Fights are not uncommon among schoolchildren. One such fight in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has resulted in the arrest of elementary school students. The kids, who ranged in age from 6 to 13 were arrested at Hobgood Elementary School, not because they were participants, but because police claim they should have broken up the fight. Even though the fight occurred off campus and after school hours. The children were handcuffed at the school in front of fellow students
A total of five children were held criminally responsible and the parents of the children as well as the community are outraged. Murfreesboro Police Chief Karl Durr stated to parents “We will take a look at this and say how can we do things better? How did we err and what can we do different next time?”
However, the chief also claimed that the officers involved acted appropriately in the arrests of the children.
One of the arresting officers was apologetic to the community for the nature of the arrests and addressed the parents also. Parents met at a local church and expressed outrage at the criminalization of the young children who were just witnesses to the altercation. The school district issued the following statement: “The arrests that occurred at Hobgood Elementary last week were not a result of any behavior that occurred on school property. The school was merely the location of the arrests. The authority of the school is superseded when law enforcement or the Department of Children Services become involved.”
Video of the fight was uploaded to YouTube. Parents, community’s leaders and lawmakers are calling for a federal investigation into the arrests of the children who were booked into custody and then released to their parents. Multiple city officials are now calling the arrests of the children unacceptable and inexcusable.
