linke-localBody camera footage released today shows the arrest of a Florida six-year-old last year that sparked national outrage and led to the firing of the police officer involved.
The family of Kaia Rolle shared body camera footage with media outlets showing former Orlando police officer Dennis Turner and another officer putting zip-ties around the small child's wrists and leading her outside to a police car as she cries and begs to be let go.
"What are those for?" Rolle, a first-grader at an Orlando-area charter school, asks as the officer bring out the zip-ties.
"They're for you," Turner responds.
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Officials have said that Turner also arrested a 6-year-old boy at Nixon Academy the same day as Kaia for misdemeanor battery in an unrelated incident. However, the boy’s arrest was halted by superiors before the child made it through the full arrest process.
Details about the boy’s arrest have not been made public.
The following day, prosecutors dropped the charge against Kaia.
Orlando Police Department officials have said Turner violated agency policy on arresting children younger than 12, which requires officers to get a supervisor’s approval — something Turner did not do. However, his decision was not illegal as Florida currently does not have a minimum age for arrest.
yes, the fired cop sucks, but who the hell calls the cops on little kids? I feel for teachers who are not free to punish bad kids as they see fit leading to this kind of thing, but sheesh. There has to be a middle ground somewhere.