Syracuse police are under fire for detaining an 8-year-old Black boy suspected of stealing a bag of chips. The police’s treatment of the young kid came to light after a video showing a screaming and sobbing boy being put in the back of a police car by three officers went viral.
The incident sparked debate and passionate comments regarding the appropriate course of action in the given situation. Kenneth Jackson, who recorded the video can be seen talking to the police officers and offering to walk the kid back home. Jackson while speaking to Good Morning America talks about a disconnect between the police and the community.
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh says in a statement that “what occurred demonstrates for the city to provide support to our children and families and to invest in alternative response options to assist our officers.”
The body camera footage showed that no handcuffs were used by the officers at any time. Though the boy’s father initially claimed that the officers were friendly while dropping his son home, but wants to file a complaint after watching the video.
