Pepper Spray Used on 8 Year Old

[KittyNakajima]

Today Show's Article and Interview with Boy and His Mom

Topic title got ya? Good. Just reading that alone and you're probably wondering why police - adults, no less - would whip out the pepper spray on a child that would most likely be half their size and weight, right? How about this kid being a part of a class that deals with/specializes in children with a spectrum of behavourial issues and had had two incidents prior which required police diffusion?

Or just merely the fact that he had taken to throwing his classroom in disarray, ripped off a piece of the wall fixture to make a makeshift SHANK and was threatening to KILL his teachers?

...

Anyway, his mother is contending that the situation could have been handled differently while both the school district and police stand by their actions. On the one hand the previous incidents were apparently diffused without the police being required to use that type of action, but then on the other hand, this kid was apparently so menacing that the teachers barricaded themselves away in a side office when he started brandishing that makeshift shank.

Granted I'm leaning towards the fact that the kid got what was coming to him for those antics, I do wonder how much the police interacted with him before they sprayed him. I would think that prior incidents would have at least had someone responding that was familiar with him and his incidents in the hopes that they could talk him out of his bantor.

What do you think? Too much force? Or kid got what was coming to him?

[Tornado]

I've heard the mother speak on the issue before that interview. Considering how incompetent she almost certainly is, and considering the kid's reaction to the situation is roughly "what was I doing that was so wrong," I'm not particularly worried about how she thinks the police should have handled the situation.

The kid was threatening teachers with what essentially amounts to a stabbing. He should consider himself lucky that the police didn't tase his ass.

Edited April 6, 2011 by Tornado

[Vertekins]

Considering the overwhelming overdiagnosis of ADHD these days concerning kids who behave like animals solely because of the fact that their parents LET THEM rather than any cop-out "disease", I'd say the pepper spray thing was right-on. He knew exactly the gravity of what he was doing and it's clear as day that he is perfectly sapient, as indicated by that kid acting hunky-dory around relatives and elsewhere and completely with it, as indicated by him knowing what he could become if he didn't get his act together.

Frankly, i'm sick of this whole attitude of enpowering little shits who don't know parental authority or firm discipline, poor little lambs who have people around them label their disgusting behaviour automatically on principal with names such as ADHD, Autism or Aspergers when when you truly get down to it, all it is is a little brat who was never put in their place and taught acceptable behaviour in the first place.

[turbojet]

Momma should have whooped that ass more often.

Edited April 6, 2011 by turbojet

[Gabz Girl]

At first I thought it wasn't justified. But after reading that his mom said he was a normal kid at home, I'm starting to think he does not have problems, that he did it himself, he did it because he's a little shithead. So now...hell yeah, he deserved that feckin pepper spray! =/ In fact, why doesn't his mother do anything about it if he has these raging tantrums??

[Lady Lily]

Is it me or are little kids getting crazier each year?

I think, if it was the only way to calm the child then it had to be done.

[DarkLight]

Just saw this on the news. I'm in the crowd that says it was justified.

The brat was being a menace to the teachers, kids and himself.

That stupid mom is another example of a bad parent who can't admit being a bad parent and will do anything not to look like so, including pulling the "He's mentally handicapped" trump card and tries to make GOOD police officers doing their job honorably look like the bad guys.

Edited April 6, 2011 by DragonSoul

[turbojet]

Is it me or are little kids getting crazier each year?

I think, if it was the only way to calm the child then it had to be done.

Fuck Pepper Spray. Beat that kid's ass like Rodney King.

I'll be serious. He tried to shank a teacher. I don't know the situation, but I know one thing for damn sure, if teachers could dish out corporal punishment on a regular basis, shit like this wouldn't happen. The kid can throw any damn temper he wants, but once that paddle comes out, he knows what is up and he will know his role and behave like a student.

Edited April 6, 2011 by turbojet

[Silencer226]

I don't know why but I was expecting an overweight obese black child who loves to do bad things.

But instead it's a white kid who has anger issues... Start whoopin that ass mama.

