Re: Justified? Police use pepper spray to subdue 8-year...

[Guest guest]

I saw the interview with this child and saw the video with the information.

I am going to share an opinion that probably wont be all that popular

amongst special needs parents.

I think the police were more than justified using that pepper spray on

that child. Sure-- it burned his eyes-- but they saved him from a worse

fate. If this child continued with his behavior and God forbid, hurt someone,

there would be even more serious problems for him down the road.

This was the THIRD time the police had to be called in with this one

child. He said something about his not knowing why he was angry and that he

cant control his body, etc. That's bologna, because even kids with a serious

impulse control know what causes the anger and that they CAN indeed

control it, if taught the proper measures. This mom is making the problem

worse

by appearing on a national show saying that the police weren't justified

etc-- it's just going to give this kid an excuse to behave that way.

The whole situation stinks, and I am not in favor of police using

force--unless they feel it's necessary, and in this case, with this child, I

believe it WAS! He was telling the teachers he was going to KILL them as he held

a stick. He himself said he wanted to make something sharp to hurt them

because they made him so angry...... hmmm pepper spray the child to calm him

down or watch him hurt himself , the teachers or the police and then have

charges brought against him, or possibly be taken down with more serious

measures? I'll take the pepper spray-- it's the least offensive I would

think. The police cannot sit there and hope that a child will come down from a

state of anger that will harm them or others-- they have to act to protect

the child and others around them.

I dunno-- maybe this will get me lynched here, but I feel it was the

right thing to do in THIS situation with THIS child.

for the record-- the mom said he doesn't act that way unless he's in

school. That's BULL CRAP, because he's in a school for children with anger

issues and behavioral problems and they don't get there from JUST acting out at

school. I don't believe for one minute that this child doesn't act out in

other situations and I truly am upset that there is no diagnoses for him.

They need to get him HELP-- and the therapist he's seeing tells the child

that it's just his body and he can't control what he's doing?? FIND ANOTHER

THERAPIST....get more help!!!

Becky

In a message dated 4/6/2011 6:58:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

jbmistletoe@... writes:

Justified? Police use pepper spray to subdue 8-year-old

Despite son’s violent behavior, mom says police should have handled

differently

The mother of an 8-year-old Colorado boy pepper-sprayed by police after he

exploded into a violent rage says she believes that the school and police

are partly to blame for allowing the incident to spiral out of control.

“The school he was at was for children who have social and emotional

behavioral issues,†the boy’s mom, Mandy, who is identified only by her

first

name to protect her family’s privacy, told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira

Wednesday. “They [knew] what the kids are capable of before they took them

on. And

then they could have also called and asked for a special [police] unit who

deals with children … in these crisis situations.â€

The incident, which garnered national attention, began on Feb. 22 in

Lakewood, Colo. — the same school district that became synonymous with school

violence when two students at Columbine High School went on a bloody rampage

in 1999 that left 15 dead. Aidan, a second-grader at the school, suddenly

turned on his two teachers, who were alone with him in the classroom.

By the time police arrived, young Aidan was in a full-blown meltdown. He

had ripped molding from the wall and tossed chairs and a TV cart around the

classroom. He had grabbed a stick and chased his teachers into the office,

where they locked themselves in. “I wanted to make something sharp,†he

told NBC News. “I was so mad at them.†At one point, police allege, he

warned his teachers, “If you come out, you’re gonna die!â€

Aidan said he does not remember what triggered his rage. “I don’t know,â€

he told Vieira. “It’s just the way my body goes.â€

In fact, it was not the first time that Aidan’s anger issues had led to a

confrontation with police. Twice before, authorities had to be summoned to

“talk him down†after outbursts in school, his mother said. It is part of

a pattern, she said, that seems to appear only when Aidan is in school, and

only at particular times. “He’s a normal 8-year-old child at home with

us, when he goes got see his dad in Wyoming, when he’s at soccer, swimming,

[with the] baby sitter, he’s fine,†she told Vieira. “We don’t have

these

issues.†At school, however, things are different. “Usually it’s a

transition period from a structured event, such as social studies or reading,

into

a free time and then going back into a structured event that he has a

problem,†she said. Doctors and therapists have evaluated the boy, she said,

and can find no cause for his periodic outbursts. “They all say there’s

nothing mentally wrong with him.â€

Video: Kid wields stick, police use pepper spray (on this page)

She insists that his two previous scrapes with police ended without

serious incident because the police who responded were specially trained to

deal

with children in crisis situations.

This time, however, the situation quickly escalated. Police insist that

they ordered the boy to drop the stick and when he refused, they squirted him

twice with pepper spray.

