The family’s account is contained in a complaint, detailing the case against New York and the Bronx police. It began when a kid dropped $5 on the playground — money that was going to be used on a canceled field trip. When a kid fingered Reyes, he was dragged to the principal’s office after being yanked from class. He was then handcuffed by Bronx police and grilled for ten hours.
Before being hauled off to the police station, Reyes was held in custody for four hours at PS X114. He was then taken to the 44th Precinct station house for another six hours of interrogation.
What is most disturbing is that the parents say that police would not allow them to see their child while in custody. When they did, they found him handcuffed to a wall.
When cops finally allowed the pair to see the boy, they found the panicked kid seated in a shabby chair with his left wrist cuffed to the wall, Mendez said.
The police later dropped the robbery charge against the seven-year-old. Police insist that he was held for half the time stated by the family. That would still be five hours for $5.
In the meantime, another classmate admitted to taking the $5.
Now Reyes is seeking $250 million claim against the city and the NYPD. That seems a bit high by about $249,750,000. However, if these facts are proven, some liability would seem warranted. What is also warranted is a review of the judgment and decisions of these teachers and administrators in turning this into a criminal matter. We have discussed how states like Mississippi are now using police where simple parent-teacher meetings were once used. We are criminalizing our schools — and our students. It is part of a general criminalization of America that now starts in elementary school.
Source: NY Post