DELAND, Fla. — The mother of a former DeLand middle school student said police did not properly respond to an incident involving her autistic son.
Newly released body camera footage from DeLand police shows the 12-year-old boy fall to the ground and an officer get on top of him.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
Danielle Torres said she is now looking into taking legal action against the school district and the police department because her son had an IEP and part of the plan said he shouldn’t have been placed in restraints.
Eyewitness News is still working to confirm that because the school district can’t share information about individual students.
Read: City of Orlando to consider purchase of Pulse site for future memorial
The police department said the officer had knowledge of the student’s disabilities before the incident occurred.
The report said Torres’ son had red marks and bleeding on his wrists from trying to pull off the handcuffs and fighting the officer.
Read: Joran van der Sloot pleads guilty to extortion, admits to killing Natalee Holloway
His mother said he was expelled and hasn’t been back in a classroom since Sept. 12.
“He stays in his room. He doesn’t go out and play. He is just a lonely child locked away in a world now,” Torres said.
Police said the officer was reprimanded for failing to verbally de-escalate the situation. As part of his punishment, he will have to go back through training.
Read: Florida lawmakers file anti-Ticketmaster bills following Taylor Swift meltdown
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group
