The national problem of mentally unstable cops
A Bronx mother is suing the New York City Police Department
for $250 million on behalf of her 7-year-old son, claiming that the boy was
mistreated in a local precinct after he was falsely arrested and accused of
stealing $5 from another student at school. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the
following report.
Is it going too far? A photo, seen above, shows a 7-year-old
handcuffed to a pole on a wall inside the 44th Precinct station house in the
Bronx.
The family of Wilson Reyes said they're outraged. They've
hired a lawyer to sue the New York City Police Department and the city.
The boy's mother did not want to speak on camera, but his
father, Wilson Reyes, did.
"It is a difficult situation," Reyes said through
an interpreter. "He is a bit affected, and he says he is sad."
Police said a 9-year-old boy accused the child and another
young boy of beating him up and stealing $5 after school in late November.
The attorney for the
7-year-old and his family said the police showed up at school days later and
put him in handcuffs, then took him to the precinct, where he was handcuffed to
a pole for six more hours.
Parents at P.S. 114 said police should have contacted his
mother immediately.
"I feel that they could have called [the mother] and
let her know what her child had done and they could have had a mediation with
the other kid's parents and basically let him know that that was the wrong
thing to do," said one parent. "But to get him locked up over $5, I
feel that's nonsense."
"Just call the mother first and let the mother know
what's going on," said another.
The family attorney said the boy was falsely arrested,
verbally abused and humiliated. He said robbery and assault charges have been
dropped and another student admitted to taking the money. The Reyes family
plans to sue for $250 million.
In a statement, the NYPD said, “While the lawyer's claims
are grossly untrue in many respects, including fabrication as to how long the
child was held, the matter is nonetheless being reviewed by the department's
Internal Affairs Bureau.”
Law enforcement sources who know the arresting officer said
he didn't mistreat the 7-year-old and followed police procedure.
Parents said the situation is definitely a leaning lesson
and a reason for parents, students, the schools and police to talk about how to
handle future cases of student violence.