Aurora, Colorado --
"My partner and I entered the elementary classroom cautiously stepping over a debris field of overturned desk chairs discarded stuffed toys, board games, children’s books, empty juice boxes and a giant outline of the Devil’s pentagram. Drawn with a crimson red crayon and a black Sharpie marker." -- At least that is according to the opening statement of a police incident report released today that sparked a debate over an officer's use of a less then lethal force weapon, pepper spray to subdue an unruly eight-year-old school boy.
After opening a number of pantry doors, the policemen signal each other using hand gestures only as they focus their attention on the teacher’s desk.
"Just as my partner reaches out to touch it, brushing off what appeared to be ice crystals on the surface," continued the report, which omitted the names of the officers involved. "Suddenly the desk was overturned by the eight-year-old boy who was apparently concealing himself underneath it."
The policemen pause and glance over at each other.
Relying on their community outreach training, the policemen quickly gather up a stuffed toy ["Tickle Me Elmo" doll] and approach the boy.
"As we advance on the suspect, his head makes a 180 degree turn and chucks up pea soup on my partner. Temporarily blinding him," read the report.
The stuffed toy discarded again. Thrown to the ground, appears to be trembling not out of joy but fear.
At which point the policemen radioed dispatch, requesting backup.
"I made the called, asking for an old priest and a young priest," continued the report.
Then the officers attempted to exit the classroom. But they are repeatedly turned back by all the loose objects on the floor that begin rise up and fly about the room, as the chalkboard behind the eight-year-old boy spells out the number 666.
"That was when I reached for my field issued oleoresin capsicum gas [pepper spray] canister and amply applied its contents to the upper torso of the suspect. Moments later making the arrest," concluded the report.
Copyright © 2008-2011 by Robert W. Armijo. All rights reserved.
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