But Aidan told a slightly different version of the story to Vieira

Wednesday. He said that he had already dropped the stick when police sprayed

him. “

The first time they said it, I just kind of did it slowly and then once it

touched the ground, that’s when it happened.â€

Police contend that they handled the matter appropriately, and the school

district’s superintendent, Peg Kastberg, defended their actions. “They

tried to de-escalate the behavior that occurred; [Aidan] was swinging a stick,

he was using it as a weapon, he was violent, he was verbal, he was abusive,

†she told NBC News.

Advertise | AdChoices

No charges have been filed against the boy. He has since been enrolled in

another school that specializes in children with behavioral problems. But

the boy’s mother continues to insist that authorities could have handled the

situation differently. She said she believes that police with proper

training could have defused or at least stabilized the situation until she

arrived. “I was 10 minutes away,†she said.

And proper training, she says, is what she would like to see come out of

this situation. “I do want them to get training ... for crisis situations

with children. I don’t think it’s right for an 8-year-old to get

pepper-sprayed.â€

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Oh you know I'm with you Bek!

Remember we had a situation like this in a town near me that was all over the

news? The child was in a regular kindergarten class...one of my friend's

brother's daughters was in this class. My neighbor is friends with a teacher

from the school. The teacher was an award winning LOVED teacher. The child and

his brother (according to those that know this family) are both out of control.

The child didn't get a diagnosis up till the end of kindergarten- he was 6 years

and who knows how many months old -so until then no diagnosis. Then she got a

lawyer and a diagnosis and then went all over the national news to be

interviewed about how this horrible teacher had her autistic son voted out of

his class by the other students. like this story.

Those that know this child say he's " NO WAY! " autistic -but I don't know. What

I do know is the diagnosis came after the lawyer and after the 6th birthday and

nothing up till then which is highly suspect since the police had to be called

in for this child even more than the most recent one. He'd also throw things

-kick over desks, rip up other children's work, etc. The other children were

afraid of him. The teacher in the story near me for sure made a mistake in what

she did when she polled the class one day toward the end of the year after the

police removed him from the room as that day they were learning about polls and

ask " how many thing ___ should be allowed back in the classroom today " the

option was stay at the front office with the police as he did many times before.

That was the poll -not the rest of the year as the media hyped it.

From what I heard the school would call the mother and she didn't come to pick

him up so he'd spend much time at the front office. He clearly should not have

been in a regular class but again the mom thinks there is nothing wrong with

him.

From what I heard the teacher's thinking as the parent and nobody else seemed to

care about this child's out of control behavior (she was also one of the

professionals pleading for the mother to take this child to get him evaluated

for his issues) in the moment was that since what adults said didn't matter to

him -perhaps what his classmates felt would have impact. And it did -he was

very sad about the classes vote that he wasn't allowed back in the room for the

rest of the day -which is what he told his mother right before she called a

lawyer and then got the diagnosis.

This award winning teacher's career and life was destroyed -she got death

threats against her and her family from all over- and this (what I've been told

by those that know her) irresponsible mother becomes the hero. Well not to me.

The thing that really angered me is that when this child's mother was being

interviewed on the Today show and was asked about his behavior at home the

mother said he never acted like this at home or with his babysitter. You tell

me ONE child anywhere in the world that never throws a tantrum ever! Clearly

this child has an issue and clearly he needs help -but the safety of the rest of

the school, teachers and students, have to be considered.

And it's up to us as parents of special needs children to not make excuses and

to teach our children right from wrong. I've brought up here years ago how one

family from this group had a playdate with my two boys. The boy punched my son

Dakota in the back and Tanner in the head and made both of my boys start crying.

The mother shrugged it off as " that's the way he communicates now because he

can't talk " For real -she said that to me a child of TWO late talkers. Well my

husband was there as well and he jumped on that and told her there is no way we

allow either of our boys to " communicate " like that. No way it's not acceptable

and they were punished if they tried. And that was the last play date our boys

had together. While my boys went on to have many friends -her child did not and

she blamed that on his being " different " too. No -her son was a bully.

And talking about your child right in front of him right on national TV and

excusing his actions and to tell the world what's wrong with your child -that

probably can be added to the list of wrong too.

It's not doing our children any benefit to excuse poor behavior as a disability.

I mean look what just happened in Brazil when that gunman who graduated from

some elementary school was angry about something and went to the school and just

shot and killed so far at least 11 kids -that was today

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/07/brazil-shooting-rampage-gunman

When you don't control anger and you are so angry you in the moment want to hurt

or kill others -you don't end up homeless like someone told this child as he

brought it up on the news -you end up dead or behind bars.

