Federal judge rules handcuffing little kids above their elbows is unconstitutional

A school resource officer in Kentucky who handcuffed young children acted unreasonably and violated the children's constitutional rights, a federal judge ruled this week. Two children, ages 8 and 9, were handcuffed by Kevin Sumner, a school resource officer with Covington Independent Public Schools. They were cuffed behind their backs, and the cuffs were placed above their elbows because the restraints would have slipped off their wrists. Video of the handcuffing of the 8-year-old went viral after it was made public by the American Civil Liberties Union in 2015. "Oh, God. Ow, that hurts," the young boy said as Sumner applied the cuffs, which pulled the child's shoulders back tightly. The officer told the boy he would "suffer the consequences" if he didn't do as he was asked. [...] When the 8-year-old cried out, [U.S. District Judge William] Bertelsman wrote, it should have been "immediately apparent that this method ... was causing pain." But the boy was left in that position, crying and squirming, for 15 minutes.

source: Article 'Federal Judge Rules Handcuffing Little Kids Above Their Elbows Is Unconstitutional' by Ryan J. Reilly; www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/handcuffs-little-kids-unconstitutional_us_59e127fce4b0a52aca1809ad?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067; HuffPost; 13 October 2017