ORLANDO, Fla. — Questions have arisen over who wanted to transport a 6-year-old girl to the Juvenile Justice Center following her arrest at an Orlando charter school last week.
The 6-year-old girl and another 6-year-old boy were arrested at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy following a temper tantrum by the 6-year-old girl, according to the girl's grandmother. According to an arrest report, school staff member Beverly Stoute told Officer Dennis Turner the girl kicked her in the legs several times and punched her several times in both arms.
Turner said Stoute wanted to press charges against the girl, but Stoute later said that was inaccurate.
Turner was fired shortly after the arrests.
A school representative told Channel 9 that Stoute provided a written statement about the incident, but didn't say she wanted an arrest or would testify in court.
Police said that neither the charging affidavits or body camera video from the incident would be released.
Channel 9 was later informed that a patrol officer did question the transport of the girl and made a call to a supervisor before she was ultimately taken to jail.
Orange County leads the state of Florida in arrests of children under the age of 12.
Public Defender Robert Wesley told Channel 9 there should never be an incident where a 6-year-old is arrested and that there needs to be a change in the county's mentality to keep children out of handcuffs.
"Why are we arresting more?", Wesley said. Our kids aren't worse than the kids in Jacksonville, Tampa, Miami, Fort Lauderdale (or) Clearwater. Our kids aren't worse. It's just a local attitude that we wish we could turn around."
The grandmother of the 6-year-old arrested wants to push for a change to state law, saying that the children shouldn't be arrested or processed for misdemeanors.
"I do not want to see another family or another child go through what (she's) been through," said Meralyn Kirkland.
You can watch the grandmother's interview below:
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Orlando police have not commented on whether anyone else in the department is under investigation.
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