*KEY WEST, Fla.–– Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, and noted civil rights attorney, Devon M. Jacob, of Jacob Litigation, Inc., have been retained by Bianca N. Digennaro, the mother of an 8-year-old boy who was arrested by police in Key West, Florida.
In disturbing bodycam footage of the incident, officers shame and terrify the small child, telling him he’s going to jail and attempting to put him in handcuffs that are too large for his hands. Despite posing no threat to the officers, the child is placed in the back of the officers’ vehicle and is taken into custody and charged with felony battery.
Attorney Crump has issued the following statement:
“At eight years old, three and a half feet tall, and 64 lbs., this little boy didn’t pose a threat to anyone. He had an IEP in place because his disabilities demanded special support by his school — a plan intended to make sure his educational experience was appropriate for him. Instead of honoring and fulfilling that plan, the school placed him with a substitute teacher who had no awareness or concern about his needs and who escalated the situation by using her hands to forcibly move him. When he acted out, the teacher called the police, who threatened him with jail and tried to put him in handcuffs, which fell off because he was too little. This is a heartbreaking example of how our educational and policing systems train children to be criminals by treating them like criminals – if convicted, the child in this case would have been a convicted felon at eight years old. This little boy was failed by everyone who played a part in this horrific incident.”
Attorney Jacob released the following statement:
“As a former police officer, I am appalled by the conduct of these officers. Their actions and treatment of this young boy, aside from being inappropriate, deviate from widely accepted police procedures regarding the treatment of minors and disabled persons.”
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ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit www.bencrump.com.
ABOUT JACOB LITIGATION, INC.
Jacob Litigation, Inc., is a national civil rights law firm that is owned and operated by Devon M. Jacob. Jacob is a former police officer and a former Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General. Jacob Litigation represents persons who have experienced police brutality, been wrongfully convicted and incarcerated, and the estates of persons who have died while being taken into custody by law enforcement or while in the custody of correctional personnel. For more information about Devon M. Jacob or Jacob Litigation, Inc., please visit www.JacobLitigation.com or call (855) 796-1983.
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