10-Year-Old's Mother Plans To Sue
NEW YORK (CBS) ― A 10-year-old girl is speaking out after being put in handcuffs on her school bus. Her mother says it happened because the girl wouldn't sit down.
I'mecca Burton demonstrated how she was handcuffed on her school bus January 15th, saying she "felt like [she] was going to be scarred for life."
I'mecca's bus was stopped at a red light next to a police car. According to her mother, police saw kids on the bus out of their seats. They boarded the bus, and moments later her daughter was handcuffed.
She says I'mecca is a special needs child."It's one thing to come on the bus and tell her to sit down it's another to put handcuffs on her and put your knee in her back," said Taniesha Burton.
"She's 10, you're a man! She's a little girl."
According to the school bus student incident report, the handcuffs were put on 'to calm her down' after she refused to stay in her seat.
When asked if police asked her to sit down, I'mecca said, "Yes, but I didn't move fast enough so they just grabbed me and made me sit down and put the seat belt on me."
"When they said they were going to arrest me I got frightened so I got up to go to the front but the thought I was stepping up to them, then they just started putting the handcuffs on me," added I'mecca.
According to police, witnesses say I'mecca was screaming, kicking and swearing on the bus.
That's when she was handcuffed. They say once she settled down, the handcuffs were removed.
Senator Eric Adams says instead of handcuffs, other forms of restraint must be used on children, such as padded, foam restraints.
"There should never be a time that this distinct sound that comes from a handcuff should be heard by children," said Adams.
This is the second time in just over a week that a local child has been handcuffed.
Dennis Rivera says a school safety agent handcuffed her 5-year-old son after misbehaving at school.
In both cases, the mothers plan to take legal action.
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