Black girl, 11, handcuffed by Syracuse deputies due to mistaken identity (Video)

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An 11-year-old black girl shed tears after she was wrongly detained and handcuffed by police officers in Syracuse, New York, on Monday. Video The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office confirmed that two deputies stopped the young girl on the street, saying she matched the description of a suspect involved in a car theft earlier that day. Deputies said the suspect is a girl wearing a pink jacket and camouflage pants, a description they believe fits the description of the girl who was detained. Police interviewed the girl, who insisted she resembled the person they were looking for, after mobile phone video posted online by her mother showed the child standing in the snow, visibly frightened. After being detained for more than six minutes, police were able to identify the young girl. The girl was not a suspect and she was released, but not before an emotional exchange sparked outrage in the community. The incident was captured on two mobile phone videos, reportedly taken by a friend of the detained girl. In the video, the girl and her friend told officers they were playing in the snow after school and were not involved in any criminal activity. They also explained that the 11-year-old girl could not have stolen the car because she had just returned from a school field trip earlier in the day. Despite their pleas, one of the deputies insisted the girl in custody fit the description. At one point, the officer even showed the suspect a dashcam photo and accused the girl of lying about her identity. “Are you going to tell me this isn't you?” the deputy asked, holding the photo. However, the girl's friends were quick to point out key differences, such as the girl's shoes and skin tone in the photo compared to her friend. Despite these apparent differences, another police officer arrived on the scene and mistakenly identified the girl as the suspect. The 11-year-old girl began crying as officers prepared to put her in a squad car, but upon further review, officers realized she was not the person they were looking for. The video ends with the girl's friends hugging her as she cries, visibly shaken by the encounter. The children were upset, calling the incident unfair and pointing to the racial dynamics at play. Onondaga County Sheriff's Office spokesman Thomas Newton declined to comment on the incident, saying a formal press release would be issued later. : Like Loading… Discover more with Baller AlertSubscribe and get the latest posts delivered to your email.

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