Sheriff's Deputies Handcuff Girl, 11, After Mistaking Her for Suspect

[WhiskeyGrinder]

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/nyregion/syracuse-police-girl-misidentified-handcuffed.html

The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in New York said on Tuesday that it would change its policy regarding detained children after a video shared widely online showed deputies handcuffing an 11-year-old girl the day before.

The girl was detained by deputies in Syracuse, N.Y., who were looking for a similarly dressed person who was wanted in connection with the theft of a car less than an hour before, the sheriff’s office said.

The 11-year-old girl, who has not been publicly identified, was found six blocks from the scene of the theft, according to the authorities. The girl was handcuffed for seven minutes, according to a timeline of the episode released by the sheriff’s office, and was then released when the deputies realized she was not the person they were looking for.

Like the 11-year-old, the suspect is Black, according to the authorities. The suspect has not been caught or identified.

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[H2O Man]

4. "Any one will do?" -- Rubin Carter.

I remember when my friend Rubin was arrested by Canadian police. They were looking for a 19-year old black man. Rubin was 59 at the time. This was back in 1996.

[Solly Mack]

7. White supremacy makes it up as it goes.

[H2O Man]

8. The curious thing

was that those officers had no idea what they had actually done. Not a clue. Proof of the Truth of the old quote that ignorance is the mother of all cruelty.

[NH Ethylene]

26. I lost it when the poor girl started crying.

I do understand why they would detain her until they confirmed if it was her or not if the description included a pink coat, etc. But putting handcuffs on a child who is not violently acting out is just wrong.

[patphil]

2. They were looking for a black female, they found a black female. Lazy, stupid, racist cops.

[Solly Mack]

3. ...

Study: Cops Tend to See Black Kids as Less Innocent Than White Kids


Asked to identify the age of a young boy that committed a felony, participants in a study routinely overestimated the age of black children far more than they did white kids. Worse: Cops did it, too.

The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, aimed at figuring out the extent to which black children were likely to be treated differently than their white peers solely based on race. More specifically, the authors wanted to figure out the extent to which black kids were dehumanized.

Adultification of Black children negatively impacts their health


Adultification is the term used to define how Black children are viewed as older than they are. Systemic racism has forced Black children into social, emotional, and physical adult roles before they are adults, contributing to adultification. Pediatric and family health care providers must be knowledgable of the harms of adultification bias and that the factor of intersectionality, for example, children who are Black and female, or Black with a disability, enhances bias. Recognition of adultification by health care providers may improve the health and wellness of Black children.

[H2O Man]

5. Thank you.

Please see my above post. My friend Rubin, who moved to Canada after serving 20 years for a crime he did not commit, was arrested by police looking for a 19-year old suspect. No one deserves that, of course. But it was really upsetting for Rubin.

[ZonkerHarris]

14. They also think pain doesn't hurt black people like whites. Such bullshit.

[Celerity]

6. Before I clicked I knew it would be a black girl.

Fuck those racist coppers.

[womanofthehills]

9. Many yrs ago when I was 20 yrs old

walking from a friends house in early morning in Pt Pleasant NJ - a policeman made me get in his police car because he said I resembled a person they were looking for. He drove around and after about 5 minutes the description of the girl came on the radio and it was the total opposite of me. So - he asked me where I was going and dropped me off.

This poor little girl - I hope she gets a good settlement!

[C0RI0LANUS]

10. Corrected title: "The Slave Patrol Handcuffs 11-Year-Old Girl After Mistaking Her for Suspect"

[oasis]

11. "You guys are twins" says racist cop.

In other words “all black people look alike”.

[questionseverything]

22. That made me cringe too

[stopdiggin]

12. might have been handled better

Particularly in relation to parental notification - (although there are probably teens that do not want a parent notified - and perhaps with solid justification - which could tend to lead into tricky territory). In this case - almost certainly should have happened.

But - - Times article also makes it clear that the stop was not entirely without reason or justification ..

The girl is wearing a very similar outfit to the one worn by the suspect in the car theft, according to a photo of the suspect released by the sheriff’s office: a puffy pink winter jacket, dark patterned pants, white shoes and a pink bag.

The office said the girl was released after the deputies documented differences between her and the suspect, including the pattern of their pants, subtle differences in their pink jackets, the length of their hair and differences in their complexion.

Let's not assume that these cops are automatically racist POS ?

[Solomon]

16. LOL. And your handle is "stopdigging"?!

Explain the handcuffs. Oh never mind. Not interested in hearing that one.

[stopdiggin]

20. people that are being detained

are routinely placed in cuffs. I think (if you would care to investigate) you would find this fairly standard procedure. (and perhaps recommended, as per training? although I can't strictly vouch for that. and probably depends on the force)

[questionseverything]

23. People being questioned should not be in cuffs

Only arrested people need to be cuffed

I wouldn’t of had a problem with them questioning her but they didn’t have the evidence to arrest so she shouldn’t of been cuffed

I mean wtf were the cops scared 3 eleven year olds were going to do….

[stopdiggin]

25. so, your are asserting that cuffing a suspect is NOT standard?

or, just not the way that you and I would wish things to be ?

Answer to final question: Leg it? In opposite directions? Thereby shortening investigation considerably?

[obamanut2012]

18. They are racist POS

[stopdiggin]

21. just these two? or are you applying that to all cops?

any event - that's not what I am seeing here. There certainly seems to be adequate reason for at least an initial stop. Then - they made an effort to further verify clothing and description ... (which lead to elimination and release) Would appear to be decent police work?

[questionseverything]

24. Racist and pussys

The idea they couldn’t check the 11 year olds story w/o her in cuffs makes me embarrassed for them

[NH Ethylene]

27. I agree. Other than the cuffs put on a child, I'm not sure what they could have done differently.

They were clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and seemed to expect early on that it would turn out not to be that girl who had stolen the car.

[stopdiggin]

28. thanks. not particularly happy with the cuffs either ...

But then - who is really happy about a stop on an 11 year old?

On the other hand - description reads out, "Black girl with pink jacket .. " That's not racism, that's a description of the suspect! Let's not reach for the easiest and most simplistic ...

[orangecrush]

13. Heartbreaking

[malaise]

15. Of course she is black

So normal in the great democracy

[obamanut2012]

17. I knew the child would be black

There is a history of preteen black girls being treated like this by cops.

[Fla Dem]

19. Knew she was black. Cops can't tell one from another. All they hear is Black.