Fall River police handcuff 7-year-old outside his elementary school

AP | May 01 2005

NBC Video News report here

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- Police handcuffed a 7-year-old boy outside his elementary school this week after he allegedly assaulted three teachers and two police officers.

The boy was handcuffed around his wrists and ankles on Thursday until he calmed down and his mother came to pick him, police said. The boy, who police did not identify, faces assault and battery charge in juvenile court.

A similar incident was recently videotaped at an elementary school in St. Petersburg, Fla., where a 5-year-old girl was handcuffed after tearing papers off a bulletin board and hitting an assistant principal. The incident triggered a debate about whether police tactics were too rough.

In a statement, Fall River Police Chief John Souza said officers acted appropriately. He said handcuffing the child was the best available method of preventing the child from hurting himself or others.

The statement said the child was handcuffed in a way that prevented the handcuffs from tightening as he moved.

School officials said the boy's outburst occurred Thursday, his first day at the Coughlin School after transferring from a Boston school.

The student was a special needs student, but Fall River officials said they hadn't been told, so he was assigned to a regular class.

"When they told him to sit down, he had a tantrum," said Department of Social Services spokeswoman Denise Monteiro.

Police were called after the student assaulted three teachers and damaged the principal's office.

The boy allegedly continued to fight after an officer took him out of the building, hitting the officer and trying to flee. When a second officer arrived, the boy punched him in the groin, police said.

The officers decided to handcuff the boy after consulting with superiors, police said. The boy settled down and was placed on a chair until his mother arrived.

Monteiro declined on Saturday to specify what sort of special needs the child had. She said the boy would begin Monday at a different Fall River school that's equipped to handle his needs. The boy's mother told social workers she was upset about the entire situation, Monteiro said.

"She felt her son had gone through some trauma and was upset her son had to go through that," she said.

Some parents waiting outside the school for their children Friday said the use of handcuffs was excessive.

"He's only seven, that's young," said Lori Correia. "If they had done that to my daughter, I would not be happy. No matter what she had done."

But Bill Hunter, who lives across the street from the school, defended the handcuffing.

"If a child, no matter what age, is out of control, it's justified," Hunter said. "I'd rather they do that than let him hurt another child or himself."

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