Tennessee Police Arrest Students Aged 6-to-11 at Elementary School for Watching Neighborhood Fight
The Murfreesboro Police Deparment has been largely silent on the details of the case because it involves juveniles. The alleged fight, which took place during a neighborhood pickup basketball game, was described by one parent to the local ABC-affiliate as “no more than a scuffle of children pushing each other back and forth.” A video shot on a cell phone surfaced that led the Murfreesboro Police Department to take the extraordinary step and handcuff the elementary school students at school. The students were then taken from school to a juvenile center and “charged with the misdemeanor of being criminally responsible for the conduct of others,” according to the Murfreesboro Post.
Parents and members of the local community are, understandably, upset by the treatment. “More than 150 people, almost entirely African-American, gathered at First Baptist Church on East Castle Street in Murfreesboro Sunday afternoon to discuss the incident,” the Tennessean reports. Police and town officials have promised a review of the situation.
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http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/04/19/murfreesboro_tennessee_police_arrest_elementary_school_students_for_watching.html
Lawmakers call on TBI, Dept. of Justice to investigate Murfreesboro child arrests
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Two state representatives are calling on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the arrests of children by the Murfreesboro Police Department.
The elementary school students were arrested at school, handcuffed, and hauled off to juvenile detention for not breaking up a fight that occurred off school property.
State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D – Nashville) said Tuesday “there is not rational justification for this act in our society.
MORE: Elementary students arrested at school for off-campus incident in Murfreesboro
Clemmons continued, “We cannot begin to imagine the fear and confusion experienced by these young children. This experience will undoubtedly remain with them as they mature into adulthood and negatively mold their views of law enforcement officials. It is truly unfortunate that the inappropriate acts of a few, who are not representative of the other brave men and women who honorably serve our communities, will create a new level of distrust between our communities and law enforcement.”
Rep. Mike Stewart (D – Nashville) also chimed in, calling on the Department of Justice to “immediately open an investigation,” noting some of the children were as young as six.
“There is no explanation for such inexcusable conduct perpetrated against young children who were peacefully attending elementary school when accosted, handcuffed and jailed,” Stewart went on to say, adding, “We need a full investigation into this unconscionable incident to safeguard the children’s federal and state civil rights and to determine whether those involved should be prosecuted for criminal misconduct. This is every parent’s nightmare and we need to make sure that it is never repeated.”
Click here to read the full statement from Clemmons and Stewart.
The incident outraged parents of Hobgood Elementary School and surprised many in the Murfreesboro neighborhood.
The alleged fight happened in the backyard of a house on Riviera Drive during a game of pickup basketball a few weeks ago.
There is apparently a video that shows what occurs. One parent told News 2 it was no more than a scuffle of children pushing each other back and forth.
On Sunday, Murfreesboro police and city officials met with residents at Rutherford County church to listen to their concerns about the arrests.
“Sunday was an opportunity to listen and we are committed to reviewing those concerns in a thorough and complete manner,” Chief of Police Karl Durr said.
http://wkrn.com/2016/04/19/local-lawmakers-call-on-tbi-justice-depart-to-investigate-murfreesboro-child-arrests/
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