Police pepper spray disabled teenage boy
(CNS): A West Bay boy who has Down syndrome and other members of his family were pepper sprayed by police officers on Tuesday afternoon at around 4:15, after a situation at the district station appeared to get out of control. The RCIPS said that the boy, who is 16 years old, was brought to the station by his mother, who claimed he was behaving in an aggressive manner and threatening to set her car on fire, and she hoped the officers might be able to help calm him down.
But instead, the officers’ attempts to address the situation appear to have made matters worse, and the teenager reportedly took a machete from his mother’s car wielded it while threatening the officers.
His older brother then arrived at the station and was able to calm him down and take the machete from him without injury. But a decision to then arrest the disabled boy re-escalated the situation and police said both brothers became a threat. At that point, an officer deployed the pepper spray. In the ensuing chaos the boys’ mother was caught in the crossfire.
A spokesperson for the RCIPS told CNS that it was a “fast-moving” situation and the “potential violent behavior of the teen had to be dealt with”. As a result, the officers involved did not consider asking healthcare partners to step in to assist in what she described as a potentially dangerous situation.
“At this point it appears the officers involved responded in a manner proportionate to the situation when considering the immediate safety of all persons involved,” she added.
According to a police press release detailing the chain of events, the police had called for back-up from other police officers but no call was made to any mental health specialists.
In the release the RCIPS said that from the start, as they attempted to negotiate with the teen to calm him down, he was aggressive and verbally abusive towards the officers, making threats against them.
During the exchange, the officers said, he had walked away from them, going to his mother’s vehicle to get the machete. Another civilian who was present at the station at the time was ushered inside for their safety, as officers called for assistance. It was then that the disabled teen’s brother arrived at the station and disarmed the teen without injury.
But according to the police, when the officers told the family that the teen was being arrested for several offences that he had committed while at the station, his brother also became aggressive towards them.
“They both aggressively approached one of the police officers assisting with the incident and the officer deployed his pepper spray in response,” the police said, adding that because their mother intervened, she was also caught by the pepper spray.
The police then persisted with the arrest in the absence of any mental health support and arrested the family for several offences, including causing fear or provocation of violence, threats to kill, possession of an offensive weapon and disorderly conduct at a police station.
It was not until the family arrived at the Cayman Islands Detention Centre that they were cleaned of the spray and booked into custody. All three were granted bail later that night pending further investigations.
According to the family members who spoke to Cayman Marl Road, neither of the brothers were holding the machete when the officers opted to deploy pepper spray against the disabled boy, who, CNS has learned, has a number of medical issues in addition to his mental health challenges. The machete had been placed inside the police station and other witness accounts maintain that there was no immediate threat to the officers.
Family members have said they believe this was a case of “an excessive and inappropriate use of force” against a vulnerable person.
CNS has also asked the police if the officers were wearing body-cams, but the spokesperson confirmed that there are no body-cams on officers, including those in the firearms unit. It is not clear yet if a formal complaint has been filed and the police have not yet referred the case to the Office of the Ombudsman.
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To all the people that are commenting and dont know the full story I just want to set the story straight. The mother left the house to go to burger king to get food for her and her son. Coming back into west bay from getting food dario got a lighter in his possession and a piece of napkin and said he was going to burn the napkin. While he is not voilent he is stubborn so the mother got frightened called the police and was instructed to come to the police station. At the station the lighter was taken from dario. After that he should of been allowed to leave and go home but instead the police started arguing with him calling him little idiot boy and telling him how fool he was. It was then he got angry went to the car and got the machete. As for why the machete was in the car first of all they are legal and the mother had it because she likes to catch crabs. The oldest brother was driving cross the station and saw what was happening and stopped disarmed him put the machete on the ground so nobody had anything in their hand and was trying to leave. I was called by the police and a 911 operator and told what was happening. I explained I was in town and I would be there as quick as I could. When I arrived my oldest son was handcuffed peppersprayed with his head on the ground and emilia was in the car handcuffed peppersprayed and hollering saying she could not breathe as she has asthma. Dario the youngest btw who is 135 pounds and not even 5 foot tall had already left the scene after being peppersprayed and handcuffed and taken to the detention centre. Dario also has a heart problem and breathing problems and was complaining he could not breathe. All of these events happened after the fact that the machete was disarmed from dario and as for the police being threatened, how could they be threatened by a down syndrome boy, a 59 year old asthmatic woman and the son who had nothing in his hand and did nothing but try to help his brother and leave. There was 4 or 5 officers at the station plus 2 van loads of firearm response unit with guns and they said they felt threatened when they were the ones armed. Come on guys what a joke that is. There were 20 or 30 witnesses at the plaza across the street looking. If the police is telling the truth why dont they give up the CCTV footage and prove it.