Edited April 6, 2011 by Silencer226

[KittyNakajima]

At first I thought it wasn't justified. But after reading that his mom said he was a normal kid at home, I'm starting to think he does not have problems, that he did it himself, he did it because he's a little shithead. So now...hell yeah, he deserved that feckin pepper spray! =/ In fact, why doesn't his mother do anything about it if he has these raging tantrums??

Because she seems to be the type of parent who doesn't care what goes on unless her child ends up unhappy. I've dealt with the type. They don't give a shit about the kids running around like lunatics, causing a disturbance for everyone and everything in the immediate vicinity. But the moment someone speaks up and says something like "Stop that?" Oh boy. You get the third degree for even talking to said kid along with the complimentary "Don't tell me how to parent" speech as some sort of defensive counterstrike to judgement of character.

Granted kids will and can act up, but when it gets to the point where they're being that menacing, you have to look at yourself as the parent and figure out what the hell it is that YOU'RE doing wrong as opposed to pointing fingers at everyone else.

[DarkLight]

Because she seems to be the type of parent who doesn't care what goes on unless her child ends up unhappy. I've dealt with the type. They don't give a shit about the kids running around like lunatics, causing a disturbance for everyone and everything in the immediate vicinity. But the moment someone speaks up and says something like "Stop that?" Oh boy. You get the third degree for even talking to said kid along with the complimentary "Don't tell me how to parent" speech as some sort of defensive counterstrike to judgement of character.

Granted kids will and can act up, but when it gets to the point where they're being that menacing, you have to look at yourself as the parent and figure out what the hell it is that YOU'RE doing wrong as opposed to pointing fingers at everyone else.

I feel bad for you....

But yes, like I said before, some parents would rather not look like bad parents instead of taking criticism so they can improve on how to raise their kids. It's that kind of attitude that will only get the parent(s) and the kid into more shitty situations.

Edited April 6, 2011 by DragonSoul

[nuckles87]

Considering the overwhelming overdiagnosis of ADHD these days concerning kids who behave like animals solely because of the fact that their parents LET THEM rather than any cop-out "disease", I'd say the pepper spray thing was right-on. He knew exactly the gravity of what he was doing and it's clear as day that he is perfectly sapient, as indicated by that kid acting hunky-dory around relatives and elsewhere and completely with it, as indicated by him knowing what he could become if he didn't get his act together.

Frankly, i'm sick of this whole attitude of enpowering little shits who don't know parental authority or firm discipline, poor little lambs who have people around them label their disgusting behaviour automatically on principal with names such as ADHD, Autism or Aspergers when when you truly get down to it, all it is is a little brat who was never put in their place and taught acceptable behaviour in the first place.

ADHD has nothing to do with this. As someone who had it before it was cool, I can attest that a mere diagonisis of ADHD doesn't suddenly let you act like an animal at school. It stands for "attention deficit disorder". It means I simply have difficulties paying attention in class, and simply entailed me to things like a note taker, taking stuff like ritalin, and access to special classes for certain subjects. An overdiagnosis of ADHD has nothing to do with this kid. This kid has something else entirely. If he has anything at all.

[Saint Nathan]

He's eight.

Seems like a waste of pepper spray. If I was the teacher I would have kicked that fucker so hard it would have been a touchdown.

On the moon.

[Sapphire]

At first, I thought "who in their right mind would pepper spray an 8-year-old?!"

But he seems like a little shit who desperately needs to be put in his place. And there's no one else to blame besides his mother. Of course he doesn't have mental problems, because if he seriously did, he would act up all the time, not occasionally at school. Maybe he didn't deserve the pepper spray, but only because he probably would have calmed down at the threat of a spanking.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Unfortunately the ignorant, or the ones who read the least (despite being literate) will simply see "Pepper Spray used on 8 year old" and immediately jump on the fritz saying that that is too much.

I'll admit, I was almost about to do that. But if the kid was violent enough to make a homemade knife from the wall and try to stab his teachers, then pepper spray is the least thing he has to worry about. It's not easy to restrain someone with a bladed weapon, especially one who may very well swing it wildly in an attempt to get a cut.

