Community | February 23, 2011 | 105 comments

Police arrest, cuff, haul away 11-yr-old for drawing stick figure with "gun"

source: http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-arvada-police-arrest-11yearold-over-inappropriate-stick-figure...

bundlebear
ARVADA, Colo. -- Arvada Police are defending the way they handled the arrest of an 11-year-old boy. The Arvada boy was arrested and hauled away in handcuffs from his home for drawing stick figures in school - something his therapist told him to do.

His parents say they understand what he did was inappropriate, but are outraged by the way Arvada Police handled the case. The parents did not want their real names used.

They say "Tim" is being treated for Attention Deficit Disorder and his therapist told him to draw pictures when he got upset, rather than disrupt the class. So that’s what he did.

Last October, he drew stick figures of himself with a gun, pointed at four other stick figures with the words "teacher must die."

The boy drew the pictures to let out angry emotions. Tim, his parents, and his therapist say it was not a threat and that Tim would never hurt anyone.

He felt calmer and was throwing the picture away when the teacher saw it and sent him to the principal's office.

The school was aware that the boy was in treatment, determined he was not a threat, notified his parents and sent him back to class. His mother, "Jane" was shocked when Arvada Police showed up at their home later that night.

She says she told her son to cooperate and tell the truth, but was horrified when they told her they were arresting him and then handcuffed him and hauled him away in a patrol car. His mother says she begged police to let her drive her son to the police department and to let her stay with him through the booking process but they refused.

They put him in a cell, took his mug shot and fingerprinted him. He says he thought he was going to jail and would never be able to go home again.

According to the police report, "Tim" explained he made the drawing to release anger and would never hurt teachers or anyone. At first school officials did not want to press charges, but changed their mind when police called them later that night. A juvenile assessment report shows he's never been in legal trouble before and is at low risk to reoffend.

He's charged with a third degree misdemeanor, interfering with staff and students at an educational facility. The system says it's doing what's in the best interest of the child. But Tim's therapist says handcuffing an 11-year-old and putting him in a cell over something like this is "quite an overreaction" and does much more harm than good.

Arvada Police say because Monday was a holiday, they are not able to get hold of all the personnel and reports to make a response, but will be able to respond Tuesday. Tim is on probation and if he completes that successfully, the criminal charges will be dropped. But his parents say it has cost them thousands of dollars so far.

And if they had known that their son’s cooperation would be used as evidence against him, they would have hired a lawyer at the beginning and exercised his right to remain silent.

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-arvada-police-arrest-11yearold-over-inappropriate-...
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105 comments // Police arrest, cuff, haul away 11-yr-old for drawing stick figure with "gun"

  • floydyboy
  • Holopoint
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  

    • what i want to know is: who called the police on the kid?

      this kinda crap is gettin' outta hand.

      not to mention police are being sent on wild goose chases.

      do they have a quota or something?

    • 1 year ago
  • Holopoint
  • damush
  • Holopoint
  • Niki_Staehle
  • Holopoint
    • +1
      Holopoint  
    • Niki_Staehle:

      That's because at one time, we believed in freedom of speech. Among many others. Believe it or not, some of us even thought it was worth risking your life for...ya' know, "live free or die," and all that trivial bullshit. Then one guy went crazy with a pistol, killed 30 people, and the other 30 million of us said fuck it. Freedom's not worth it. Neither is creativity or self-expression. So now we have shit like this happening: an 11 year old kid in jail for drawing stick figures.

    • 1 year ago
  • Niki_Staehle
    • +1
      Niki_Staehle  
    • Holopoint:

      Yeah apparently that is one more nail in the coffin of any illusion we had of preserving the First (and Second) Amendments...they can't deal with the fact that they let it happen, so now they have to punish everyone who *might* possibly be the next one..even if they are 11 years old.

    • 1 year ago
  • Holopoint
  • Niki_Staehle
  • Holopoint
    • +3
      Holopoint  
    • Niki_Staehle:

      ["I suppose next, children will be arrested for even *thinking* anything bad about their school."]

