEO's called twice before 4) lucky it wasnt a tazer or bean bag 5) probably hasn't learned hhis lesson and will wind up in the system if his guardian doesn'tget professional help. 6) hopefully he will be forced to receive medical help for anger issues but I think this will only be the start for this juvenille delinquent