Police justified in pepper-spraying violent 8 year-old boy?

[blankall]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I generally stay on top of my 'special' kids moods and so don't need to restrain them, but on the many occasions I have had to respond to all hell breaking lose in another room ('I don't know what happened, I turned my back for a second') I have always managed to wrap a kid up and sit them down without to much trouble.

Cops were just being lazy and were probably, rightfully, pissed at being called to a situation the school should have been able to handle.

You know these kids. You know how to deal with each one specifically. The police officers have no idea who these kids are what their specific behavioural traits are. The last thing they need is a lawsuit after accidentally breaking a child's arm.

Pepper spray: non-lethal, low risk of serious injury, and perfect for these situations.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Pinner

Lets say the kid has the exact same outburst at the mall, mom grabs pepper spray from her purse and blasts him...What would the authorities do to her ?

If the cops need weapons to handle an 8 yr old they shouldn't be in law enforcement.

FYP. Addition by subtraction.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Pinner

Lets say the kid has the exact same outburst at the mall, mom grabs pepper spray from her purse and blasts him...What would the authorities do to her ?

the cops have different authority than citizens. They have it for a reason.

[Thor]

Kid is lucky I wasn't there, I would have drop kicked him in the face and pooped on his chest.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Pinner

Lets say the kid has the exact same outburst at the mall, mom grabs pepper spray from her purse and blasts him...What would the authorities do to her ?

If the cops need weapons to handle an 8 yr old they shouldn't be in law enforcement and they should also have their nuts cut so they can't have kids.

If the kid is swinging a weapon and threatening to kill people, then yes it's acceptable.

A person's age is irrelevant when holding a weapon and threatening death

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by blankall

You know these kids. You know how to deal with each one specifically. The police officers have no idea who these kids are what their specific behavioural traits are. The last thing they need is a lawsuit after accidentally breaking a child's arm.

Pepper spray: non-lethal, low risk of serious injury, and perfect for these situations.

I'm sure this kid will remember that blast of peppermint fresh the next time he decides he wants to act up too. Might be more of a deterrent than getting to play xbox.

Nah - neuter the cops instead.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

A person's age is irrelevant when holding a weapon and threatening death

Wow, man. That's kind of cold. It's an eight-year old child you're talking about. He has no idea the gravity of what he is saying.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The only long term effect that I got from being pepper strayed in the eyes (Trust me kids, you don't want to bet someone that it doesn't hurt) was that I stumbled into a wall at about 20 miles an hour when I was trying to run from the pain.

And no, the urban legend that says its tasty on eggs is completely wrong.

One of my foster kids was so drunk when he tried to bear spray some dude he was trying to rob he had the can back to front and gave himsel a full blast from a foot and a half, then as he was writhing on the floor in pain the dude he was going to dose gave him the boots for good measure.

When I picked him up from city cells, me and the arresting cops were laughing so hard I almost wet myself.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Wow, man. That's kind of cold. It's an eight-year old child you're talking about. He has no idea the gravity of what he is saying.

There are kids under the age of 10, here in Calgary that have already killed pets and wild animals and have attempted to kill their siblings and failed. Maybe they don't understand the consequences or what it means to kill but it doesn't mean they lack the ability or will to do it.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Coys1882

There are kids under the age of 10, here in Calgary that have already killed pets and wild animals and have attempted to kill their siblings and failed. Maybe they don't understand the consequences or what it means to kill but it doesn't mean they lack the ability or will to do it.

I agree wholeheartedly. But regardless, they do not understand the gravity of what they're saying and/or doing. A cop is a fully grown fit adult trained in conflict resolution. They are not in danger, unlike the animals or siblings you brought up. If the kid actually had a gun or a knife then I might agree that pepper spray was appropriate, but he didn't. He had a stick, which was apparently "sharp", whatever that is supposed to mean in this situation.

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

If the kid is swinging a weapon and threatening to kill people, then yes it's acceptable.

A person's age is irrelevant when holding a weapon and threatening death

Deadly force was clearly justified.

[Coys1882]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

I agree wholeheartedly. But regardless, they do not understand the gravity of what they're saying and/or doing. A cop is a fully grown fit adult trained in conflict resolution. They are not in danger, unlike the animals or siblings you brought up. If the kid actually had a gun or a knife then I might agree that pepper spray was appropriate, but he didn't. He had a stick, which was apparently "sharp", whatever that is supposed to mean in this situation.

I guess the cops involved though felt that rather than man handling him that a blast of pepper spray was best for all parties. They didn't taze him - the effects of the spray is temporary and he didn't get hurt from being restrained nor did staff or the cops from his pointy stick. Those things are dangerous btw - just ask Simon.

[hkstylez]

Originally Posted by puckluck

Lol this kid clearly knows way too much for his age.

Some of his quotes are awesome, but in a weird way. Seems like a good candidate for a serial killer.

Hahahah, my thoughts exactly.

[afc wimbledon]

Kids in a classroom, so a 'stick' is a ruler or a pencil.

Second story,

I'm working in a group home out in Burnaby, second shift ever in Canada, many years ago, little johnny who is ADHD out the arse goes nuts, demolishs the backyard brick bbq with a 3 foot length of steel post, kids 15 and big, so I am not going to try and disarm him, call cops, get other kids out of the front of the house and send them down the road with female staff to be safe, await RCMP. Little Johhny decides to head out of the back yard and on to the street still with pipe and a few bricks he keeps trying to wing me with, I am trying to stay close enough that if I have to I can jump the kid (little old ladies coming out or something like that!) but far enough away the little prick can't hit me.

All of a sudden lights and sirens and 5 rcmp cruisers arrive, surround the kid, I back off, the kids now screaming 'kill me, kill me you pigs' older RCMP sergeant looks at kid says ok and pulls, cocks and aims his service revolver at the kid!

Little Johnny craps his pants, and I mean that literly, drops pipe, bricks etc while gibbering 'I'm sorry'.

Good times, I found myself having to sit on the kid in a full restraint for an hour a week later.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Seriously, the kid is threatening to stab anything that comes near him. Even an 8-year old kid has enough strength to put a sharp object into your face or chest. But instead of smacking the kid down, and breaking his limb or getting stabbed in the struggle (which the kid would most likely try to do), he got some crap on his face that stung for a while and ended the situation without anyone getting hurt. Seems like it worked out okay to me.

[Canuck-Hater]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

If the kid is swinging a weapon and threatening to kill people, then yes it's acceptable.

A person's age is irrelevant when holding a weapon and threatening death

Do you honestly think an 8 year old boy is capable of taking the life of a full grown adult? Unless he was holding a gun/explosives I doubt it.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

You don't believe there are health risks when spraying pepper spray into the eyes of an 8-year old child?

Not really....maybe if he was an asthmatic it could trigger a negative but temporary reaction but long term there is nothing it would do to him.

[metallicat]

Thanks Canada 02, we haven't had a thread like this in three or four days. I actually forgot who the anti-police CP members were. At least now I have a reminder.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Not really....maybe if he was an asthmatic it could trigger a negative but temporary reaction but long term there is nothing it would do to him.

The kid's throwing a tantrum, so I'm assuming his body is reacting accordingly -- raised blood-pressure, intense breathing, etc. Pepper spray could still send a child into a bad respiratory state. That along with the acknowledged spike in blood pressure pepper spray has a tendency to induce.

[afc wimbledon]

I don't care that the cops pepper sprayed the kid, but they didn't have to, he's 8, cops just don't want to bother these days, too much reliance on capiscum and duracell