And for those of you who don't get this as many people needs glasses -imagine

while you were growing up if your parents made excuses for your poor behavior

because " s/he can't see well "

=====

[Guest guest]

I agree too. She was on the Today Show with him. Meredith tried to get an answer

out of the mom, but she wouldnt admit anything! They were justified in what they

had to do. I heard she told GMA that its the schools problem because he's such

an " angel " at home?? Those of us with special needs kids can just shake our

heads at this poor mom who is in denial, she also said he has no diagnosis?

>

> I saw the interview with this child and saw the video with the information.

>

> I am going to share an opinion that probably wont be all that popular

> amongst special needs parents.

>

> I think the police were more than justified using that pepper spray on

> that child. Sure-- it burned his eyes-- but they saved him from a worse

> fate. If this child continued with his behavior and God forbid, hurt someone,

> there would be even more serious problems for him down the road.

>

> This was the THIRD time the police had to be called in with this one

> child. He said something about his not knowing why he was angry and that he

> cant control his body, etc. That's bologna, because even kids with a serious

> impulse control know what causes the anger and that they CAN indeed

> control it, if taught the proper measures. This mom is making the problem

worse

> by appearing on a national show saying that the police weren't justified

> etc-- it's just going to give this kid an excuse to behave that way.

>

> The whole situation stinks, and I am not in favor of police using

> force--unless they feel it's necessary, and in this case, with this child, I

> believe it WAS! He was telling the teachers he was going to KILL them as he

held

> a stick. He himself said he wanted to make something sharp to hurt them

> because they made him so angry...... hmmm pepper spray the child to calm him

> down or watch him hurt himself , the teachers or the police and then have

> charges brought against him, or possibly be taken down with more serious

> measures? I'll take the pepper spray-- it's the least offensive I would

> think. The police cannot sit there and hope that a child will come down from

a

> state of anger that will harm them or others-- they have to act to protect

> the child and others around them.

>

> I dunno-- maybe this will get me lynched here, but I feel it was the

> right thing to do in THIS situation with THIS child.

>

> for the record-- the mom said he doesn't act that way unless he's in

> school. That's BULL CRAP, because he's in a school for children with anger

> issues and behavioral problems and they don't get there from JUST acting out

at

> school. I don't believe for one minute that this child doesn't act out in

> other situations and I truly am upset that there is no diagnoses for him.

> They need to get him HELP-- and the therapist he's seeing tells the child

> that it's just his body and he can't control what he's doing?? FIND ANOTHER

> THERAPIST....get more help!!!

>

> Becky

>

>

>

> In a message dated 4/6/2011 6:58:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> jbmistletoe@... writes:

>

> Justified? Police use pepper spray to subdue 8-year-old

> Despite son’s violent behavior, mom says police should have handled

> differently

>

> The mother of an 8-year-old Colorado boy pepper-sprayed by police after he

> exploded into a violent rage says she believes that the school and police

> are partly to blame for allowing the incident to spiral out of control.

>

> “The school he was at was for children who have social and emotional

> behavioral issues,†the boy’s mom, Mandy, who is identified only by her

first

> name to protect her family’s privacy, told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira

> Wednesday. “They [knew] what the kids are capable of before they took them

on. And

> then they could have also called and asked for a special [police] unit who

> deals with children … in these crisis situations.â€

>

> The incident, which garnered national attention, began on Feb. 22 in

> Lakewood, Colo. †" the same school district that became synonymous with

school

> violence when two students at Columbine High School went on a bloody rampage

> in 1999 that left 15 dead. Aidan, a second-grader at the school, suddenly

> turned on his two teachers, who were alone with him in the classroom.

>

> By the time police arrived, young Aidan was in a full-blown meltdown. He

> had ripped molding from the wall and tossed chairs and a TV cart around the

> classroom. He had grabbed a stick and chased his teachers into the office,

> where they locked themselves in. “I wanted to make something sharp,†he

> told NBC News. “I was so mad at them.†At one point, police allege, he

> warned his teachers, “If you come out, you’re gonna die!â€

>

> Aidan said he does not remember what triggered his rage. “I don’t

know,â€

> he told Vieira. “It’s just the way my body goes.â€

>

> In fact, it was not the first time that Aidan’s anger issues had led to a

> confrontation with police. Twice before, authorities had to be summoned to

> “talk him down†after outbursts in school, his mother said. It is part of

> a pattern, she said, that seems to appear only when Aidan is in school, and

> only at particular times. “He’s a normal 8-year-old child at home with

> us, when he goes got see his dad in Wyoming, when he’s at soccer, swimming,

> [with the] baby sitter, he’s fine,†she told Vieira. “We don’t have

these

> issues.†At school, however, things are different. “Usually it’s a

> transition period from a structured event, such as social studies or reading,

into

> a free time and then going back into a structured event that he has a

> problem,†she said. Doctors and therapists have evaluated the boy, she

said,

> and can find no cause for his periodic outbursts. “They all say there’s

> nothing mentally wrong with him.â€

> Video: Kid wields stick, police use pepper spray (on this page)

>

> She insists that his two previous scrapes with police ended without

> serious incident because the police who responded were specially trained to

deal

> with children in crisis situations.

