via Wikimedia
Kaia is a little girl who’s only 6 years old. Unfortunately, she got treated like an adult in one of the worst ways possible thanks to a cop who decided Black children are a big enough threat for him to make arrests.
Kaia’s grandmother was horrified to learn her elementary-aged grandchild was arrested, booked, and charged. A mugshot was taken and everything! So what did Kaia do?
According to reports, she simply threw a tantrum. Since when do we arrest KIDS for that?!
Orlando police officer Dennis Turner arrested the little girl, but get this. He actually arrested another 6 year old, too! That child is also Black.
Rightfully, he’s been fired. Chief Orlando Rolon said there was no other way to remedy the situation.
A new policy has been instated, declaring “an Orlando police deputy chief now must approve the arrest of any child under 12.” Okay, but why arrest children AT ALL?
The issue here was never about approvals. The issue is that Black children are constantly viewed, treated, and punished like adults.
This case is one of the thousands like it. Far too many kids are targeted the way Kaia was - for being Black. Sure, her record was cleared, the officer fired, and she’s not in jail, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t traumatized.
That doesn’t mean this Black child won’t remember what happened to her for the rest of her life.