Civil Rights Lawyer Sues City Over Handcuffing of Girl, 10

After New York City police officers allegedly handcuffed a 10-year-old girl for being noisy and disruptive on a school bus, a prominent civil rights lawyer is bringing a lawsuit challenging the use of handcuffs on minors.

The advocate, Norman Siegel, said he wants the lawsuit to be a catalyst for the police department to discuss drafting written guidelines on how police should treat children who are not engaged in criminal activity.

"We should not be handcuffing our children with metal handcuffs when there is no criminal activity," Mr. Siegel said yesterday at a press conference outside the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.

After a police officer told a group of children riding a school bus to take their seats, he approached the girl, I'Mecca Burton Pearson, told her she was not moving fast enough, and threatened her with arrest, Mr. Siegel said. The officer then put his knee on the back of the child, grabbed her arms, and applied metal handcuffs, he said. The incident occurred in Bedford-Stuyvesant on January 15, he said.

"Our children should be nurtured and hugged, not handcuffed," state Senator Eric Adams said at the press conference. "We would love the police department to re-examine how they treat children."

The lawsuit states that the officer falsely arrested and unreasonably seized, assaulted, and battered I'Mecca. It also states that the city and police department did not properly hire, retain, train, and supervise the two officers who boarded the school bus. It seeks $500,000 in compensatory and another $500,000 in punitive damages.

I'Mecca's mother and grandfather said the child has suffered mental anguish and trauma as a result of the incident. I'Mecca now has trouble sleeping, does not go outside as often as she used to, and runs every time she sees the police, her mother, Taniesha Pearson, said.

The New York City Law Department said it has not yet received the formal legal papers but "will review the case thoroughly upon receipt."