      By the time you fear what any power will do next, you've already lost the fight against it. They've succeeded in controlling you.

      ["Yeah apparently that is one more nail in the coffin of any illusion we had of preserving the First (and Second) Amendments."]

      That's a very cynical and defeatist way of looking at it. "One more nail, in the coffin, of any illusion..." Anyone telling themselves that and believing it will do about as much good for Civil Liberty as Julia did for Winston Smith. Cynicism without substance. Awareness without action. Outrage without insight. Critical without thinking. Anger without ambition. A sort of literary Ostrich: a bird that can only run and never fly.

      ["...they can't deal with the fact that they let it happen, so now they have to punish everyone who *might* possibly be the next one..even if they are 11 years old."]

      That's a highly pretentious statement. You're assuming that a) an eleven year old isn't capable of committing a massacre and b) it's possible to prevent one in the first place. Both are false. Twelve years ago, an eleven year old murdered four classmates and a pregnant teacher in Arkansas. A ten year old could murder you tomorrow, and nothing you can do today will prevent it. That's the risk of living in a free society: it's not always safe. Neither are most things in life. If you can't accept the risk of being killed in a crash, don't drive a car. If you can't accept the risk of falling to your death, don't go rock climbing. If you can't accept the risk of failure and disappointment, don't try new things. If you can't embrace the unknown, don't explore. If you can't risk being hated, don't support the First Amendment. If you can't risk being shot, don't support the Second. If you can't risk dying, then don't live. Quit smoking. Wanting true liberty and total safety at the same time is like asking Jesus to carry the cross without getting a splinter. The poetic thing about freedom is that only those willing to die for it will ever find it while they're living.

    • 1 year ago
  • Niki_Staehle
    • 0
      Niki_Staehle  
    • Holopoint:

      A Iittle cynicism never hurt anyone. Simply being critical of what they have done, and could possibly do, does not mean I am letting them control me.
      You shouldn't base what you think is my entire attitude on a few comments.

      If I were to fall victim to my cynicism as you claim, then I wouldn't have started a blog that features examples of people around the world using social media to promote liberty, freedom and social justice (http://bit.ly/hLkGuI). I wouldn't be using FB and Twitter to promote this and other efforts to preserve those freedoms.

    • 1 year ago
  • Holopoint
  • Niki_Staehle
  • Holopoint
  • Niki_Staehle
  • royulery
    • +2
      royulery  

    • . now the kid's got a record and fear of the authorities. his terrorist arrest will not be expunged when he becomes 18. the cops got what they wanted, another criminal.

    • 1 year ago
  • JonRaymond
    • +2
      JonRaymond  

    • Come on. It's not like cops have the balls to pick on someone their own size without outnumbering them 10 to 1. A brainless man with a gun is a depraved ball-less dick-less fuck who deserves our respect and sympathy.

    • 1 year ago
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  
    • JonRaymond:

      jonraymond, that may be true of some of those you've known; and believe me, i share your disgust at the overkill & trigger-happy overreaction that's been displayed by some police across the country over the past ten years.

      it wasn't that way when i was in law enforcement. i spent thirty years in it, ten on the street.

      my first 'arrest' was of three individuals. and i was by myself.

      i rarely needed assistance, and patrolled alone. without armor. without tasers. and more.

      the way things are now bespeaks a fear brought on by the government (with its acquiesence by the people, who want safety more than freedom) and the militarization of the law enforcement community by forces such as DHS.

      strange. . .i'd always thought it was the CITIZENS that needed protecting. . .weird how things can change over a few years. . .

    • 1 year ago
  • chinpokoman
  • Holopoint
  • MotherForTruth
  • randallr01
  • FishaHouse777
    • +7
      FishaHouse777  

    • Why do the police have the power to do this? He did nothing illegal beyond expressing his mind, and yet the police are supposed to control this? If anything let the parents of the child hanle the situation, not the state!