>

> This time, however, the situation quickly escalated. Police insist that

> they ordered the boy to drop the stick and when he refused, they squirted him

> twice with pepper spray.

>

> But Aidan told a slightly different version of the story to Vieira

> Wednesday. He said that he had already dropped the stick when police sprayed

him. “

> The first time they said it, I just kind of did it slowly and then once it

> touched the ground, that’s when it happened.â€

>

> Police contend that they handled the matter appropriately, and the school

> district’s superintendent, Peg Kastberg, defended their actions. “They

> tried to de-escalate the behavior that occurred; [Aidan] was swinging a

stick,

> he was using it as a weapon, he was violent, he was verbal, he was abusive,

> †she told NBC News.

> Advertise | AdChoices

>

> No charges have been filed against the boy. He has since been enrolled in

> another school that specializes in children with behavioral problems. But

> the boy’s mother continues to insist that authorities could have handled

the

> situation differently. She said she believes that police with proper

> training could have defused or at least stabilized the situation until she

> arrived. “I was 10 minutes away,†she said.

>

> And proper training, she says, is what she would like to see come out of

> this situation. “I do want them to get training ... for crisis situations

> with children. I don’t think it’s right for an 8-year-old to get

> pepper-sprayed.â€

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Yup, I agree too. We've had the police at our school many times for a violent

child. Although he is dx'd. The mother kept taking him on and off the

medication he was on because as she said " he's really good at home "

Well I then find out that they kept moving my son out of his learning centre

class (he spends half his day there) because this boy would without warning

start tossing anything he could get his hands on. Desks, chairs, computers ECT.

One poor girl even had her foot broken because she was in the way of a flying

desk.

The protocol is to shuffle everyone out of the room, close the door, and stand

watch to make sure he didn't injure himself while they waited for the

police....sigh.

The aide even had to carry a walkie-talkie at all times to communicate with the

principal should this boy start acting up.

The boy has now moved on to high school and I shudder to think what could have

happened to my son if he got in the way of these violent tantrums.

Sandy

> >

> > I saw the interview with this child and saw the video with the information.

> >

> > I am going to share an opinion that probably wont be all that popular

> > amongst special needs parents.

> >

> > I think the police were more than justified using that pepper spray on

> > that child. Sure-- it burned his eyes-- but they saved him from a worse

> > fate. If this child continued with his behavior and God forbid, hurt

someone,

> > there would be even more serious problems for him down the road.

> >

> > This was the THIRD time the police had to be called in with this one

> > child. He said something about his not knowing why he was angry and that

he

> > cant control his body, etc. That's bologna, because even kids with a

serious

> > impulse control know what causes the anger and that they CAN indeed

> > control it, if taught the proper measures. This mom is making the problem

worse

> > by appearing on a national show saying that the police weren't justified

> > etc-- it's just going to give this kid an excuse to behave that way.

> >

> > The whole situation stinks, and I am not in favor of police using

> > force--unless they feel it's necessary, and in this case, with this child, I

> > believe it WAS! He was telling the teachers he was going to KILL them as he

held

> > a stick. He himself said he wanted to make something sharp to hurt them

> > because they made him so angry...... hmmm pepper spray the child to calm him

> > down or watch him hurt himself , the teachers or the police and then have

> > charges brought against him, or possibly be taken down with more serious

> > measures? I'll take the pepper spray-- it's the least offensive I would

> > think. The police cannot sit there and hope that a child will come down

from a

> > state of anger that will harm them or others-- they have to act to protect

> > the child and others around them.

> >

> > I dunno-- maybe this will get me lynched here, but I feel it was the

> > right thing to do in THIS situation with THIS child.

> >

> > for the record-- the mom said he doesn't act that way unless he's in

> > school. That's BULL CRAP, because he's in a school for children with anger

> > issues and behavioral problems and they don't get there from JUST acting out

at

> > school. I don't believe for one minute that this child doesn't act out in

> > other situations and I truly am upset that there is no diagnoses for him.

> > They need to get him HELP-- and the therapist he's seeing tells the child

> > that it's just his body and he can't control what he's doing?? FIND ANOTHER

> > THERAPIST....get more help!!!

