Posted on 02/21/2014 6:27:05 PM PST by RKBA Democrat
A day after a boy was arrested and charged with a felony for throwing a snowball at a police officer, students outside George Leland Elementary continued to build snowmen and throw snowballs at each other after school.
According to police, a 13-year-old boy was charged as a juvenile with felony aggravated battery against a police officer Wednesday after he hit the officer in the arm with a snowball while the officer was parked in his vehicle in the 4900 block of West Congress Parkway about 3:20 p.m.
Residents sounded off on the crime and punishment the next day, many describing the charge as police "going overboard."
"It's not fair," said Mary Grant, a longtime resident of the block. The boy "was being hardheaded, but that's very harsh. The officer should've tried something different than arrest."
The boy is believed to be a student at Leland Elementary School, formerly May Elementary, which sits at the southeast corner of the intersection near where the snowball was thrown. Officials at the school acknowledged that the incident occurred but declined to comment.
"I think that's ridiculous — it's such a big charge," said Latanya Powell, a construction worker on the block. "It's just going overboard. I can see if it were a weapon and harm was done, but it was just a snowball.
"This is a case of kids being kids."
Like other residents on the block, Powell wondered whether the charge would stain the boy's record well into his adult years, hurting his chances of finding a job, housing and education.
Often, findings on juveniles found delinquent do not remain part of their permanent record.
But according to Ray Fields, an educator and resident of the block, the charge and arrest were justified.
"If [the boy] had gotten away with it, who's to say what they'd do next? If it doesn't stick to them now, they'll be 16 or 17, and they'll have a gun," Fields said, adding that he has experience with local teens as a teacher and was the victim of a home burglary by neighborhood teens in 2010.
"If we as parents and educators don't teach them right from wrong, then what are we teaching them?" Fields added, arguing that the charge could help the boy change his ways before a more serious incident occurs.
Police did not provide further details on the case Thursday night.
No wonder Rand Paul wants felons rights restored.
How much more serious can it become for the boy...a felony!
That the police are not your friends...
Being charged with a felony and being convicted of one, especially at 13, are 2 entirely different situations.
While the felony charge is probably a bit overboard, punishing the kid for his actions is not a bad thing. When I was a kid, the cop just bringing the kid home would have taught enough of a lesson, but nowadays, that is more often a badge of street cred.
You’d think he was a hot girl jogging with headphones, or something.
and we all know that snowballs are like a gateway weapon. First snowballs, then guns....
In my youth ( 50’s), pelting the local cops with snowballs was a right of passage, a way of counting coup as it were. Never even had a cop get mad about it ... often they tossed them back at us. Times have changed.
>> “If [the boy] had gotten away with it, who’s to say what they’d do next? If it doesn’t stick to them now, they’ll be 16 or 17, and they’ll have a gun,” Fields said,
Stop the snowball violence at once!!!
What an idiot.
If its a felony, what other snowball arrests have they made?
Hopefully rhe cop becomes a punchline in the department.
I would want to hear more about what actually happened..sometimes I remember that snowballs were made with small pieces of rocks in them or ice that could inure a person if it hit them in the eye..and the cop was in a cruiser..this may not have been a harmless little snowbal fight.
Just saying..there are usually two sides to a story, soemtimes three.
I hope officer Pussy wasn’t too badly traumatized by the attack.
This is a case of police discretion....with a great deal of over-reach. All of us mondaymorning quarterbacks can think of six other ways it could have been handled better.
Ray Fields, an educator and resident of the block, is presumably part of the government school system, and represents another reason to home school.
Next time, use a bolt gun, kid.
Make it a REAL felony...
As a retired police officer (33 + years), I would love to hear the whole story as well.
Chances are it was just a snowball with an overzealous cop who thought it undignified that they should be disrespected in such a way.
It would seem that many young cops think they should be treated as gods or some such.
To much TV cop show watching can cause a misconception of what real police work is all about. IMHO
When snowballs are outlawed only outlaws will have snowballs.
The only question I have is why in the heck is a 13 year old still in elementary school????
Typical .gov gunthug intimidation.
Two false charges in Electra, Texas. Prosecutor tries to add more at pretrial. And so much more.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3125566/posts
The Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emmoJvpSGyw
The government is thugs.
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