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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums'A nightmare': Vermont mom shaken by violent police response to her 14-year-old in crisis
In May, Cathy Austrian called the police after her then-14-year-old came home with dozens of vapes stolen from a convenience store in Burlington, Vermont. Austrian wanted her child, who has struggled for years with behavioral and mental health issues, to learn right from wrong. But after police came, the situation took a violent turn.
Austrians child was sitting on the edge of a bed and wouldnt respond as the two officers tried for nearly 10 minutes to coax the teen into turning over the vapes, according to body camera footage Austrian provided to NBC News.
The officers remained by the doorway as Austrian searched the room and recovered all of the vapes except for the one in her childs hand. (NBC News is not identifying the teen, who is nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them, because they are a minor.)
Austrian spent about 15 seconds trying to get the teen to hand over the vape. Then the officers moved in, repeating that they would have to arrest and handcuff the teen if it wasnt turned over, the body camera footage showed.
You dont want to do this, one of the officers said, the footage showed.
The officers pinned Austrians child to the bed and pried the vape out of the teens hand. The teen lunged at them, hands and arms swinging, prompting the officers to force the teen to the ground and into a prone position, the body camera footage showed.
https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/-was-just-nightmare-vermont-mother-outraged-police-response-teen-crisi-rcna14380
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,147 posts)There are better ways. FTP.
BlueTsunami2018
(3,461 posts)And certainly never attempt to use them as a "teaching tool". It's never going to go the way you expect.
She invited the vampire into her house and then got upset when he started biting necks.
Demovictory9
(32,324 posts)"biracial" and male too.
Jilly_in_VA
(9,854 posts)when you call 911, you get cops whether you want them or not. Especially if it's a mental health issue. Anyway, the convenience store had already called the cops on the kid. Read the article.
WA-03 Democrat
(3,017 posts)The cops were called to a report of stealing being reported. Does not how much the vapes cost but they can go for $100 of dollars each. The stolen goods were recovered. The kid then hit the cops and they were retrained. Ketamine was used. Yes, I agree cops are not teachers but kindly show me the wrong in this? Can the cops not stop people from stealing or is that out of bounds?
The Mother regrets calling the cops but they did nothing wrong. The issue is with the minor.
JI7
(89,182 posts)She expected to cops to fix whatever issues her kid has.
If you know your kid stole something you can return the items to the business without reporting to cops also.
Jilly_in_VA
(9,854 posts)JI7
(89,182 posts)bur either way I don't see what the cops did wrong here.
Klaralven
(7,510 posts)Cashiers told the officers the teen threatened them with a mallet and a knife (it was kitchen shears, according to Austrian). One cashier described the teen, who is 5-foot-8 and weighs about 230 pounds, as awkward and scary, according to body camera footage obtained by NBC News.
The same two officers showed up at Austrians house.
This wasnt the familys first interaction with Burlington police. Austrian had called 911 several times before, when her child was at risk of hurting themselves or others. The incidents were all resolved peacefully, she said. When the officers arrived around 7:30 p.m., Austrian told them her child had a rough week, body camera footage showed.
Response to Klaralven (Reply #5)
pinkstarburst This message was self-deleted by its author.
Deuxcents
(15,785 posts)Id say with just this information..something is not right in that household. Aside from his mental issues, his physical health is in need, also. Poor kid..
Jilly_in_VA
(9,854 posts)and at one time weighed in that neighborhood. We did everything humanly possible to get him more active and watch his diet but it's not always possible. (He's now 48 and weighs more nearly 165) It occurred to me that this mom's child may have Prader-Willi Syndrome, which could be responsible not only for the behavioral/mental issues, but also for the weight. Look it up if you don't know anything about it. During my brief career in Peds I encountered a couple of kids with that. They could be difficult.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prader%E2%80%93Willi_syndrome
haele
(12,581 posts)Eating disorders often go hand in hand with other behavior issues.
It's not always going to be a parent problem.
Haele
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)Problem is, no one else seems to, either.