‘Common Practice’: Sheriff’s Office Defends Viral Video Showing a Crying 11-Year-Old Black Girl In Handcuffs Until Evidence Proved New York Deputies Had the Wrong Car Theft Suspect
A sheriff’s office in Syracuse, New York, released details explaining what led up to the detainment and handcuffing of a Black 11-year-old girl deputies mistook for a car thief.
The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office posted a news release explaining that deputies had conducted a traffic stop on a gray Kia on Monday, Jan. 13, that had been reported stolen on Jan. 12.
All four occupants fled the vehicle on foot and, after a brief foot pursuit, deputies caught up with a 14-year-old driver who was taken into custody.
Other deputies scoured nearby streets for the other suspects and spotted the 11-year-old girl wearing a near-identical outfit to one of the car theft suspects who was captured on dashcam video.
Videos that went viral on Facebook showed the young girl’s detainment.
The clips show deputies handcuffing the child as she’s surrounded by her friends who adamantly insist that their friend is innocent. Once deputies at the scene receive a photo of the suspect for review, one deputy shows the girl the photo and says, “Girl, you telling me this ain’t you?”
However, the other children pointed out distinct differences between their friend’s hair length and skin complexion and that of the suspect.
One clip shows the child crying and visibly distressed from the encounter when she faced the potential of being taken into custody. Once deputies further reviewed the photo and determined the child wasn’t the suspect, they released her.
In the news release, the sheriff’s office explained that once officials reviewed the incident, they determined the detainment was “lawful and reasonable,” due to the child’s clothing description and her proximity to the traffic stop involving the stolen car.
“Upon detainment, deputies diligently tried to quickly compare the juvenile with video evidence obtained via dashcam. In that comparison, it was clear that the detained juvenile was not the suspect we were seeking, and she was immediately released,” the release read. ”This situation was cleared up quickly, largely due to the juvenile’s disposition, patience, and cooperation. The juvenile was handcuffed for less than 7 minutes.”
The release also stated that after the detainment, the sheriff personally met with the girl’s mother to discuss her concerns about why a parent wasn’t contacted after her child was detained.
The conversation convinced the office to adopt a new policy that dictates that OCSO deputies must contact the parent or guardian of any juvenile detained for criminal investigative purposes, no matter how brief the encounter is.
“It’s a good policy to have,” OCSO spokesperson Thomas Newton told Syracuse.com. “And moving forward, we’re implementing that policy because even the sheriff said ‘if that was my kid getting handcuffed, I’d want to know about it. I would want someone to tell me.’”
OCSO policy previously mandated that parents or guardians of minors must be notified once an arrest is made.
Newton pointed out how the encounter with the 11-year-old played out.
“It’s terrible for this poor kid,” he said. “I mean, no one wants that.”
The sheriff’s office also explained why they handcuffed the child, citing that handcuffing detainees is standard practice to prevent suspected individuals from fleeing, fighting, using weapons if they’re armed or destroying contraband on their person.
“Handcuffing from the start usually prevents a controlled situation from devolving into an uncontrolled situation; ultimately preventing altercations, force, and potential for injury,” the release stated. “The police do not definitively know a person’s age and ascertaining that information is part of the detainment process. Handcuffing juveniles in this circumstance is lawful, within policy, and common practice in law enforcement.”
Authorities still have not located one of the individuals involved in the Kia theft.
Deputies apprehended two boys, ages 13 and 17, who reportedly fled the traffic stop. They were charged with fleeing an officer and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and were later released to their parents.
The fourth occupant, who is believed to be a teenage girl, still has not been located.