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| Officer Is Terminated After Arresting 6-Year-Olds | Officer Is Terminated After Arresting 6-Year-Olds |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A reserve officer with the Orlando Police Department was terminated Monday after he arrested two 6-year-old children last week without the proper approval, Chief Orlando Rolón said. | A reserve officer with the Orlando Police Department was terminated Monday after he arrested two 6-year-old children last week without the proper approval, Chief Orlando Rolón said. |
| The 6-year-olds, one boy and one girl, faced misdemeanor battery charges but will not be prosecuted, Aramis Ayala, the state attorney who serves Orange County, Fla., said at a news conference on Monday. | The 6-year-olds, one boy and one girl, faced misdemeanor battery charges but will not be prosecuted, Aramis Ayala, the state attorney who serves Orange County, Fla., said at a news conference on Monday. |
| The state attorney’s office never intended to prosecute the children, but could not dismiss the girl’s charges until Monday, Ms. Ayala said. The boy’s charges will be dismissed once his case number is assigned, she added. | The state attorney’s office never intended to prosecute the children, but could not dismiss the girl’s charges until Monday, Ms. Ayala said. The boy’s charges will be dismissed once his case number is assigned, she added. |
| “I refuse to knowingly play any role in the school-to-prison pipeline at any age,” Ms. Ayala said. “These very young children are to be protected, nurtured and disciplined in a manner that does not rely on the criminal justice system to do it.” | “I refuse to knowingly play any role in the school-to-prison pipeline at any age,” Ms. Ayala said. “These very young children are to be protected, nurtured and disciplined in a manner that does not rely on the criminal justice system to do it.” |
| The authorities have not released the children’s names, but Meralyn Kirkland told local television station WKMG that her 6-year-old granddaughter Kaia had been arrested after having a tantrum in which she kicked a school staff member. | The authorities have not released the children’s names, but Meralyn Kirkland told local television station WKMG that her 6-year-old granddaughter Kaia had been arrested after having a tantrum in which she kicked a school staff member. |
| “I was sick to my stomach when I heard this,” Chief Rolón said. “We could not fathom the idea of a 6-year-old being put in the back of a police car.” | “I was sick to my stomach when I heard this,” Chief Rolón said. “We could not fathom the idea of a 6-year-old being put in the back of a police car.” |
| Dennis Turner was working as a school resource officer at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy, a charter school that serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade, when he arrested the children in separate incidents on Thursday. He was assigned to the Reserve Officer Program, which is made up of retired officers, The Orlando Sentinel reported. | Dennis Turner was working as a school resource officer at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy, a charter school that serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade, when he arrested the children in separate incidents on Thursday. He was assigned to the Reserve Officer Program, which is made up of retired officers, The Orlando Sentinel reported. |
| Officer Turner arrested the children despite the principal’s request not to do so, Shawn Arnold, the school’s lawyer, said in a statement. | Officer Turner arrested the children despite the principal’s request not to do so, Shawn Arnold, the school’s lawyer, said in a statement. |
| Departmental policy requires officers to get a supervisor’s approval when arresting anyone under the age of 12, which Officer Turner failed to do in both arrests. | Departmental policy requires officers to get a supervisor’s approval when arresting anyone under the age of 12, which Officer Turner failed to do in both arrests. |
| Police officials said Sunday that Officer Turner had been suspended immediately after the two arrests, pending an investigation into his actions. Officer Turner served on the police force for 23 years and retired in June 2018, according to the department. | Police officials said Sunday that Officer Turner had been suspended immediately after the two arrests, pending an investigation into his actions. Officer Turner served on the police force for 23 years and retired in June 2018, according to the department. |
| He was charged with aggravated child abuse in 1998 in connection with his 7-year-old son, The Orlando Sentinel reported. He was suspended pending the result of an investigation, The Sentinel reported, but the outcome of the case was unclear on Monday. | He was charged with aggravated child abuse in 1998 in connection with his 7-year-old son, The Orlando Sentinel reported. He was suspended pending the result of an investigation, The Sentinel reported, but the outcome of the case was unclear on Monday. |
| In 2016, Officer Turner was reprimanded for using excessive force after stunning a man five times with a Taser during an arrest, the newspaper reported. | In 2016, Officer Turner was reprimanded for using excessive force after stunning a man five times with a Taser during an arrest, the newspaper reported. |
| Officer Turner did not respond to calls requesting comment on Monday. | Officer Turner did not respond to calls requesting comment on Monday. |
| At a news conference on Monday, Chief Rolón said that he did not speak with Officer Turner directly, but that an investigation into his conduct would continue despite his termination. | |
| The police chief acknowledged that the children’s arrests had damaged the trust between the community and its officers. | The police chief acknowledged that the children’s arrests had damaged the trust between the community and its officers. |
| “On behalf of myself and the entire Orlando Police Department, I apologize to the children involved and their families,” he said. | “On behalf of myself and the entire Orlando Police Department, I apologize to the children involved and their families,” he said. |
| Ms. Ayala, the state attorney, said that this was not the first time she had seen a 6-year-old arrested. Florida leads the nation in juvenile arrests, and Orange County leads the state, she said. | Ms. Ayala, the state attorney, said that this was not the first time she had seen a 6-year-old arrested. Florida leads the nation in juvenile arrests, and Orange County leads the state, she said. |
| “This is not a reflection of the children, but more of a reflection of a broken system that needs reform,” Ms. Ayala said. | “This is not a reflection of the children, but more of a reflection of a broken system that needs reform,” Ms. Ayala said. |
| Walter Gilliam, a professor of child psychiatry and psychology at the Yale University Child Study Center, said the idea of arresting any child at 6 years old was ludicrous. | Walter Gilliam, a professor of child psychiatry and psychology at the Yale University Child Study Center, said the idea of arresting any child at 6 years old was ludicrous. |
| “In this case, someone made the decision to contact the officer instead of a guidance counselor, social worker or school psychologist,” Dr. Gilliam said. “The children were seen as an offense instead of clearly needing support.” | “In this case, someone made the decision to contact the officer instead of a guidance counselor, social worker or school psychologist,” Dr. Gilliam said. “The children were seen as an offense instead of clearly needing support.” |
| Dr. Gilliam studied implicit bias in preschool programs across the country and found that teachers expected more challenging behavior from black children than white children. Black preschoolers were more than three times as likely to get suspended, he concluded. | Dr. Gilliam studied implicit bias in preschool programs across the country and found that teachers expected more challenging behavior from black children than white children. Black preschoolers were more than three times as likely to get suspended, he concluded. |
| When children are removed from school in early elementary years, they tend to have a bad experience with school after that, Dr. Gilliam said. | When children are removed from school in early elementary years, they tend to have a bad experience with school after that, Dr. Gilliam said. |
| “The whole purpose of schools are to help children,” he added, “and if we kick out the children who need the help, why are we here in the first place?” | “The whole purpose of schools are to help children,” he added, “and if we kick out the children who need the help, why are we here in the first place?” |