Police Officer Restrains Distraught Child, More Information Surfaces

The Athens-Clarke County, Ga., police have launched an investigation after horrific video footage showed a police officer restraining a small child forcefully, all because the distraught boy tried to come in defense of his father, who was being arrested.

POLICE STATEMENT 

STATEMENT SOURCE

Footage of the incident was originally posted on Facebook, by a woman who identified the young boy as her cousin.

“These mfs done slammed my lil cousin on the car first (the footage I didn’t get) then on the ground,” she wrote in the description box of the video that was posted on Sunday. The video has already garnered more than 900,000 views.

Officers can be seen in the video pinning the child to the ground with his arms pinned behind his back. Adults in the background can be heard screaming in protest.

 “He’s a child!” witnesses yelled.

The officer then approached the people recording, aggressively shouting at them to “back up” accusing the child of “attacking an officer.”

Since the investigation has been launched (h/t CNN), the police department has also released body cam footage of the incident (which has blurred the child’s face and redacted his name).

You can read more about this story by clicking here. 

There's also additional information and you can read it by clicking here.

OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

 

The body camera footage captures the words exchanged between the officer and the child. 

 

"Stop resisting, stop resisting," the officer yells as he wrestles with the boy and pulls out handcuffs.

 

"Sorry! Sorry," the boy cries. "I don't want to go to jail."

 

The officer assures him he won't go to jail if he calms down. "You understand?" the officer says. "You don't run into a police officer."

 

The boy apologizes and the officer lets the boy up. Still distraught, the child asks if he can take his father's phone from him. He begs to know what his father did. "He didn't do nothing," he sobs.

 

Before the patrol car leaves, the officer grants the boy's wish. He rolls down the window and lets the boy reach into the car. He take his father's phone and promises to call someone who can bail him out. Then, he pats him on the top of his head and sobs. 

 

"When you get out, Daddy?" he wails. "I love you."