    • 1 year ago
  • good_stuff
  • FishaHouse777
    • +1
      FishaHouse777  
    • good_stuff:

      Than zero tolerance needs to be amended with exceptions, or made into "highly limited" tolerance, ya dig? Just saying that this situation is unacceptable and shouldn't be allowed in schools.

    • 1 year ago
  • okami
  • Saladin
  • okami
  • cclark_productions
  • thepatient
  • kirby_101
    • +3
      kirby_101  

    • haha he drew a picture of a stick figure shooting other ones that were saying "we hate school", and the teach is scared? I mean shooting stick figures that resembled classmates or something would be questionable. The police must be getting bored.

    • 1 year ago
  • Niki_Staehle
    • +3
      Niki_Staehle  

    • As a child, he needs to be allowed to express his feelings. Having attended CO schools, I understand his frustrations with that system in the first place...they don't know what to do with ADD, let alone actually believe that someone could *possibly* find fault with their system.

    • 1 year ago
  • Paratus
  • CCorsair
    • +3
      CCorsair  

    • the question is who the frack told the police? this wasn't right and the comment if gone back and shot the teacher is just lunacy.. the school did the right thing but someone went too far and reported this to the wrong people.. So now if he does it on their heads for screwing with this kids head .. bunch Nazis...

      CC

      Oh BTW my wife said the boy was about to a doctor before the school took him aside as it turns out he had just seen his uncle shot and was having issues with it. Plus when he was sent off for 3 days the police didn't tell the parents where he was or did they give permission for them to do so.. what bunch of Nazis

    • 1 year ago
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  
    • CCorsair:

      school therapist or not, it's my opinion that the 'doctor'/patient relationship/privilege should have prevented disclosure to other school authorities.

      if the school wants psych info, they should ask the therapist a simple question: "Based upon your findings, does this child pose a threat to the school, faculty or students?" and then checkboxes for "Yes" or "No".

      that should be the extent that the school should be given. everything else should be covered by the 'doctor'/patient relationship, except that parents should be as fully informed as the therapist.

    • 1 year ago
  • Schnookums
    • +7
      Schnookums  

    • How much did this exercise cost taxpayers? In just this little stunt alone he could have gotten three or four years of therapy. Our priorities are soooooo messed up.

    • 1 year ago
  • chivideoguy
    • +4
      chivideoguy  

    • this is retarded. seriously? He was advised to do so by a psychologist. What happened to freedom of expression in this country. If I were an art teacher I would have all my students draw stick figures shooting things they didn't like and put it up on a bulletin board in protest. Besides, you put an 11 year old boy in a jail cell he's gonna get raped by some child molester in jail

    • 1 year ago
  • CaptSutter
  • hindotka
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  
    • hindotka:

      tell ya what, now that this kid's been traumatized by recent events. now that he's sensitized AGAINST the police by their actions, it wouldn't surprise me if something happened when he gets older.

      not to mention the beginnings of paranoia, since someone from the school virtually had to have reported this to them.

      if it happens, it will be the result of what THEY did to perpetuate it. this is called a 'self-fulfilling prophecy'.

      on the other hand, Loughner mightta been able to get some help, if (1) Reagan hadn't closed most mental health hospitals and services during his tenure, (2) Congress* over the years hadn't kept slashing social programs (like health and mental health) for things like two illegal wars and tax cuts for the rich, and (3) he hadn't grown up in an atmosphere of xenophobia, prejudice, separatism, conspiracy theories and virtually free firearms.

      (and they are virtually free, in terms of the lax controls in what little Arizona gun laws there are.)

      * i refer to 'Congress', whether Democrats OR Republicans were in the majority.

    • 1 year ago
  • hindotka
  • MizPiz
  • okami
  • floydyboy
  • CaptSutter
  • floydyboy
  • randallr01
  • okami
    • -1
      okami  
    • floydyboy:

      an eleven year old boy.

      who drew stick figures.

      a 'criminal'.

      you have a warped reality.

      i arrested criminals.

      for years.

      known a lot of them their whole lives.

      put some in the pen.

      they weren't eleven years old.

      they were older.

