Florida Police Officer Suspended And Under Investigation After Arresting Six And Eight-Year-Old Children

A suspended Florida police officer faces an internal investigation after arresting two children under the age of 12 without approval from a commanding officer.

School Resource Officer Dennis Turner of the Orlando Police Department was suspended over the weekend for violating department policy when arresting a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old Thursday for unrelated incidents on misdemeanor charges. The department's policy requires a supervisor’s approval for arrests under the age of 12.

Turner has since been assigned to the Reserve Officer Program and had duties suspended until an internal investigation can be completed.

“The Orlando Police Department has a policy that addresses the arrest of a minor, and our initial finding shows the policy was not followed,” Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon told Orlando CBS-affiliate, WKMG-TV. “As a grandparent of three children less than 11 years old, this is very concerning to me. Our department strives to deliver professional and courteous service. My staff and I are committed to exceeding those standards and expectations.”

Police discovered the oversight as the children were being processed.

“The first transport officer was not aware an approval was not obtained, and the 8-year-old was processed through the Juvenile Assessment Center,” Rolon told WKMG-TV. “The child was released to a family member a short time later.”

Another transport officer discovered the same thing had happened with the 6-year-old’s arrest and immediately stopped processing the child. They were brought back to school following this and later processed at the nearby Juvenile Assessment Center.

The grandmother of the 6-year-old, who was arrested for throwing a tantrum at school, spoke about the situation with WKMG, a CBS affiliate in Orlando.

“I said, ‘What do you mean, she was arrested?’ They say there was an incident and she kicked somebody and she's being charged and she's on her way,” said Meralyn Kirkland, the grandmother of the 6-year-old. “He says, ‘What medical condition?’ ‘She has a sleep disorder, sleep apnea,’ and he says, ‘Well, I have sleep apnea, and I don't behave like that.’”