A viral Ring camera video from Ohio is drawing strong backlash after police temporarily detained a 14-year-old Black boy on his own front porch while searching for suspects in a string of vehicle thefts.
The boy repeatedly told officers he had done nothing wrong before they put him in handcuffs. Canton police later confirmed that he was not involved and was released within minutes. Still, the footage has continued to spark criticism online.
According to the Canton Police Department, officers were searching on Monday, August 17, for several people believed to be connected to vehicle thefts involving Kia and Hyundai cars. At least one of the suspects was believed to be a juvenile, per Jordan Miller News.
Police Chief John Gabbard said a K-9 team tracked the suspects from the area of WC Henderson Avenue NE, across Lippert Road NE and toward Highland Road NE. Officers positioned ahead of the K-9 track came across a boy on the porch of a home in the 700 block of Highland Road NE, reports Cleveland19.
Police said they believed he matched the description of one of the suspects.
Ring camera footage shows officers approaching the teenager with their weapons drawn. The boy is seen kneeling with his hands raised and repeatedly saying, “I didn’t do nothing. I’m a kid.”
Officers then handcuffed him while they checked whether he was involved. Police said they quickly determined that he was not a suspect, removed the handcuffs and continued searching the area.
The main suspect, 18-year-old Kenneth Moore Jr., was later found hiding behind a house across the street in the 800 block of Highland Road NE, according to police. Officials said Moore had felony warrants, was believed to be armed and had a history of assault.
Gabbard was quoted as saying by Cleveland19 that he expects officers to treat people professionally and respectfully. “It is never our intention to subject innocent bystanders to custody or involve the general public unnecessarily in police operations,” he said.
The department said the officers’ actions are now being reviewed internally. It has not said whether any disciplinary action is being considered.
Internet Reacts to Ohio Porch Handcuffing
Reaction online was swift and largely critical. One commenter wrote, “I’m confused to why white people think it’s cute to be disgusting enough to point a gun at an unarmed child’s head. And he’s in middle school cause of the uniform. People be sick in this country.” Another made a similar point, writing, “It is so disgusting how they treat black people that they assume they did something wrong.”
A third commenter focused on the broader impact, writing, “This is how you erode the trust of the public. One kid/family at a time. Good job.” Another argued for consequences, writing, “I’m sorry no cop should be pointing a gun at him!!! All of these officers should be fired immediately.”
A fifth commenter pointed to the officer’s conduct, writing, “And the fact that he said he was a kid and this man looked at him in his face and said I don’t give a *expletive* is a problem because if your demeanor doesn’t change when you hear someone say that they are under age and you need to go back to training.”
The incident has also added to growing online scrutiny of police encounters involving Black children who are mistakenly identified as suspects.
