A disturbing incident involving two Lakeland, Florida, police officers forcefully arresting and threatening a 15-year-old boy for crossing at a 45-degree angle has sparked outrage online. The incident was captured on camera by an individual who was walking with the 15-year-old and then shared on Instagram. The clip opens with two bulky policemen wrestling a young boy to the ground. The officers were heard repeatedly yelling, “stop, turnover now!” to the teenager who was struggling against them.
After forcefully pushing the teen to the floor, kneeling on him, the duo continued to manhandle the boy, trying to flip him over, so he could be handcuffed. As the boy struggled to get free from the officers, the security men issued threats to use the mace on him.
“Wanna get sprayed? Give me your hand,” the officers threatened. While one of the policemen tried to put the teenager’s hands in handcuffs, the other violently held the boy’s head and pointed the pepper spray can at his face. Upon seeing the mace can, the person recording asked why the officers were going to such an extreme.
One of the personnel replied, “I gave your partner multiple commands to stop, and he didn’t stop.” When the video recorder asked why they were stopped, one officer shouted, “For pedestrian violation!”
The security man continued, “You crossed the street in 45, you’re supposed to cross it in 90,” and emphasized that the teenager ignored his command to stop. Unexpectedly, the video went viral, and many netizens were outraged by the excessive use of force by the police.
This netizen suggested that the boy’s crime was “Walking While Black.” Another social media user pointed out the existence of racism before condemning the officers.
The user wrote, “A lot of racism still in Lakeland, this tracks. What other explanation is there for cops to even stop a kid, let alone use this type of force, for a ‘pedestrian violation’ crossing at a 45 vs 90? F**k these guys, they should be fired.”
A third observer criticized the two security personnel and claimed they were not worthy of the position. “Attacking a young man over a walking angle? They are on a power trip and don’t need to be cops,” the observer remarked.
Another condemning comment read, “Must be a slowwwww day in town if the cops have nothing better to do than to physically assault a CHILD for Jay-walking!!”
There is currently no report from the police department regarding the incident, and it is unclear whether the boy will face any charges.