As for everyone who had something bad to say wait until this happens to you or your family see how you feel.
Mr. Tibbetts – I am sorry for the trauma this whole event has brought upon you and your family. However your recount of the events does not materially change the facts. It is not relevant as to whether or not your younger son was able to be overpowered by the police but the fact that he threatened deadly force with a deadly weapon. Even a kitchen knife is a deadly weapon so no one is arguing the legality of the possession of the machete. The point is this is not acceptable behaviour in our society of laws. Assuming this is your youngest son’s first offence and there are mitigating circumstances, I suspect due process will result in mandatory counselling. If he responds well to such counselling this may be a lifesaving event as it will teach him to control his impulses and anger. People will taunt and behave obnoxiously but it does not give us the right to threaten their lives with a deadly weapon. If he pulled this stunt a few years from now in a bar he might end up dead. At very least he would be facing hard time in prison, so perhaps this is a blessing in disguise.
Cayman is a special place and we all need to do our part to help protect it. That includes teaching our children that violence is not an acceptable response to taunting or frustration.
I understand that may be more difficult with certain mental issues so I sympathise with your difficult situation.
God Bless and Good Luck
KY1
Who is ‘some of us’? On the road, don’t you keep your doors and windows locked like everywhere else in world?
you people are so disgusting who have the need to say that they deserved to be peppersprayed. They did not threaten the people none of themmmmm !!!!!!!! As soon as the machete was in his possession it was quickly disarmed there was no waving of nothing!!! The fact that they got peppersprayed after this means they obviously were not threatened. The police sit there and tell lies and you ppl sit there and agree with what they did!!! It was NOT RIGHT!!!!! And the mother did not do anything wrong by pulling up there for help!! A machete is also LEGAl ppl use it for many reasons crab hunting etc so stop acting like its a gun or something. Why was the fire arm unit called in with a bunch of police to deal with him? That situation was already resolved if you ask me. Before all this shit happened next. Moral of the story is THE POLICE WAS WRONG!!!!!!!
Moral of the story is that the police were right. Can’t walk into a church/school/jewlery store, threaten people with a machete, lay the machete down a few minutes later and expect not to be charged… same here dumb dumb
Let’s say I come to your house and threaten to kill you whilst waving a machete in your direction. Subsequently my brother manages to settle me down and remove the machete from my possession. Are you fine for me to then just carry on as if nothing happened without any consequences whatsoever? If you are then imagine I do this to your mother or sister. Are you still cool?
More proof that our no-show untrained roster of domino-playing cops are the wrong people to seek out for any kind of domestic mediation, intelligent de-escalation, problem-solving, and/or special needs sensitivities. There are no performance assessments or standards. No third party audit of skill, and no benchmark performative targets. No public domain reports that we can click on to see that there is any competent oversight of their activities, and with a colossal annual public budget burn rate the size of sone small NATO-member countries.
Cayman has a mental health institution and has been used since 1984 if you care to google it.
Approved by every minister in power since that date.
HMP Northward. Hang your heads
What an appalling headline CNS. It suggests the Police did something wrong.
Irrespective of your mental disability, if you threaten a Police officer with a machete any reasonable society will prosecute you – end of story. In the US he wouldn’t have the luxury of due process, as he would already have been shot dead.
The regrettable machete had already been secured when police deployed the spray.
Irrelevant – the offense had been committed by that time so due process must occur. This is a basic principle of a democratic law based society.
Nothing is irrelevant. Offense by who?
This was the right action by police.
Go to a police station. Act the foo. Aggressively approach the officers and ignore their instructions. Wave a machete around. Threaten to kill officers.
Sounds like that family bought every bit of a pepper spraying.
I feel for the boy with Down syndrome, but if he’s going to harm a police officer, do you want the cop to just sit there and take licks because the assailant has a mental disability?
The cop had every right to defend himself.
First of all what does that have to do with the other two who were peppersprayed for NOTHING. Second of all he did not threaten any officers and the machete was quickly disarmed from him before he even got peppersprayed!!! How could the cops be threatened???????
Machetes are LEGAL!!!!!!