> >

> > Becky

> >

> >

> >

> > In a message dated 4/6/2011 6:58:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> > jbmistletoe@ writes:

> >

> > Justified? Police use pepper spray to subdue 8-year-old

> > Despite son’s violent behavior, mom says police should have handled

> > differently

> >

> > The mother of an 8-year-old Colorado boy pepper-sprayed by police after he

> > exploded into a violent rage says she believes that the school and police

> > are partly to blame for allowing the incident to spiral out of control.

> >

> > “The school he was at was for children who have social and emotional

> > behavioral issues,†the boy’s mom, Mandy, who is identified only by her

first

> > name to protect her family’s privacy, told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira

> > Wednesday. “They [knew] what the kids are capable of before they took

them on. And

> > then they could have also called and asked for a special [police] unit who

> > deals with children … in these crisis situations.â€

> >

> > The incident, which garnered national attention, began on Feb. 22 in

> > Lakewood, Colo. †" the same school district that became synonymous with

school

> > violence when two students at Columbine High School went on a bloody

rampage

> > in 1999 that left 15 dead. Aidan, a second-grader at the school, suddenly

> > turned on his two teachers, who were alone with him in the classroom.

> >

> > By the time police arrived, young Aidan was in a full-blown meltdown. He

> > had ripped molding from the wall and tossed chairs and a TV cart around the

> > classroom. He had grabbed a stick and chased his teachers into the office,

> > where they locked themselves in. “I wanted to make something sharp,†he

> > told NBC News. “I was so mad at them.†At one point, police allege, he

> > warned his teachers, “If you come out, you’re gonna die!â€

> >

> > Aidan said he does not remember what triggered his rage. “I don’t

know,â€

> > he told Vieira. “It’s just the way my body goes.â€

> >

> > In fact, it was not the first time that Aidan’s anger issues had led to a

> > confrontation with police. Twice before, authorities had to be summoned to

> > “talk him down†after outbursts in school, his mother said. It is part

of

> > a pattern, she said, that seems to appear only when Aidan is in school, and

> > only at particular times. “He’s a normal 8-year-old child at home with

> > us, when he goes got see his dad in Wyoming, when he’s at soccer,

swimming,

> > [with the] baby sitter, he’s fine,†she told Vieira. “We don’t have

these

> > issues.†At school, however, things are different. “Usually it’s a

> > transition period from a structured event, such as social studies or

reading, into

> > a free time and then going back into a structured event that he has a

> > problem,†she said. Doctors and therapists have evaluated the boy, she

said,

> > and can find no cause for his periodic outbursts. “They all say there’s

> > nothing mentally wrong with him.â€

> > Video: Kid wields stick, police use pepper spray (on this page)

> >

> > She insists that his two previous scrapes with police ended without

> > serious incident because the police who responded were specially trained to

deal

> > with children in crisis situations.

> >

> > This time, however, the situation quickly escalated. Police insist that

> > they ordered the boy to drop the stick and when he refused, they squirted

him

> > twice with pepper spray.

> >

> > But Aidan told a slightly different version of the story to Vieira

> > Wednesday. He said that he had already dropped the stick when police

sprayed him. “

> > The first time they said it, I just kind of did it slowly and then once it

> > touched the ground, that’s when it happened.â€

> >

> > Police contend that they handled the matter appropriately, and the school

> > district’s superintendent, Peg Kastberg, defended their actions. “They

> > tried to de-escalate the behavior that occurred; [Aidan] was swinging a

stick,

> > he was using it as a weapon, he was violent, he was verbal, he was abusive,

> > †she told NBC News.

> > Advertise | AdChoices

> >

> > No charges have been filed against the boy. He has since been enrolled in

> > another school that specializes in children with behavioral problems. But

> > the boy’s mother continues to insist that authorities could have handled

the

> > situation differently. She said she believes that police with proper

> > training could have defused or at least stabilized the situation until she

> > arrived. “I was 10 minutes away,†she said.

> >

> > And proper training, she says, is what she would like to see come out of

> > this situation. “I do want them to get training ... for crisis situations

> > with children. I don’t think it’s right for an 8-year-old to get

> > pepper-sprayed.â€

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Who wouldn't agree? I would be terrified if my child was in school with this

boy. He had a sharp stick and was trying to break down the door to where the

teachers and other children fled for safety from him. This boy's mother should

be thankful that her son didn't hurt or kill anyone. If the mother stays in

denial, God help those around her child in the future. When I read this I also

couldn't believe this child cursed at the police!

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/colorado-police-pepper-spray-900991.html

Kate

> >

> > I saw the interview with this child and saw the video with the information.

> >

> > I am going to share an opinion that probably wont be all that popular

> > amongst special needs parents.

> >

> > I think the police were more than justified using that pepper spray on

> > that child. Sure-- it burned his eyes-- but they saved him from a worse

> > fate. If this child continued with his behavior and God forbid, hurt

someone,

> > there would be even more serious problems for him down the road.

