In a shocking incident, Baltimore police arrested a 7-year-old boy after spotting him riding his dirtbike on the sidewalk. They proceeded to handcuff him and take him to the station house, where his mug shot and fingerprints were taken.
According to the boy’s mother, Kikisa Dinkins, he was simply sitting on the dirtbike with the motor off when an officer forcefully pulled him off by his collar. Dinkins protested, questioning the need for such treatment of a young child.
“He was so scared he ran upstairs,” Dinkins recalled, as the police officers yelled at her son about his wrongdoing.
The police confiscated the dirtbike and placed the 7-year-old boy under arrest, leaving him distraught and in tears.
This incident has stirred up criticism towards the Baltimore police department, already facing scrutiny for what some consider unnecessary arrests.
While Commissioner Leonard Hamm acknowledges the city’s concern regarding dirtbikes being a nuisance, he expressed that the arrest of the young boy contradicted his approach to solving neighborhood problems.
Mayor Sheila Dixon has expressed her intent to investigate the incident, emphasizing her concern as both a mother and a parent. She vows to get to the bottom of what transpired.
After being handcuffed and interrogated at the station, the boy was ultimately released to the custody of his parents.
While it is reasonable to address the issue of a young child riding a motorbike on the sidewalk, the severe measures taken in this case may be considered excessive. It appears that the authorities aimed to set an example, but at what cost?
It is safe to assume that this experience will deter the boy from engaging in such activities in the future.