1. What on earth did the mother expect the police to do with her son?
2. The mental health/special needs provision on this island is beyond pathetic.
3. This might push the Commissioner of Police into opening the purse strings for BWV.
4. Police have a split second to make a decision. Well done this officer. You did the right thing.
5. People love to complain about police action in the hope of getting a few bucks in compensation.
6. NOBODY got hurt due to the actions of that officer. Pepper spray washes off.
4. Police have a split second to make a decision. Well done this officer. You did the right thing.
Bullsh1t. You don’t make split second decisions long after the situation has de-escalated.
The 16-year-old with Down Syndrome is mentally challenged. From the details in the story I would say that his mother and the police offers are also mentally challenged.
Let’s pepper spray everyone with alzheimers/dementia too!
Totally untrained to deal with situations.
Give us pepper spray then!
Its actually legal to carry.
So mother knew she had a machete in her car and knew that he knew… What happened to make him so upset before she took him to the police station with a machete in her car? That he allegedly threatened to burn it? Had he been threatened?
And the brother was able to calm him down until they tried to arrest him. So why not leave the calm with the brother n take it easy from then? Down Syndrome people are not aggressive. Police on this island cannot deal with ‘ordinary’ people bcos too corrupt letting criminals free. No idea or training to deal with this. Just frame and screw innocent people.
Not every person with Down Syndrome is calm. There are quite a few who become aggressive as they reach puberty! I know of one myself.
Down Syndrome people are not aggressive. So you don’t characterise threatening to set fire to a car or kill a police officer aggressive? Some family you must live in.
Why you bringing in and insulting somebody else’s family? Why did not call emergency services for medics, explain situation, they cld call for back up. How did she get him in the car to take him police staton? Wasn’t feeling threatened then. Something happened that she wanted to teach him a lesson… What was it? God bless your family!
Well done to the brother, you should be proud of yourself and sure your brother is proud of you too and obviously loves and trusts you as you do him. Keep your connection strong, well done!! Xx
God bless Law Enforcement. Extremely difficult job.
Everyone is a smart ass after reading the event and saying oh the police officer should have done this. Put on an effing badge and let’s see you handle unpredictable violent situations
Rubbish! What year ur brain still living in, ignorance is bliss
It’s called natural consequences. You don’t listen, you don’t follow directions, you threaten people, there’s going to be some consequences. Family was lucky it was only pepper spray this time around. Be civil. Can’t be civil, there’s going to be some problems.
Cayman kind! He is mentally disabled, for pete’s sake!
At least learn the basics about Down syndrome before writing a comment.
It’s a tough one, but remember, there was nothing wrong with the machete. Hopefully an investigation can confirm whether the authorities acted appropriately.
To begin, I am not Caymanian. Second, yes, I got it, he is mentally disabled. Doesn’t say to what degree, etc. Many people out there with many mental disabilities – does it mean we excuse all of their behaviours? Third he knew enough to grab a machete and start threatening people with it. Sorry, he lost all special privileges once he threatened to kill people. Fourth, I am sure that if killed one of your family members you’d chalk it up to “he’s disabled”. Get a brain!
Natural consequences of 50 years ago is not an excuse for ignorance in 2021!
The fact that no mental health specialist is employed full-time at all police stations around the clock, meaning higher multiple qualified persons, is so telling about our police force.
And how many police services in the world have full time mental health staff 24/7 at every single police station?
That’s the point! They should have, or be able to call for non-confrontational assistance. In this case a call should have been made immediately, not after “…it was too late.” Police are NOT adequately trained (4 in my family are serving police) for menatl health issues – They are trained to respond, confront and restrain if needed.
Exactly my point! Thank you!
They’re trained to de-escalate actually.
The confrontation is trained for, but not aimed for.
The number of mentally ill in Cayman, per capita, is immense and begs to have a full time mental health staff.
Have you not been to West Bay??
Quit stereotyping West Bay. It has always been the most cosmopolitan of the districts with all the ills that goes with that and the sophistication.
Yes unfortunately we have some mentally ill, but if this is looked into more holistically, you will see that many have an unfortunate dual problem with drugs also.
West Bay has produced most of the brilliant minds of the Cayman Islands.All our local bank managers of Class A banks as an example have roots in West Bay.
Sorry, West Bay is a MESS! You basically laid it all out:
1. “Ills that go with Cosmopolitan and sophistication.”
2. Mental Illness.
3. Problem with Drugs.
OK: I agree with you 1,000 percent.. West Bay is a MESS.