> >

> > This was the THIRD time the police had to be called in with this one

> > child. He said something about his not knowing why he was angry and that

he

> > cant control his body, etc. That's bologna, because even kids with a

serious

> > impulse control know what causes the anger and that they CAN indeed

> > control it, if taught the proper measures. This mom is making the problem

worse

> > by appearing on a national show saying that the police weren't justified

> > etc-- it's just going to give this kid an excuse to behave that way.

> >

> > The whole situation stinks, and I am not in favor of police using

> > force--unless they feel it's necessary, and in this case, with this child, I

> > believe it WAS! He was telling the teachers he was going to KILL them as he

held

> > a stick. He himself said he wanted to make something sharp to hurt them

> > because they made him so angry...... hmmm pepper spray the child to calm him

> > down or watch him hurt himself , the teachers or the police and then have

> > charges brought against him, or possibly be taken down with more serious

> > measures? I'll take the pepper spray-- it's the least offensive I would

> > think. The police cannot sit there and hope that a child will come down

from a

> > state of anger that will harm them or others-- they have to act to protect

> > the child and others around them.

> >

> > I dunno-- maybe this will get me lynched here, but I feel it was the

> > right thing to do in THIS situation with THIS child.

> >

> > for the record-- the mom said he doesn't act that way unless he's in

> > school. That's BULL CRAP, because he's in a school for children with anger

> > issues and behavioral problems and they don't get there from JUST acting out

at

> > school. I don't believe for one minute that this child doesn't act out in

> > other situations and I truly am upset that there is no diagnoses for him.

> > They need to get him HELP-- and the therapist he's seeing tells the child

> > that it's just his body and he can't control what he's doing?? FIND ANOTHER

> > THERAPIST....get more help!!!

> >

> > Becky

> >

> >

> >

> > In a message dated 4/6/2011 6:58:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> > jbmistletoe@ writes:

> >

> > Justified? Police use pepper spray to subdue 8-year-old

> > Despite son’s violent behavior, mom says police should have handled

> > differently

> >

> > The mother of an 8-year-old Colorado boy pepper-sprayed by police after he

> > exploded into a violent rage says she believes that the school and police

> > are partly to blame for allowing the incident to spiral out of control.

> >

> > “The school he was at was for children who have social and emotional

> > behavioral issues,†the boy’s mom, Mandy, who is identified only by her

first

> > name to protect her family’s privacy, told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira

> > Wednesday. “They [knew] what the kids are capable of before they took

them on. And

> > then they could have also called and asked for a special [police] unit who

> > deals with children … in these crisis situations.â€

> >

> > The incident, which garnered national attention, began on Feb. 22 in

> > Lakewood, Colo. � " the same school district that became synonymous with

school

> > violence when two students at Columbine High School went on a bloody

rampage

> > in 1999 that left 15 dead. Aidan, a second-grader at the school, suddenly

> > turned on his two teachers, who were alone with him in the classroom.

> >

> > By the time police arrived, young Aidan was in a full-blown meltdown. He

> > had ripped molding from the wall and tossed chairs and a TV cart around the

> > classroom. He had grabbed a stick and chased his teachers into the office,

> > where they locked themselves in. “I wanted to make something sharp,†he

> > told NBC News. “I was so mad at them.†At one point, police allege, he

> > warned his teachers, “If you come out, you’re gonna die!â€

> >

> > Aidan said he does not remember what triggered his rage. “I don’t

know,â€

> > he told Vieira. “It’s just the way my body goes.â€

> >

> > In fact, it was not the first time that Aidan’s anger issues had led to a

> > confrontation with police. Twice before, authorities had to be summoned to

> > “talk him down†after outbursts in school, his mother said. It is part

of

> > a pattern, she said, that seems to appear only when Aidan is in school, and

> > only at particular times. “He’s a normal 8-year-old child at home with

> > us, when he goes got see his dad in Wyoming, when he’s at soccer,

swimming,

> > [with the] baby sitter, he’s fine,†she told Vieira. “We don’t have

these

> > issues.†At school, however, things are different. “Usually it’s a

> > transition period from a structured event, such as social studies or

reading, into

> > a free time and then going back into a structured event that he has a

> > problem,†she said. Doctors and therapists have evaluated the boy, she

said,

> > and can find no cause for his periodic outbursts. “They all say there’s

> > nothing mentally wrong with him.â€

> > Video: Kid wields stick, police use pepper spray (on this page)

> >

> > She insists that his two previous scrapes with police ended without

> > serious incident because the police who responded were specially trained to

deal

> > with children in crisis situations.

