Cop handcuffed and taunted 7-year-old autistic student after he spat at school. Video / WSOC-TV
A school resource officer is being sued after a young boy with autism was allegedly handcuffed, taunted and held on the floor for 40 minutes.
The incident, which unfolded in 2018 at a North Carolina school, escalated when the boy named LG was taken by his teacher and two aides to a "quiet room" to calm down.
It is claimed officer Michael Fattaleh had seen LG spit on the floor while being escorted away, before telling the three staff members "he's mine now", according to a lawsuit filed by the boy's mother.
The 38-year-old officer then forced the child on to the ground and handcuffed him in the process.
Bodycam footage then shows Fattaleh holding the boy down for 38 minutes, taunting him during the ordeal.
The boy was allegedly held down for more than half an hour. Photo / Charlotte Observer / WSOC-TV
The officer is accused of threatening the child. Photo / Charlotte Observer / WSOC-TV
Fattaleh — who knew the boy had special needs — allegedly asked the child, "ever been charged before?" and told him "If you, my friend, are not acquainted with the juvenile justice system, you will be shortly," the court documents say.
The mum's lawyer told the New York Post the officer's behaviour was "incomprehensible".
"How in the world would anyone think it was appropriate to handcuff, pin down and taunt a 7-year-old boy with autism? It is incomprehensible," the mum's lawyer Alex Heroy said.
"His mother thought she was doing the right thing by sending him to a school where he could get extra help and attention, all for the system to fail in the worst way possible."
During the ordeal, the officer can be seen kneeling on the boy's back, saying "have you ever heard the term babysitter? I take that term literally, my friend," the court papers allege.
The boy was allowed off the floor when his mother turned up. Photo / Charlotte Observer / WSOC-TV
While pinned on the ground, the 7-year-old could be heard showing "Ow, my knee! My knee! It really hurts!"
He was eventually released by a different officer after his mother showed up to the school.
Fattaleh told the mother her son would be charged "with one count of assault, maybe two", the court documents claim.
The boy — who went to the hospital with scratches and bruises — was never suspended or disciplined by the school. He returned the next day but was sent home early after becoming "extremely anxious and agitated", the complaint says.
He is now being home schooled.
The mum is suing for unspecified damages.
Fattaleh was placed on leave before eventually resigning.
