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.
What the heck are they teaching these children in the police training academies?
When I went to school, grammar school was K thru 8. High school was 9 thru 12.
There was no Middle school. It was, and still is totally unnecessary.
Sheriff Andy would have thrown a snowball back and had a good laugh. Deputy Barney would have nipped it in the bud with a good talking to. Today’s SS agents file charges and send the kid up the river. Times have changed and not for the better.
How about the kid’s dog .... was it shot before the arrest?
To much TV cop show watching can cause a misconception of what real police work is all about. IMHO...
Maybe it’s the steroids.
A right to the jaw right out of the gate. Good one.
I see you you caught that too
Forth grade.The most difficult 5 years of a(fill in ethnic group)kid’s life.
“Times have changed.”
Yes, they have. It’s not the ‘50s any more. Back then I’m sure it was understood as ‘all in good fun.’ Today not so much. Not so much at all from either end.
ah now see I suspected as much.
Hard to imagine this case resulting in a conviction.
His arm! Parents are right to show outrage.
To me it just shows how pathetic these wanna be ninja’s have become. I remember the days when we trusted and respected the police. Those days are LONG gone. TODAY’S COPS ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND and NOT TO BE TRUSTED
If it’s a felony to throw a snowball at a cop, why is it not a felony to throw a snowball at other kids??????
What a stupid, trumped up charge....
This cop ought to be too embarrassed to follow through with this sh*t.....
Oh probably six weeks of paid vacation administrative leave pending the investigation will help him cope.
Well, the Policeman got to go home safe at the end of the shift, and that’s the main thing.
Yes, Aggravated Battery, apparently. The same charge you might get for running somebody over with a car, right?
“A felony?”
Yup. At least he didn’t unload his magazine into the kid.
You betcha. Beware, the beast rises.
Just birth pains. Upside downside up, wrong is right. It's the time of the great apostasy and the great rebellion, the two signs Paul spoke of.
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