> >

> > This time, however, the situation quickly escalated. Police insist that

> > they ordered the boy to drop the stick and when he refused, they squirted

him

> > twice with pepper spray.

> >

> > But Aidan told a slightly different version of the story to Vieira

> > Wednesday. He said that he had already dropped the stick when police

sprayed him. “

> > The first time they said it, I just kind of did it slowly and then once it

> > touched the ground, that’s when it happened.â€

> >

> > Police contend that they handled the matter appropriately, and the school

> > district’s superintendent, Peg Kastberg, defended their actions. “They

> > tried to de-escalate the behavior that occurred; [Aidan] was swinging a

stick,

> > he was using it as a weapon, he was violent, he was verbal, he was abusive,

> > †she told NBC News.

> > Advertise | AdChoices

> >

> > No charges have been filed against the boy. He has since been enrolled in

> > another school that specializes in children with behavioral problems. But

> > the boy’s mother continues to insist that authorities could have handled

the

> > situation differently. She said she believes that police with proper

> > training could have defused or at least stabilized the situation until she

> > arrived. “I was 10 minutes away,†she said.

> >

> > And proper training, she says, is what she would like to see come out of

> > this situation. “I do want them to get training ... for crisis situations

> > with children. I don’t think it’s right for an 8-year-old to get

> > pepper-sprayed.â€

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

I agree as well. I have a hard time understanding why children wo have a

continued history of violence towards others are permitted to remain in a given

classroom.... it is not safe- period. OMG - Sandy- your mention of the girl who

was hit by the flying desk was awful! I can only imagine how angry her parents

must have been! How old was the girl who was injured?

My son attends a special ed preschool. Last summer, there was a little boy in

his class who sadly, was very difficult to manage. It got to the point that this

child required an aide on his bus to and from school. There were a few

incidents- (my son was mildly injured one day)- and I always suspected that the

above mentioned child was the one who caused the injury. I breathed a huge sigh

of relief when I learned that this poor child was going to change schools.

Just out of curiosity- does anyone know where kids who have a history of

violence toward others are sent to manage their behavior/provide them with

education? It seems like this would be very hard for the involved parents- what

do they do if their child can't be safely managed in the public school setting?

It all seems so sad.

[ ] Re: Justified? Police use pepper spray to subdue

8-year...

Yup, I agree too. We've had the police at our school many times for a violent

child. Although he is dx'd. The mother kept taking him on and off the medication

he was on because as she said " he's really good at home "

Well I then find out that they kept moving my son out of his learning centre

class (he spends half his day there) because this boy would without warning

start tossing anything he could get his hands on. Desks, chairs, computers ECT.

One poor girl even had her foot broken because she was in the way of a flying

desk.

The protocol is to shuffle everyone out of the room, close the door, and stand

watch to make sure he didn't injure himself while they waited for the

police....sigh.

The aide even had to carry a walkie-talkie at all times to communicate with the

principal should this boy start acting up.

The boy has now moved on to high school and I shudder to think what could have

happened to my son if he got in the way of these violent tantrums.

Sandy

> >

> > I saw the interview with this child and saw the video with the information.

> >

> > I am going to share an opinion that probably wont be all that popular

> > amongst special needs parents.

> >

> > I think the police were more than justified using that pepper spray on

> > that child. Sure-- it burned his eyes-- but they saved him from a worse

> > fate. If this child continued with his behavior and God forbid, hurt

someone,

> > there would be even more serious problems for him down the road.

> >

> > This was the THIRD time the police had to be called in with this one

> > child. He said something about his not knowing why he was angry and that he

> > cant control his body, etc. That's bologna, because even kids with a serious

> > impulse control know what causes the anger and that they CAN indeed

> > control it, if taught the proper measures. This mom is making the problem

worse

> > by appearing on a national show saying that the police weren't justified

> > etc-- it's just going to give this kid an excuse to behave that way.

> >

> > The whole situation stinks, and I am not in favor of police using

> > force--unless they feel it's necessary, and in this case, with this child, I

> > believe it WAS! He was telling the teachers he was going to KILL them as he

held

> > a stick. He himself said he wanted to make something sharp to hurt them

> > because they made him so angry...... hmmm pepper spray the child to calm him

> > down or watch him hurt himself , the teachers or the police and then have

> > charges brought against him, or possibly be taken down with more serious

> > measures? I'll take the pepper spray-- it's the least offensive I would

> > think. The police cannot sit there and hope that a child will come down from

a

> > state of anger that will harm them or others-- they have to act to protect

> > the child and others around them.

> >

> > I dunno-- maybe this will get me lynched here, but I feel it was the

> > right thing to do in THIS situation with THIS child.

