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Crime

NYPD Accused of Cuffing 7-Year-Old & Interrogating Him for Hours Over $5

Jan. 31, 2013 11:05am

The family of a 7-year-old New York City boy is threatening to sue police for $250 million after they say cops treated him more like a hardened criminal than a third-grader.

Wilson Reyes’ family claims police hauled him out of class at Public School 114 in the Bronx, hauled him down to the police station and handcuffed him to a wall while they “interrogated” him for a total of 10 hours about a schoolyard fight over $5, according to the New York Post.

NYPD Accused of Cuffing 7 Year Old & Interrogating Him for 10 Hours Over $5

Wilson Reyes’ family said the NYPD handcuffed and interrogated him for 10 hours over a schoolyard fight over $5. (Image source: New York Post)

“Imagine how I felt seeing my son in handcuffs,” Reyes’ mother, Frances Mendez, told the Post. “It was horrible. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

Reyes reportedly got into a fight with another student in December, punching him in the face, and taking the money from him, according to the New York Daily News. Cops took Reyes out of class, detained him for four hours at the school, then kept him in custody at the 44th Precinct for six hours, family attorney Jack Yankowitz said.

Yankowitz called the accusations against Reyes — including that he knocked the other boy down and left him with a bloody mouth — false. He said cops intimidated and verbally abused Reyes, calling him a “thief” and threatened to lock him away “with the big boys,” according to the Daily News.

Robbery charges against Reyes have been dropped, according to ABC News, and the NYPD — while denying the bulk of the family’s allegations — said it is investigating the incident. An NYPD spokeswoman told the Daily News the boy was held for just four hours and 40 minutes.

“While the lawyer’s claims are grossly untrue in many respects, including fabrication as to how long the child was held, the matter is nonetheless being reviewed by the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau,” Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne told ABC News in a statement.

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Comments (85)

1 2
  • Whatmeworry-never
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:30pm

    Always more to the story than what is reported. Let em sue and let the truth come out.

    Report this comment

    Whatmeworry-never  
    • DimmuBorgir
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:51pm

      I’m sure it felt pretty natural to see her kid in handcuffs.

      DimmuBorgir  
    • battles
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 7:02pm

      The police are bureaucrats. They are order takers. They make their living, keep their jobs, and get their promotions solving cases. There is no room in a bureaucrat’s life for compassion or understanding. It is always threatening brute force. I will never forget a New York City police commissioner once saying the if the police are not kept in line, they WILL get out of control. Not only was this a very revealing statement, but I was absolutely shocked and amazed that a police commissioner in New York City could be that honest and say it.

      Report this comment

      battles  
  • demsrtraitors
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:23pm

    if they cops could have gotten away with shooting the kid they probably would

    Report this comment

    demsrtraitors  
    • PrzLesu
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:52pm

      Only an idiot would drw that conclusion. The bully got what he deserved.

      Report this comment

      PrzLesu  
    • Wolf
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 4:19pm

      Yup. Or if they could have found some way to waterboard him, they would have.
      Then there’s this: “…An NYPD spokeswoman told the Daily News the boy was held for just four hours and 40 minutes…”
      So it wasn’t six hours- gee, I’d love to be on that jury and hear the lawyer bring up ‘it was ‘just’ 4 hours 40 minutes…’

      Report this comment

      Wolf  
    • ObserverOnTheHill
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 6:32pm

      Sadly, many police today are the brownshirts of the last generation. It seems many who join police forces today tend to have authority issues and are themselves bullies. Maybe they didn’t like him encroaching on their turf ? I have lost pretty much all respect for the majority of today’s policemen as they seem to be as bad as if not worse then the criminals.