I’ll be taking a very keen interest in this trial. Encouraging others to show up.
Odds are this case will be dropped? Civil on the other hand…
The mother should not have taken her son to the RCIPS. The RCIPS is not trained or equiped to deal with these situations.
I work at a school for at-risk/special ed students. When we (who are trained) can’t handle a situation, we call in the police for extra support.
Evidently you are not trained adequately or are serving the wrong clients for your supposed training. You are putting the police in a situation they should not be in.
Wrong. Police have trained crisis staff that come in to assist. We follow our protocol.
Actually, they are not. All evidence points to the CI Police being very ill-trained. Just review most of the key local highlights over the last 12-24 months. Our Police Force is out-gunned, out-funded, out-supervised, and out-smarted.
Not a good situation… Oh, don’t seek help tonight, they may be ‘out thirsty.’
And then mother put him in her car when she knows she has a machete? Why she not call police from where she was? She wasnt so scared to get him in car and drive with him to police station with machete in car? As a professional as you profess, what stinks in this?
storm in a teacup. police don’t go out intentionally peeper spraying people….
could have ended up a lot worse…imagine going into a us police station waving a machete around
A lot of US police forces have training or have a few on the force trained to handle those with mental illness/special needs. Some police forces in the US are hiring trained specialists to be available to show up to the scene for occasions like such.
I couldn’t disagree more. Very FEW of US Police are adequately trained for these situations.
But yes, some, not enough, are hiring specialists – as they should. Police should POLICE – Not be depended on as mental health social workers.
I should have said police in my area are hiring specialists and getting training.
Talk garbage!
Try to spell and write before criticising a Down Syndrome person.. What is a ‘us police station’?
where is the criticism?
A police station is the facility/ headquarters/ office of the local police force. A fire station is the facility where the fire engines and equipment of a fire department are kept.
US terminology.
Difference between ‘us’ and ‘US’, write proper English in US terminology.
Fair enough, but how about proper terminology: “A person with Down’s Syndrome.”
Sounds like the officer a ted correctly. Nothing to seehere it was a threatening situation simples.
Next
Shame on RCIPS. Shame. Lack of training on full display.
because the officer should have done what exactly when attacked by the two teenagers? Just taken a beating?
Left them alone after brother calmed him down! Not proceed to arrest him n causing panic and upset again!
Ah, okay genius. Someone comes to your house, threatens to burn it down, or machete you to death, you just going to let it go – and/or tell the officer, it’s okay, don’t arrest him, he didn’t mean it. GTFO Genius.
Whose house? He came to your house, threatened to burn it down and machete you to death? Did you call police or emergency services?
This case exemplifies the need for mental health clinics and their professionals to be working hand in hand or embedded with district police. Brains and restraint would have been more appropriate in de escalating the situation.
Sounds like the RCIPS officers involved erred in persisting with an arrest in the heat of the moment. Hopefully serious lessons are learned from this, it could have ended much worse.☹️
Downs Syndrome isn’t a mental illness
3:23, Exactly right! People are trying to justify his behavior as mental illness. Yes, he is mentally challenged but that is something entirely different.
Agree, but it mimics one
Perhaps go into detail as to Dwwns Syndrome for those that do not know.
If this was done in America the police would have shot him as soon as he pulled out the machete,as with many other cases on a daily basis, even shooting and killing someone with mental problems just for picking up a stick at them smdh, thank God that these officers here are more civilized.
Thank God this not America!
Well said!
So RCIPS confirms no officer has body cams including those in the firearms unit. Is it just me or something totally wrong here. Body cams should be mandatory!
But that would display their unprofessionalism…..
Whole lot of shit wrong here and elsewhere with these ignorant untrained cops! Don’t even need to be educated, training and common sense…. 2021 and mother riding round with ‘aggressive’ son with machete in car??? Well done to his brother!
Why did mom have a machete in her car in the first place?
Read the news. That’s the only way some of us have any sort of protection on the road, you don’t have to be a criminal to be concerned for your safety in Cayman.
Sad for who?
Caymankind…! A peaceful, tranquil budding hotbed of corruption, violence, incompetence, uncivility to folks from other cultures, condones violence to women by it’s elected officials, howls at the moon… need I go on.
And yes, a machete is a needed car tool in Cayman.
Please go on…in particular with why you are still in the Cayman Islands if you think so poorly of them?
Never had a machete in car. Why? Don’t let people in my car.
Sad