      . . .why are you so afraid of children. . ?

    • 1 year ago
  • okami
  • floydyboy
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  
    • floydyboy:

      oink-oink and sqeeeeeeeeeee. . .

      me, i see an article like this, and i get pissed. too much ignorance and stupidity. blinds me to irony and sarcasm sometimes.

    • 1 year ago
  • downwitliberals
  • bundlebear
  • CaptSutter
    • +5
      CaptSutter  
    • downwitliberals:

      There is something really strange about the same crowd who wants to build more prisons and throw more people in jail also complain that the government is too big and should get out of our lives. it is just too weird, control freaks all of you.

    • 1 year ago
  • JustZ
    • +6
      JustZ  
    • downwitliberals:

      What a clod. Why would a conservative such as yourself, spend their time bashing liberals within a progressive blog? Don't you have anything else to do? Are you paid to be an idiot or what? Get a life and go comment on Glen Beck.

    • 1 year ago
  • okami
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  
    • CaptSutter:

      don't forget: they also want control of every uterus in the country while telling you what to do in the bedroom.

      John Calvin's Thought Police resurrected. . .

    • 1 year ago
  • okami
  • Wicks934
  • CaptSutter
  • sla48
    • +5
      sla48  
    • Wicks934:

      Read the article or if you need to listen to the news report again...
      _____________________________________________________________________
      Tim, his parents, and his therapist say it was not a threat and that Tim would never hurt anyone.
      ____________________________________________________________________
      The school was aware that the boy was in treatment, determined he was not a threat,

      Another hand full of people mugged by stupid!

      Meant this for Downwithlibs

    • 1 year ago
  • sla48
  • bailey78
  • Holopoint
  • okami
  • crasscharge
    • +7
      crasscharge  

    • My little sister was suspended for 5 days for using her finger as a gun while playing on the playground. There is a huge line between a kid making a threat and playing at recess.

    • 1 year ago
  • savroD
    • +4
      savroD  

    • This is why with every teacher to a classroom there should be a psychologist to observe both children, teachers, and parents. Stuff like this needs to be understood rather than reacted too!

    • 1 year ago
  • Holopoint
    • +5
      Holopoint  
    • savroD:

      Kids don't need more authority figures to micromanage and ruin their childhoods. They don't need more adults watching their every move, making them paranoid and stifling their creativity. We didn't have these problems until the latest generation of parents and teachers started over-analyzing everything they do, creating a relentless pressure to perform well at an age where it really doesn't matter.

      Kids need to just be kids, and everyone else needs to just fuck off.

    • 1 year ago
  • savroD
    • 0
      savroD  
    • Holopoint:

      Holopoint.....
      With all due respect, I didn't just say watch the kids. Furthermore, I think you are grossly oversimplifying the situation. I agree we need to let kids be kids; however, this is a triple play between parents, teachers, and kids.

    • 1 year ago
  • Johnny_Los_Angeles
    • +6
      Johnny_Los_Angeles  

    • well nice to know that the THOUGHT POLICE are on the job!
      I am sure his doctor will agree that this lil incident will help his psychological condition immensely.

    • 1 year ago
  • Sarah_Honea
  • samthesixth
  • okami
    • +1
      okami  
    • samthesixth:

      at this point, for all the things i've heard about Colorado over the years, the only town i want to visit is South Park.

      i'm from Texas. . .and i KNOW how damn crazy things are here.

    • 1 year ago
  • samthesixth
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  
    • samthesixth:

      that's okay. . .i grew up on a farm in the general vicinity of Pecan Gap, Jot-Em-Down and Bugtussle. for decades, students from the university stole the 'city limits ' signs at Bugtussle. the state finally quit putting them up.

      after about 55 years or so, there's still only about 170 people in Pecan Gap. ii'd say it's about the same size as South Park.

    • 1 year ago
  • Holopoint
    • +9
      Holopoint  

    • This is an outrage. Treating children like this will not prevent the next Columbine...it will create it. Can you imagine the therapy that kid is gonna need NOW?

