Black teen charged with stealing ‘free’ milk — and then manhandled and searched for drugs

A black Virginia teenager was handcuffed at school and charged with stealing a milk carton from the cafeteria -- and then suspended after he objected to the accusations.

Ryan Turk is signed up for the free lunch program at Graham Park Middle School, so he wasn't even required to pay for the milk, reported WJLA-TV.

The student forgot to grab the milk after going through the lunch line May 10, and a Prince William County police officer accused him of stealing after he went back and took a carton.

The officer handcuffed the teenager after he pulled away from him, saying the boy became disorderly.

"I yanked away from him, (and) I told him to get off of me because he's not my dad,” Ryan said.

He was then taken to the principal's office and searched for drugs.

"Because he was fidgety, kept pulling on the strings of his pants, and laughing when we were trying to talk to him and just wouldn't talk,” said his mother, Shamise Turk.

School officials suspended Ryan for theft, being disrespectful and using his cell phone -- and his mother is furious.

"I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm mad," Shamise Turk said. "It just went too far. They are charging him with larceny, which I don't have no understanding as to why he is being charged with larceny when he was entitled to that milk from the beginning."

Police said Ryan tried to "conceal" the milk, which the teen denies, and school officials said they would reconsider the disciplinary action during an appeals process.

Shamise Turk said she's concerned her son will have criminal charges on his juvenile record over something that rightfully belonged to him.

"This is ridiculous," she said. "This is beyond embarrassing -- he's at home for 65 cents."

Watch this video report posted online by WJLA-TV: