Ga. police handcuff, arrest kindergartner for tantrum

When Salecia Johnson, 6, a tantrum at Creekside Elementary School in Milledgeville, Ga., Friday, April 13, 2012, a police officer who could not calm her down handcuffed and arrested the kindergartner. / WMAZ

(CBS News) MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - A six-year-old kindergarten student who threw a tantrum was placed in handcuffs for her safety, police said.

According to CBS Affiliate WMAZ, kindergartner Salecia Johnson is accused in a police report of tearing items off the walls and throwing furniture at Creekside Elementary School last Friday. The report also said the girl knocked over a shelf, injuring the principal.

She was crying in the principal's office at Creekside Elementary before police arrived Friday. The report says when the officer tried to calm the child, she resisted.

She was handcuffed and taken to the police station, where she was charged with simple assault and damage to property, reports WMAZ correspondent Judy Le.

Speaking to WMAZ, Milledgeville Chief of Police Dray Swicord defended putting the girl into handcuffs.

"Our policy states that any detainee transported to our station in a patrol vehicle is to be handcuffed in the back. There is no age discrimination on that rule," he said.

Because of her age, she will not have to go to court.

Salecia's father, Earnest Johnson, told WMAZ, "A six-year-old in kindergarten! They don't have no business calling the police and handcuffing my child."

Police said they tried to contact Johnson's mother, Constance Ruff, but were unable to reach her.

Ruff told WMAZ her daughter was suspended and cannot return to school until August. "She has mood swings some days - all of us have mood swings some days," Ruff said. "I guess that was just one of her bad days."

WMAZ's Le spoke with several other Central Georgia police and sheriff's departments, none of which could remember handcuffing a child that young. They said the use of handcuffs is at the officer's discretion, based on whether the child is a threat to herself or to others.

Salecia's aunt told WMAZ, "She might have misbehaved, but I don't think she misbehaved to the point where she should have been handcuffed and taken downtown to the police department."

[CowgirlMedic]

This child has to have something like bipolar disorder or something is horribly wrong at home for her to be acting this way. There's more to this story than we are being told.

[Dej8rules]

For the comments on here about a special needs child, I agree that they should have tried everything over several times before calling the police. Yet no where in the article does it say she was a special needs child.

From what I have read and seen, the parents of the child and the child are to blame. The parents have not apologized from what I has seen and heard. The child doesnt think she did anything wrong per her converstation with local tv station. She said they called the cops on her for nothing or now reason (not sure on exact phrasing). They all need to take the responsibility of what happen.. But they havent..

They are stating their daughter is traumatized, but she and they would be even worse off if instead of the shelve falling on principal it landed on a child..

So if they decide to sue or go after the school some how, I think every parent in that class as well as the teacher and principal, should go after the parents.

We have to do something to get the schools back and letting the teachers due what we pay them to do, which is teaching---- not monitoring for "mood swings"

Even though my daughter is grown, I have 5 nephew and nieces total.. 2 are out of high school and in college, yet the other 3 are still in school.. I would want what is necessary to be done to proctect them from an adualt or child who is having a "mood swing".

Also if you have a kid in school and have a pre paid cell, always make sure you have enough minutes on the phone to receive calls from anyone trying to reach you about your kid...

So the parents of the girl, grow up and take responsibilty for your child and her action.

[wizardlady]

Maybe schools should have a padded room as a holding place for kids until their parents can be reached? Being a parent is a most important job (so says Ann Romney who raised five boys), and therefore demands respect from authorities who oversee children. If a six year old can challenge the abilities of those adults in charge of this school insomuch as they had to call in the POLICE (with guns at their side) to gain control of the situation, then what in the Hxxl would they do if they really were faced with a catastrophic event? More to this story than is being told and needs a thorough investigation, I think.

[tekswiff]

I am a mom of a 5 year old and if my kid acted that way in school I would be a very unhappy mom. The parents say that she is known to have bad days like that, well then the parents need to be parents and take her to the doctor to find out why. Some children act out normally but others actually have a problem such as bipolar and autism when can cause sever mood swings. Its the parents job to find out why their child is acting the way they do. Even though it seem cruel to hand cuff a young child it is the safest way to handle that situation where no one gets hurt and no one can accuse anyone else for mishandling that child. Maybe she was just acting out to be a brat and needed a harder consequence for her actions than just a stand in the corner or sit in time out. Kids today are getting away with a lot and they need a reality check from someone willing to give it since the parents seem to not be able to. Parents find out why your child is acting out and address it in the proper way according to the reasons.

[Nookiess]

Perezhilton brought me here, its funny because he had comments off but said "We're not sure if ARRESTING her really teaches her anything, except for scarring her for life.The girl needs discipline, but not to that extreme!!"

Which I imagine if I read most of the comments here they would be saying the same thing. I'm sorry but if your child flips their sh#$ that bad in a public place to the point they are violently throwing furniture that type of behavior is "extreme" and extreme measures should be taken. Obviously she has fail parents that have no idea how to punish their kid. This is what happens when kids have kids. So I think getting handcuffed was fine and dandy. Keep in mind she was probably fighting with officers, kicking their seats while in the back,etc. If a child is that out of hand and the parent can't come to their school in a timely manner, then they should be treated like an adult and handcuffed.

[MsPerfekt]

How in the WORLD everyone is blaming the cops and principal is EXACTLY why this world is going to HELL in a hand-basket!!!!!!! The FIRST thing people should be asking is WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN THAT HOUSEHOLD FOR A SIX YEAR OLD TO BE ACTING THIS WAY AT SCHOOL!!!!!!! When did RAISING A CHILD become the school's place??? Because it is VERY apparent the 'parents' of this kid are NOT doing it properly!!! Yet they have the AUDACITY to point fingers at EVERYONE but THEMSELVES!!!!!!! Typical trashy parents of this day and age trying to get something for NOTHING!!! If I were that mother I would be NOTHING BUT ASHAMED I had 'raised' a child to act like that!!! They'll file a law suit and 'win' some money...but in the end it's that HEATHEN child and it's DISGUSTING parents that lose as WELL AS WE AS A SOCIETY!!!!!!! WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!! She did NOT 'just have a temper tantrum'...anyone else ever watch "Killer Kids"? If the cops didn't do THEIR JOB THAT WE PAY THEM TO DO, as they SHOULD have...there's no telling what this kid could wind up doing!!! The parents should be THANKING them for doing THEIR JOB!!! I say check back in ten years and see what this 'poor child' is up to!!! The school did try to contact these 'adults' that are unfortunately in this childs life SIX times and FINALLY found an Aunt that would actually answer a call. What does THAT say??? The parents obvously think of her as nothing but a check...

[amskeptic]

"The parents obvously think of her as nothing but a check.." You know Ms. Perfekt, I was with you through most of your hysterical caps reply. But then . . . your last sentence puts you in a whole different light.
"If I were that mother I would be NOTHING BUT ASHAMED" as you should be.

[socalcat]

YOU ARE HELPING PROVE MY POINT, JUST PLAIN STUPID AND RACIST COMMENTS. AND YOU ARE TOO IGNORANT TO KNOW IT.

[lonestar9000]

The school and the police really had no choice. Under today's rules, if any of the school officials had tried to restrain this child, then it would be assault and lawsuit time, and if the policeman did not handcuff the child and she hurt herself while in custody, then it would be negligence and lawsuit time.

[redbeachvn]

What's wrong with hand cuffing her? Her parents should be ashamed for raising undisciplined brat. If the kid had been hit upside the head at earlier age, may be the kid would have acted differently. Oh, I forgot maybe she may be brain damaged from too many hits on her head.

[socalcat]

Funny I was thinking the same thing about you. (Brain dead or just plain stupid). The child is 6 years, what is your excuse.

[sandiegopete]

From the police officer's conduct it appears that the average IQ in rural Georgia must be about 60. This incident has got to be in the nitwit hall of fame.

[socalcat]

I'm agree with you. This is unbelievable!!

[FormerUSMCSergeant]

by hypnotoad72 April 17, 2012 6:57 PM EDT
What's the argument for home schooling?

And how do you know that will fare better than any societal construct?

Seriously. Dish. Tell us the goods. With detail that we would expect from somebody with such a level of zeal and knowledge of the subject.
---
You want your kid to be a gang member, let them run with gang members. You want them to be rude, let them hang around with rude kids.

Children don't only learn from dults, you know.

I have a seven month-old daughter.

She will be home schooled as the majority of kids today have no manners, nor respect, nor any discipline.

I would no sooner expose her to such kids than I would a pervert.

[socalcat]

You all keep proving my point. I rest my case!!