8 year old pepper sprayed?

I agree with that. In some schools teachers are told to F-off everyday by kids under 13 that are pissed at the world. There isn't a damn thing teachers can do about it. For goodness sake there was talk at a local school board meeting about putting riot shields in teachers rooms to better prepare for worst case senarios. Freakin riot shields! Of course it didn't happen because they didn't want to send the wrong message to parents, but it was talked about.

BUT, the police can do something. Some may say it's not right, but to save themselves and the child the risk of injury I think it was probably the correct option at the given time to defuse the situation as quickly as possible.

 

I wasn't going to chime in on this but.........

1) Yes, risk is a part of the job and training as well as the tools on the belt are used to mitigate these risks most of the time. Honestly, if a 5 year old came at most of the public with a pointed stick they would run. Look at 9-11, plane loads of adults facing certain death and hijackers with a box cutter. Only on one plane did someone have the nards to act.

What if this was a high school kid? 8 yo vs. 17 yo both can generate enough force to plunge a stick into your belly. The 8 yo probably has less remorse for doing it though. This was a deadly force assault period and to say this kid is incapable because he was eight is nonsense. Just ask the father of an eight year old that assaulted his father and a friend three years ago in Arizona. Oh, sorry you can't because they are both dead. The officers in the school used what they had to stop the threat and minimize injury. Bottom line is that's what every LEO is trained to do.

2) Really? Then we should be paid a LOT more money and people should stop complaining that they pay our salaries when they get a ticket for going 30 MPH over the speed limit. Don't get me wrong, most of us would not change jobs for anything and accept the risk associated with doing it. However, saying it is OK for one of these guys to get stabbed (And the potential was there) because that's what they get paid for is ridiculous.

3) Agreed, they did 100%. The only reason this is news is the kid is 8. If this was some guy in a 7-Eleven with a stick nobody would have batted an eye.

4) Yes we are and yes we do and we don't complain about it. When it becomes a problem is when people arm chair quarterback an event that turned out well. These guys were faced with a threat and they dealt with it. The teacher, students, officers, and the kid were not hurt. End of story.

 

All I can say is 3rd time the police have been called to the school due to the child and the mother is pissed about the cops treating him "like a common criminal". ***... I say taze him next time.

 

I think we can all foresee the future except the mother:

Stick vs Pepper spray
Knife vs Taser
Gun vs Guns

 

DAM! Then I need to start bringing pepper spray to work. Next time a 90 year old manic granny comes tearing down the hall I'm gonna spray her butt!!! She's a risk to herself and others after all, isn't she? It might be fun to spray some kids in the pediatric unit. I'm trying to think of all the people I've "taken down" over the years. Sometimes there were injuries.... kick to the head, punched in the face, broken finger, bites. These are risks I take with my job. I know that going in, and we are trained to deal. If you want a zero risk job, stay behind a desk behind 12" plexi.

Are we still missing the point that no one was in harms way? The teachers were BEHIND closed doors? There's is zero mention of kids being present, but one would hope if the teachers fled for safety, they would have assured the kids were safe as well. The kid said "I wanted to make something sharp if they came out because I was so mad at them," Aidan said. "I was going to try to whack them with it." Really? They could have bought more time to try and diffuse it a different way as there was no immediate thread. You can't out run an 8 year old if he comes into your space?

The little (primarily female) nurses at your hospital.... they are willing to take more bodily risks to increase the safety for ALL. We do not have pepper spray at our sides. From having been in the situation.... I KNOW I would have handled it differently. I'm still alive.

I've seen some weird things....

And there could be some thing wrong with this kid more than lack of discipline. One little girl was so sweet one moment, and then in a split second would change and attack us.... with a knife one time. Her strength was amazing and she could jump over beds in this weird Superman way. One time we had to run out of the room and lock her in (3 people to keep the door closed) while one nurse got trapped inside and had to lock herself in the bedroom. We watched her to make sure she didn't hurt herself.... eventually they melt. Maybe I should have pepper sprayed her? No way.

 

3rd time they were called also known as the 3rd strike. Knowing cops, I bet they were tired of the situation and figured some pepper spray would teach him a lesson. They have better stuff to do than deal with an out of control 8 year old who obviously is not disciplined at home.

 

They need to have that child evaluated outside of their home town.

I'm just saying they are bullpooping if they are saying they HAD to do it. I'm not a softy.

 

I don't believe this is a "parenting" issue, though I do think the parents could be doing more to help him. I think he has a mental issue, or something else going on, that needs the help of professionals. Just punishing a child is not going to help.

My friend is a teacher who has an autistic child in her class that has a hard time with rage issues. It is not because of "bad parenting," or the student being a disobedient child, it is a disability. But this kid sees many professionals, is on medication, has a teacher aid with him, etc. and therefore the issues he causes at school are minimal, if any at all.

 

For all the child assessment questions in store... It comes down to are the parents taking action to better their child/help!

As we to need to take responsibility for our livestock and tanks, Dogs, cats, and other critters amongst the house. A child is a great deal of responsibility. After the 2nd altercation the parents realized something might need to be done about the behavior of the child.

3rd strikes the charm? IMO it would be sad if the parents were seeking news time out of this with todays society and all. As well as IMO society has been change far from the past. With what is abuse and such things with discipline of a child. Let me tell you I may have been spanked once or twice. But things always were good after.

 

He needs to be evaluated professionally, preferably by a pediatric psych/behavioral specialist.

Is this a big or small town they are from?