A review of Syracuse police actions is under way, after a video of an eight-year-old boy being stopped by officers went viral, NPR reports. Many commenters have criticized the department's handling of the case, saying it was a wild overreaction to an allegedly stolen bag of chips. In the video, at least three police officers surround a wailing boy. One officer takes both of the child's arms and holds him from behind as he takes the still-screaming and sobbing boy to the back of a police car. Kenneth Jackson, who recorded the incident, yelled at the officers in protest. He told Syracuse.com, "There's other ways to rectify this besides scare tactics,. Now that's just another youth that's scarred by the system."
The police department said the boy "suspected of larceny" was not put in handcuffs and no charges were filed. He was brought home, and officers met with the child's father, they said. The boy's father, Anthony Weah, said, ""Why would the police treat that child like that? ... Over a $3 bag of chips." Weah said he wants to file a complaint against the police. The Syracuse case is reminiscent of an incident in Florida in which a young girl named Kaia Rolle was arrested after throwing a tantrum in school. The video of her crying sparked outrage. USA Today analyzed federal crime reports and found more than 2,600 arrests in schools involving kids ages 5 to 9 between 2000 and 2019.
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