Police in Sacramento, California, are under fire after body cam footage was obtained showing an officer handcuffing a crying 10-year-old girl who was in her pajamas, KCRA reported.
Sacramento police said that the officer had “reasonable and articulable concerns for his safety, which justified the lawful detention" of the girl, who is Black.
During a Sacramento City Council meeting on Tuesday, Police Chief Kathy Lester said “there is no circumstance where it’s OK to handcuff a 10-year-old, regardless of race.”
The incident took place when officers went to a home to conduct a search related to a stolen car and a firearms investigation involving a “known gang member."
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“Upon announcing themselves, they saw people inside, but no one would answer the door. Officers saw a person running through the house, turning off the lights,” the police account states. “That person came to the door and was immediately detained. The officer asked how old they were, realized the person was only 10 and immediately unhandcuffed them.”
Inspector general Dwight White said girl had been with her bedridden grandmother when police arrived.
“When she finally opened the door, they immediately handcuffed her,” he said. “They were rude and marched her to the car.”
The girl can be heard telling officers in the video, "I'm a baby."
“You’re not a baby if you’re not listening,” an officer responds.
After asking her how old she is, the officer removes the girl’s handcuffs after she says she's 10.
“She should not have been handcuffed even for a second,” White said. “If this girl was another race, she likely wouldn’t have been handcuffed.”
Office of Public Safety Accountability director and former Nevada Police chief Dr. LaTesha Watson said that the girls mother told her the child is “now afraid of the police."
“It could have been justified, but was it necessary? That is the biggest issue that I have here,” she said.
Watch the video below or at this link.
Sacramento police handcuffed a 10-year-old girl, officer complaint audit sayswww.youtube.com