I'm more troubled about the mother and how she's downplaying that on the count of the police using the pepper spray. She should've raised her son better unless he really started with some mental problems that could cause that.

[Skyler]

Why is this on the Today Show? He's fine, they didn't tase him or some extreme shit like that. The mother should stop bitching, even the kid admitted he was wrong.

$20 says his mom is a single parent.

[-Mark-]

Wow, what a little nutjob. If he was actually getting that violent, then yeah, it was completely justified.

That said, I will sort of agree with the fact that there's only so much threat an eight-year-old could present, but even then, it's better they did that rather than potentially resort to violence in self-defence.

[pooshoes]

At first, I thought "who in their right mind would pepper spray an 8-year-old?!"

This is pretty much the only reason I will never get a job in primary education.

[-Mark-]

^ True.

That's one thing I can't stand with schools in general. All throughout school, I saw my fair share of cocky little sods who acted like they were untouchable - because, realistically, they knew they were. The number of times I just wanted to facepalm when I saw kids being outright aggressive and just prats in general, only to say to the teachers "You can't do anything to me or you'll lose your job".

If anything, I'd say primary school wouldn't be as bad as secondary school. Younger kids seem like they'd be easier to keep in line. Well, except in this case.

[Aquaslash]

Pepper Spray? BAH. I'd have tased his ass.

[Glenn]

Pepper spray can, in extreme circumstances, cause lasting damage to eyesight. That said, it still remains (statistically) the safest way to incapacitate a violent offender. There are more dangers inherant with tasers, stun guns and even a nightstick.

The fact he was eight years old? Yes, makes the case unusual, but here stands an individual intent on causing extreme harm and/or death. Regardless of psychological disorders, counselling isn't an instant "disarm him before he murders somebody" response. He will be charged and punished as a minor (where I'm sure all required attention will be given to his frame of mind) but, in the heat of the moment, the arrest still needed to be made. I truly hope the police officers in question explored all appropriate methods of restraining him before deploying pepper spray. If that's the case, and it was their only remaining option, then I say it was justified.

If, however, it was literally an armoured officer smashing down the door and spraying the first eyes he saw, then that's just bad policing. But that's why police training is so extensive nowadays, I suppose. They need to catch all kinds of criminals.

[LunarEdge]

It's good to see a bad kid get a good ass whooping, be it via pepper spray or not.

[Blue Blood]

Justified? Yup, I think so. The fact that he's eight years old and the police had been called twice before is enough to make you consider that. And you know, he's young and learning. That should be a deterrent to stop it happening again, but from the sounds of it his mother tells him he does no wrong.

[Axl.EXE]

That's one thing I can't stand with schools in general. All throughout school, I saw my fair share of cocky little sods who acted like they were untouchable - because, realistically, they knew they were. The number of times I just wanted to facepalm when I saw kids being outright aggressive and just prats in general, only to say to the teachers "You can't do anything to me or you'll lose your job".

I have my fair share of these as well. They're called my Academic Biology and English classes.

As for justified/unjustified, let's face it, the kid's a psychopath. I say it was perfectly justified.

[Kevin]

Because she seems to be the type of parent who doesn't care what goes on unless her child ends up unhappy. I've dealt with the type. They don't give a shit about the kids running around like lunatics, causing a disturbance for everyone and everything in the immediate vicinity. But the moment someone speaks up and says something like "Stop that?" Oh boy. You get the third degree for even talking to said kid along with the complimentary "Don't tell me how to parent" speech as some sort of defensive counterstrike to judgement of character.

Granted kids will and can act up, but when it gets to the point where they're being that menacing, you have to look at yourself as the parent and figure out what the hell it is that YOU'RE doing wrong as opposed to pointing fingers at everyone else.

I've dealt with these kinds of parents as well, and it's really frustrating, and personally I think they shouldn't deserve to be parents to begin with.

I'm also in the "justified" crowd in regards to this kid being peppered sprayed. Keep in mind this wasn't the first time the police was called on him, and he had a sharp object in hand that he was using to threaten the teachers. I'm glad that he was put in his place, and I hope he gets the help he needs before things get worse.