    • 1 year ago
  • randallr01
  • bundlebear
    • +5
      bundlebear  

    • there is a war on kids in United States. check out this documentary The War on Kids i think you would be able to find it near the bay of pirates

    • 1 year ago
  • treewolf39
    • +8
      treewolf39  

    • Complete and total bullshit. The police are out of control. This kid could very well end up being a psychopath after the justice system rapes the family bank account and tortures the CHILD with under qualified doctors.

    • 1 year ago
  • wtthfkovr
    • +7
      wtthfkovr  

    • What a bunch of unthinking goons. school officials say that at first they didn't want to press charges, bull shit who called the cops in the first place bunch of fucking ass holes all the way around

    • 1 year ago
  • jubal
    • +9
      jubal  

    • We are sending mixed messages to our youth. On one hand we tell them violence is wrong and on the other we demonstrate to them that America is a war based society, we are in perpetual war with others. Why does the nation/state have a monopoly on violence and the nation/stateless do not?

      We glorify violence in this country and then we stifle our children for emulating what they are shown in action, and on the airwaves.

      Do as I say but not as I do? This is evidence of a sick country in need of repair.

    • 1 year ago
  • bailey78
  • artemis6
    • +6
      artemis6  

    • These cops are BULLIES and cowards for arresting a child . At most , the kid needed to be talked to . May be the last time he tells the truth . You cannot trust the cops , to do the right thing . Sounds like the mom got a hard lesson too . In an emergency , it can be OK to lie .

    • 1 year ago
  • littlwarrior
    • +7
      littlwarrior  

    • That is just so ridiculous Im in shock. What the hell really, I did worse than that in school and didn't go to jail. I got stuck in a meeting with my mom and all my teachers cause I told a kid jokingly that I was going to slit his throat and dance in his blood, and we had a meeting and blah blah blah. No cops. This is just dumb, why put the kid and his parents through all this? Government is getting way to involved in peoples lives.

    • 1 year ago
  • KSirys
    • +10
      KSirys  

    • what assholes!!! arresting an 11yr old??? don't these cowards have anything better to do??? the school should be sued!!

      I hope her information comes out and attorneys can start contacting her to let her know she can take everything from them!!!

    • 1 year ago
  • good_stuff
    • +9
      good_stuff  

    • The police are not your friend and they do not want to help you. Their job is to arrest anyone they can for anything they can.

      "Protecting and Serving" went out the window decades ago.

    • 1 year ago
  • artemis6
  • okami
    • 0
      okami  
    • good_stuff:

      it's not so much that as that they have been militarized since 911 and fear's been bred into them. . .military and police functions are two different things; being militarized, a lot of departments focus on that instead of law enforcement.

      Bush proclaimed this country part of his GWOT, making every citizen a suspect. The Patriot Act, never challenged, is unconstitutional on many fronts, taking numerous basic rights away from all citizens. Obama claims the right to assassinate citizens without warrant or trial. if it can be done overseas, it can be done here.

      civilian police, already not always the brightest thing around, have had caution and fear pounded into them for ten years, and have been trained to view anyone as a possible terrorist.

      in the never-ending paranoia after 911. . .what else could be expected?

    • 1 year ago
  • nanac
    • +7
      nanac  

    • I was under the impression that Colorado was one of those gun carrying, shoot-em-up, states..I guess it's ok to carry a gun, as long as you are not a child who draws a gun..

    • 1 year ago
  • alexandrek
  • treewolf39
  • mistro
    • +3
      mistro  
    • alexandrek:

      yea lets ban guns! and when we need them to protect us when the government goes to far we can throw rocks at em!

      thats a terrible idea try and use your head

    • 1 year ago
  • bundlebear
  • samthesixth
  • mr_tibbles
  • bundlebear
  • bailey78
    • +2
      bailey78  
    • mistro:

      If the Third World War is fought with nuclear weapons, the fourth will be fought with bows and arrows. I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones

    • 1 year ago
  • bundlebear
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