11-Year-Old Girl Cries While Being Handcuffed By Police After Being Mistaken For Car Thief: Video

On Monday, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office deputies reportedly stopped a group of kids who were walking home from school in Syracuse, New York, before two deputies handcuffed the 11-year-old, claiming she fit the description of a woman who had stolen a car earlier that day, according to local NBC affiliate WSTM.

The incident was captured on cell phone footage, which was shared by Syracuse.com. The clip was allegedly shot by a child who claimed she was the 11-year-old’s cousin, and later posted online by her mother.

In the videos, the girls can be heard saying they are “confused” and “scared,” as they watched their friend be detained. A female deputy — who was alongside a male deputy — told the 11-year-old that she was wearing the “exact same thing” the suspect was wearing: “pink jacket [and] camo pants.”

“She can’t drive,” one of the handcuffed girl’s friends said, to which the female deputy replied, “What do you mean? Most kids can’t drive and they’re still out here stealing cars!”

“That’s a sixth grader!” the friend exclaimed, before the female deputies claimed that there are “12-year-old’s driving those Kias and Hyundais.”

The handcuffed girl’s friends explained that there are students at Brighton Academy, and were playing in the snow on their way home.

The female deputy asked someone on the phone for them to send a photo of the alleged car thief, and after she subsequently appeared to receive the photo, she asked the handcuffed girl, “Girl, you’re going to tell me this ain’t you?”

The friends looked at the photo as well and argued that the handcuffed girl is not the suspect. After deputies arrived, the detained girl’s friends continued to defend her, asserting that they had the wrong person.

When another deputy said he was going to take the 11-year-old to his car, she began to break down in tears.

“You’re going to lie and tell me that’s not you?” another deputy can be heard saying in the footage.

While the handcuffed girl’s friends pointed out differences between the alleged car thief and their friend, the deputy replied, “Listen, it is what it is. If you’re honest, it’ll make it easy.”

After nearly six minutes of footage, in which the 11-year-old was in handcuffs, a deputy stated that they learned she’s not the suspect they were looking for.

As the deputies removed her handcuffs, the girl continued to cry while her friends tried to comfort her.

“I mean, I’m sorry, you can see how it could match that description,” a deputy said, to which one of the girls once again pointed out the differences between her friend and the suspect.

“You guys are twins, all right,” a male deputy can be heard saying, to which the female deputy added that the only difference she noticed was that the suspect’s hair was “down to her a–.”

“You guys are identical,” she added.

The group of girls were told they were “good to go,” before one of the kids claimed, “That’s racism.”

While speaking with WSTM, the young girl’s mother — who decided to remain anonymous — expressed her anger over the situation.

“She no longer wants to walk to and from school anymore. That was the only freedom she had, and it’s now gone,” the mother said.

“I can’t make sense of it. I couldn’t even finish watching the video,” she continued. “Even if it wasn’t my child, I wouldn’t be able to finish watching the video because that’s not how you handle children.”

Following outrage regarding the incident, the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office shared a news release on Tuesday that featured the “timeline and activity of the detainment of a juvenile female.”

According to the timeline, the 11-year-old girl had been detained for seven minutes. The notes also said the sheriff’s office confirmed she was not a suspect — “largely based on the camo pattern of the pants, the ‘grain’ of the puffy jacket, the length of hair, and complexion differences.”

In the release, the sheriff’s office offered their explanation as to why they detained a child.

“Why would we handcuff this child? Detainees are usually handcuffed initially. Detainees may become uncooperative, may decide to flee, or may decide to fight,” the statement read. “In some cases, detainees may be armed or have contraband/ evidence they will try to destroy. Handcuffing from the start usually prevents a controlled situation from devolving into an uncontrolled situation; ultimately preventing altercations, force, and potential for injury.”

“The police do not definitively know a person’s age and ascertaining that information is part of the detainment process,” the release added. “Handcuffing juveniles in this circumstance is lawful, within policy, and common practice in law enforcement.”

The release also stated that the sheriff “met with the juvenile’s mother to discuss her concerns,” claiming the “conversation was productive.”

The sheriff’s office went on to say that it plans to change its policy regarding detaining children moving forward.

“… It will be OCSO policy to notify a parent or guardian of any juvenile who is detained for criminal investigative purposes, no matter how brief the encounter is,” the release said. “It is currently OCSO’s policy to notify only a parent or guardian pursuant to an arrest. In reviewing the incident, the detainment of the juvenile was lawful and reasonable, given the juvenile’s proximity and clothing description.”