A video of an 11-year-old girl crying while in handcuffs has gone viral and is sparking outrage. The video was taken on Monday when Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputies handcuffed the minor on suspicion of car theft. The incident occurred Monday afternoon when deputies allegedly mistakenly identified the girl as a car thief.
While the two deputies, a male and a female, accused the girl of stealing a car, her cousin recorded the incident. The cousin, along with several other kids, told the deputies that they were detaining the wrong person, but the deputies were adamant that she was guilty of the crime.
According to the deputies, the minor matched the description of a suspect involved in stealing a Kia earlier Monday. The deputies claimed her clothing, a pink jacket and camo pants, matched what the suspect was wearing and urged her to be honest. However, the children insisted that a photo of the suspect shows a different person.
The deputies refused to believe them and continued to detain her. Other children in the video told the deputies that the girl, who is in sixth grade, could not even drive.
The girl cried in distress, and she was only allowed to leave after more patrol cars arrived at the scene and officers aided with differentiating the girl from the suspect, who had longer hair. The deputies admitted their mistake and apologised before releasing her.
The little girl’s mother slammed the deputies for handling the situation poorly. Bishop H. Bernard Alex of the National Action Network Syracuse Chapter also criticised their actions, stating they created a traumatic experience for the girl. He also praised the children for their maturity.
Watch the video of the incident below:
