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ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - The Orlando Police Department confirmed on Sunday that a school resource officer was suspended after arresting a 6-year-old and 8-year-old in two separate incidents at the same school.
The department launched an internal investigation into the actions of Officer Dennis Turner.
Officials say their initial findings say a policy was not followed by Turner during the arrests.
In a statement, OPD said 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 the 6-year-old told The News Station that her granddaughter has a sleeping disorder and threw a temper tantrum because she was tired.
The girl's grandmother said the 6-year-old was handcuffed, put into the back of a patrol car and taken to a juvenile detention facility, where she was fingerprinted and had her mug shot taken.
The grandmother said her granddaughter was charged with battery and has a court date next month.
"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," U.S. Rep. Anna Eskamani said.
Eskamani says 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 tweeted on Sunday. "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 tweet read.
The two arrests happened at the Emma Nixon Academy Charter School in Orlando.
The circumstances behind the arrest of the 8-year-old, which happened the same day, have not been released.