> >

> > for the record-- the mom said he doesn't act that way unless he's in

> > school. That's BULL CRAP, because he's in a school for children with anger

> > issues and behavioral problems and they don't get there from JUST acting out

at

> > school. I don't believe for one minute that this child doesn't act out in

> > other situations and I truly am upset that there is no diagnoses for him.

> > They need to get him HELP-- and the therapist he's seeing tells the child

> > that it's just his body and he can't control what he's doing?? FIND ANOTHER

> > THERAPIST....get more help!!!

> >

> > Becky

> >

> >

> >

> > In a message dated 4/6/2011 6:58:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> > jbmistletoe@ writes:

> >

> > Justified? Police use pepper spray to subdue 8-year-old

> > Despite son’s violent behavior, mom says police should have handled

> > differently

> >

> > The mother of an 8-year-old Colorado boy pepper-sprayed by police after he

> > exploded into a violent rage says she believes that the school and police

> > are partly to blame for allowing the incident to spiral out of control.

> >

> > “The school he was at was for children who have social and emotional

> > behavioral issues,†the boy’s mom, Mandy, who is identified

only by her first

> > name to protect her family’s privacy, told TODAY’s Meredith

Vieira

> > Wednesday. “They [knew] what the kids are capable of before they took

them on. And

> > then they could have also called and asked for a special [police] unit who

> > deals with children … in these crisis situations.â€Â

> >

> > The incident, which garnered national attention, began on Feb. 22 in

> > Lakewood, Colo. †" the same school district that became synonymous with

school

> > violence when two students at Columbine High School went on a bloody rampage

> > in 1999 that left 15 dead. Aidan, a second-grader at the school, suddenly

> > turned on his two teachers, who were alone with him in the classroom.

> >

> > By the time police arrived, young Aidan was in a full-blown meltdown. He

> > had ripped molding from the wall and tossed chairs and a TV cart around the

> > classroom. He had grabbed a stick and chased his teachers into the office,

> > where they locked themselves in. “I wanted to make something

sharp,†he

> > told NBC News. “I was so mad at them.†At one point, police

allege, he

> > warned his teachers, “If you come out, you’re gonna die!â€Â

> >

> > Aidan said he does not remember what triggered his rage. “I

don’t know,â€Â

> > he told Vieira. “It’s just the way my body goes.â€Â

> >

> > In fact, it was not the first time that Aidan’s anger issues had led

to a

> > confrontation with police. Twice before, authorities had to be summoned to

> > “talk him down†after outbursts in school, his mother said. It

is part of

> > a pattern, she said, that seems to appear only when Aidan is in school, and

> > only at particular times. “He’s a normal 8-year-old child at

home with

> > us, when he goes got see his dad in Wyoming, when he’s at soccer,

swimming,

> > [with the] baby sitter, he’s fine,†she told Vieira. “We

don’t have these

> > issues.†At school, however, things are different. “Usually

it’s a

> > transition period from a structured event, such as social studies or

reading, into

> > a free time and then going back into a structured event that he has a

> > problem,†she said. Doctors and therapists have evaluated the boy, she

said,

> > and can find no cause for his periodic outbursts. “They all say

there’s

> > nothing mentally wrong with him.â€Â

> > Video: Kid wields stick, police use pepper spray (on this page)

> >

> > She insists that his two previous scrapes with police ended without

> > serious incident because the police who responded were specially trained to

deal

> > with children in crisis situations.

> >

> > This time, however, the situation quickly escalated. Police insist that

> > they ordered the boy to drop the stick and when he refused, they squirted

him

> > twice with pepper spray.

> >

> > But Aidan told a slightly different version of the story to Vieira

> > Wednesday. He said that he had already dropped the stick when police sprayed

him. “

> > The first time they said it, I just kind of did it slowly and then once it

> > touched the ground, that’s when it happened.â€Â

> >

> > Police contend that they handled the matter appropriately, and the school

> > district’s superintendent, Peg Kastberg, defended their actions.

“They

> > tried to de-escalate the behavior that occurred; [Aidan] was swinging a

stick,

> > he was using it as a weapon, he was violent, he was verbal, he was abusive,

> > †she told NBC News.

> > Advertise | AdChoices

> >

> > No charges have been filed against the boy. He has since been enrolled in

> > another school that specializes in children with behavioral problems. But

> > the boy’s mother continues to insist that authorities could have

handled the

> > situation differently. She said she believes that police with proper

> > training could have defused or at least stabilized the situation until she

> > arrived. “I was 10 minutes away,†she said.

> >

> > And proper training, she says, is what she would like to see come out of

> > this situation. “I do want them to get training ... for crisis

situations

> > with children. I don’t think it’s right for an 8-year-old to

get

> > pepper-sprayed.â€Â

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------------

> >

> >