VIDEO: Grove City police officer disarms suicidal 11-year-old
Newly-released video from the Division of Police shows an officer grabbing a young boy and disarming him, right after the child put a knife to his own throat. (WSYX/WTTE)
GROVE CITY, Ohio — Newly-released video from the Division of Police shows an officer grabbing a young boy and disarming him, right after the child put a knife to his own throat.
The video was released by Grove City police Wednesday morning, after the Monday night incident near the Dollar Tree store on Hoover Road.
According to the police report, the 11-year-old boy is a student at Buckeye Ranch Client & Mental Health Services, but he assaulted a staff member and escaped the facility Monday evening. Police said the boy climbed a tree and broke off a branch, using it to strike a caretaker.
The 11-year-old then ran towards a Dollar Tree store, and darted inside when he spotted police. According to the report, the boy stole two butcher knives, took them out of their packaging, and threatened to throw them at police officers inside the store.
Despite being surrounded, the boy was able to escape again and ran into the parking lot, where at least four officers surrounded him. The boy then became suicidal, holding a knife to his own neck and threatening to kill himself.
Officer Brandon Judd snuck behind the boy as a sergeant distracted the 11-year-old by talking to him. In video, Officer Judd can be seen grabbing the boy's wrists, forcing him to drop the knives, and then handcuffing him.
The 11-year-old, whom ABC 6 / FOX 28 is not identifying, is charged for assault, menacing and theft. He was taken for a mental health evaluation, then transferred to the Juvenile Detention Center in Columbus.
