Should pepper spray the parents too!

[Randimus Maximus]

speculating to what tactics were used prior to deploying the pepper spray.

[ducpainter]

speculating to what tactics were used prior to deploying the pepper spray.

OK...so you are assuming they don't have adequate training...because...

8 year olds are not that daunting...and a foot long piece of window trim is not a deadly weapon...until it's in the hands of a person capable of using it as such.

just sayin'.

I'd be embarrassed to be one of those officers.

[Goat_Herder]

Regardless what tactic was used prior or whether pepper spray was appropriate, the fact remains - the mom failed at parenting the kid and grandpa is no replacement for a dad.  Now aday, you lay a hand on a kid, you risk getting sued for all you have.  Obviously the teacher is afraid of physically controlling him and had to hide all the kids in the office.  The officers thought pepper spraying him is better than risk the chance of injuring the kid by bring him down.  It's damned if you do and damned if you don't.  I wouldn't want to be in their shoes...

[Grampa]

The officers must have been absent on "disarming a fat kid with a stick" day.

I think the kid was maced to set an example. More examples need to be set these days. When I pick up Ethan from Jr High.... there are always a group of kids who find it funny to stand in the middle of the street and block traffic. As with all things teenage...... its grown into literally sitting down in the street. Im waiting on the day when a kind parent runs one over and makes an example of them. If the parent is on a cell phone........ it'll be a two'fer.

[LMT]

I can't believe his mother thought the outfit she wore on TV was a good choice.

He may be only 8, but I bet he is the biggest 8 year old in his school. Size wise, that kid looks more like 10.

[hbliam]

Keep in mind the situational affects of other incidents.  Recently in Denver, two officers were fired after they were caught on tape beating a man.  That will certainly cause others to take a different approach.

I am very aware of other incidents. In no other job have I had such a heavy feeling of liability on my shoulders every day. If I don't get written up by my own department for not making the exactly right decision in that split second, I will surely have to suffer through a long drawn out internal affairs investigation when the absolutely guilty criminal that I caught files a complaint. I was recently rolling code 3 (lights and sirens) to a report of a man down and not breathing (we get there long before fire). Someone pulled out in front of me. In a split second, I made the decision to hit a median and damage my car rather then hit the guy that pulled out in front of an emergency vehicle and risk injuring him. Total damage on my car? Two bent steel wheels. Other party drove away, I got a written reprimand put in my file for five years. Thank you very much.

Me and the crazy kid? Just as I was trained: Ask, tell, make.
"Hey Kid, please put the stick down and come talk to me."
"Kid, put the stick down now and get over here."
Takes stick from kid and drags him out of room by his ear. 

[Randimus Maximus]

Me and the crazy kid? Just as I was trained: Ask, tell, make.
"Hey Kid, please put the stick down and come talk to me."
"Kid, put the stick down now and get over here."
Takes stick from kid and drags him out of room by his ear. 

Is it possible that if the responding officers had used the scenario above, would the woman have gone to the media because, "my son was dragged out a schoolroom by his ear"?

As Goat_Herder said..."It's damned if you do and damned if you don't."

[ducpainter]

Is it possible that if the responding officers had used the scenario above, would the woman have gone to the media because, "my son was dragged out a schoolroom by his ear"?

As Goat_Herder said..."It's damned if you do and damned if you don't."

I'd say that was probable.

There's something going on here that hasn't been revealed yet.

[Grampa]

I'd say that was probable.

There's something going on here that hasn't been revealed yet.

I haven't seen any video of mother and son yet...... does the boy show signs of autism?

[ducpainter]

I haven't seen any video of mother and son yet...... does the boy show signs of autism?

Not necessarily.

He may be on the spectrum. He's high functioning for certain.

What speaks to me is the interview with the grandfather. He's not your average glory seeking, money grubbing, headline grabber.

[Grampa]

I just watched the GMA spot...... I kinda see it.

[ducpainter]

I just watched the GMA spot...... I kinda see it.

Did you watch gramps?

Waaaaaay more telling than mom and the boy.

[krolik]

There's something going on here that hasn't been revealed yet.

Local TV news coverage isn't well suited to getting all the story out, just what makes a good teaser intro before they go to commercial.

[Ddan]

I wonder what the outcome was the other times the cops were called.

[ducpainter]

I wonder what the outcome was the other times the cops were called.

obviously not newsworthy.