The school resource officer who arrested two minor children at an Orlando elementary school has been fired.
Officer Dennis L. Tuner was initially suspended from the Orlando Police Department after he arrested a 6-year-old girl for kicking another student at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy Charter school on Thursday.
When the child was taken to the provincial’s office, she screamed and kicked Officer Turner, who was the school’s resource officer.
The child was handcuffed and taken to the Juvenile Assessment detention center where she was booked and had her mugshot taken. She was charged with battery on an officer of the law.
The 6-year-old’s grandmother complained to the local news media that her granddaughter was arrested for “throwing a tantrum at school.”
Meralyn Kirkland says her granddaughter was acting up in school because she was “sleep deprived.”
She said when she told the officer her granddaughter had a sleep disorder, he replied, “Well, I have sleep apnea, and I don’t behave like that.”
When the story initially broke, Officer Turner was misidentified as a white officer – which furled the backlash on social media.
CBS News reports Turner, who was suspended after the incident, was fired on Monday.
At a press conference on Monday, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón apologized to the children and their families.
He explained his decision to fire Turner in a post on the OPD Twitter page.
Statement from OPD Chief Orlando Rolón. pic.twitter.com/qd7msBx0Fw
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) September 23, 2019
Later that day, Turner arrested an 8-year-old boy in a separate incident at the same elementary School.
Turner was fired after 23 years on the force.
Turner’s supporters say he only “arrested” the children to teach them a lesson, but social media has an annoying habit of demonizing people with good intentions.
This is an open post where you can discuss any subject matter. This post will not be censored or moderated. Disqus may automatically moderate certain words considered offensive. There are no rules in Open Posts. So enter at your own risk.
