School resource officer fired after arresting two elementary school students
ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - A school resource officer has been fired after two young children were arrested at an Orlando school.
The Orlando Police Department confirmed on Monday that Officer Dennis Turner was fired after arresting two 6-year-olds in two separate incidents at Emma Nixon Academy Charter School in Orlando last week. The department launched an internal investigation.
OPD's initial findings say a policy was not followed by Turner during the arrests. Police said that the arrest of any person under the age of 12 requires the approval of a watch commander, or manager, which was not obtained in the two cases.
The grandmother of one of the children said the girl was handcuffed and put into the back of a patrol car. She said the girl was taken to a juvenile detention facility, where she was fingerprinted and had her mug shot taken. She said her granddaughter was charged with battery and has a court date next month. The girl's grandmother told FOX 35 that the young girl has a sleeping disorder and threw a temper tantrum because she was tired.
The circumstances behind the other child's arrest, which happened the same day, have not been released.
U.S. Rep. Anna Eskamani spoke out about the arrests, stating on Sunday, "I spoke to the Orlando police chief today and told him my concerns, and we would be reaching out with community activists around other concerns about the Orlando Police Department and law enforcement, in general, in working with many communities, especially our communities of color."
Eskamani believes that additional action needs to be taken at a state level to ensure this doesn't happen to another child.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Guillermos Smith also spoke out on the arrests, tweeting that " "Arrested. Handcuffed. Fingerprinted. Mugshot...For a 6-year-old who had a tantrum? I'm completely speechless at the complete and total lack of judgement shown by this @OrlandoPolice officer. How is it acceptable to traumatize any child in this way?"
The children were immediately released once a supervisor was made aware of the arrests.
On Monday, State Attorney Aramis Ayala said she would not prosecute the children and the charges will be dropped.