ARVADA, Colorado - February 22, 2011 - An 11-year-old Arvada boy was arrested and hauled away in handcuffs for drawing stick figures in school, something his therapist told him to do.
His parents are outraged by the way Arvada Police handled the case. The parents do not want their real names used.
They say "Tim" is being treated for Attention Deficit Disorder and his therapist told him to draw pictures when he got upset, rather than disrupt the class. So that’s what he did.
Last October, he drew stick figures of himself holding a gun pointed at four other stick figures with the words, "teacher must die."
He felt calmer and was throwing the picture away when the teacher saw it and sent him to the principal's office.
The school was aware that the boy was in treatment, determined he was not a threat, notified his parents and sent him back to class. His mother, "Jane", was shocked when Arvada Police showed up at their home later that night.
She says she told her son to cooperate and tell the truth, but was horrified when they told her they were arresting him and then handcuffed him and hauled him away in a patrol car. His mother says she begged police to let her drive her son to the police station and stay with him throughout the booking process but they refused.
They put him in a cell, took his mug shot and fingerprinted him. He says he thought he was going to jail and would never again be able to go home.
According to the police report, "Tim" explained he made the drawing to release anger and would never hurt teachers or anyone. At first school officials did not want to press charges, but changed their minds when police called them later that night. A juvenile assessment report shows he's never been in legal trouble before and is at low risk to reoffend.
He's charged with a third degree misdemeanor: interfering with staff and students at an educational facility. The system says it's doing what's in the best interest of the child. But Tim's therapist says handcuffing an 11-year-old and putting him in a cell over something like this is "quite an overreaction" and does much more harm than good.
Arvada Police say because Monday was a holiday they are unable to get hold of all the personnel and reports to make a response, but will be able to respond Tuesday. Tim is on probation and if he completes that successfully the criminal charges will be dropped. But his parents say so far it has cost them thousands of dollars; and if they had known their son’s cooperation would be used as evidence against him, they would have hired a lawyer at the beginning and exercised his right to remain silent
Call and let your VOICE be heard! Express your OUTRAGE at this unlawful, unconstitutional, unprincipled, unfeeling, incomprehensible attack on one of our children. Remember, if it can happen to this child, it can happen to your child.
Arvada Police Chief Don Wick
720-898-6900