      Report this comment

      ObserverOnTheHill  
  • pudssweetie
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:20pm

    Oh for pity sakes people, do any of you actually do any research before you make a comment? 7 year old Wilson Reyes was accused of beating and stealing $5 from a 9 year old boy while out on the playground at School. What this article and the writer leaves out is the fact that is was a group of Boys and the 9 year old dropped the money, which was supposed to be for a Field Trip that ended up being cancelled. The 9 yo accused Reyes of stealing the money and a fight broke out between the 2 boys. The School called the Police and Reyes was detained at the School for 4 hours before being taken down to the Police Station in which, as claimed, was held for 6 hours. The Parents of the 9yo also claim that Reyes is a bully and had been bullying the 9 yo because of his size and weight. Later, another boy, who was part of the group, came forward and admitted that it was he who took the money, NOT Reyes and charges against Reyes were dropped. Nothing in any of the other articles I read said if the other Boy, who admitted to taking the money, was charged and there was nothing saying that Reyes had been in trouble in the past, other than the claims from the 9yo and his Parents.
    If the 7 yo is a bully, then he got taught a good lesson and hope he thinks twice about bullying again, but do feel this was way to extreme for a School Yard fight over $5 that a kid dropped and picked up and taken by another kid who watch another kid get falsely accused.

    Report this comment

    pudssweetie  
    • John.Galt
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:58pm

      Uhh… OK. I read your post, and it appears you are OK with the police interrogating a 7 year old for HOURS? Without parents present? Or maybe you meant the opposite. I’m not really sure… is English your 2nd language?

      Report this comment

      John.Galt  
    • pudssweetie
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 3:20pm

      John apparently you can’t read English, did I not say at the bottom of my comment that what they did to the Boy was too Extreme, maybe you missed that point or maybe you do not comprehend English to well.

      Report this comment

      pudssweetie  
    • ColonelJackSchmice
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 6:55pm

      Well said.Pudssweetie

      Report this comment

      ColonelJackSchmice  
  • ABRAXUS
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:17pm

    They were trying to scar him straight. It sounds like the parents are at fault. Suing the police department will only reinforce the childs behavior.

    Report this comment

    ABRAXUS  
    • kalayaan
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 7:06pm

      I agree 100%…most kids in the juvenile halls started when they were very young…and it all are faults of the parents….when a child is doing wrong, tell him that he is doing wrong and it is not acceptable….

      Report this comment

      kalayaan  
  • Disabledvet
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:05pm

    and yet looking at the picture the kid is not crying and doesnt look scared, I know if I ended up in cuffs and my mom had to come get me i would have been crying to stay in jail, my mom would have beat my A$$. Teach the little thug a lesson now and maybe save him later. My uncle was a county sheriff and there was times parents would ask him to scare their kids and lock them up over night he did and they didnt want to go back, watch scared straight it will work often.

    Report this comment

    Disabledvet  
    • SamIamTwo
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:19pm

      Yeah, you gotta have a certain look, eh? To me he looks traumatized…but that is just me knowing how people look when they are traumatized.

      Report this comment

      SamIamTwo  
  • DILLIGAF-26
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:03pm

    Even 4 hours in cuffs is obscene. I get the scared straight stuff and I don’t know the kids history but this is “criminal behavior” by the boys/girls in blue. My knee jerk reaction is supporting the police but not on this.
    The kid never should have left school property and the “police” should not have been involved. What are we becoming?

    Report this comment

    DILLIGAF-26  
    • FreedbyTruth
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:56pm

      I gotta disagree with you on this one Dill. Although it may be possible the police handled this badly (unless of course the kid was in custody for that long because his parents could not be contacted). This is how things should be handled. If there is an assault it should be handled by the police. Where in any statute are the schools given authority to enforce the law.
      Our schools have too much power. They think they have full authority over the children regardless of the situation. The school has no more right to prosecute the law here than I have of locking you in my basement for a year if I caught you in robbing my house (just an example I imagine you are a great person).

      Report this comment

      FreedbyTruth  
  • 1FreeVoice
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:55am

    Simmer down. We don’t know all the facts. The kid could have been held without questioning for several hours while they tried to get his parents there. Why the handcuffs? Maybe the regular holding areas were full of adults, and they didn’t want to throw him in where he might get hurt, but didn’t want him free to wander off? Just speculation, but so is a lot of this stuff.

    The dad was understandably upset. When he asked his son about what happened, he may have asked leading questions like ” Were they questioning you before I got here?” Kids are well known for going along with what an adult seems to want them to say under similar situations. Questioning kids can be difficult when you want them to tell you the truth and not just what you are asking for.

    Report this comment

    1FreeVoice  
  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:53am

    It sounds like the lawsuit has been hyped and the facts distorted. But it is NY and they deserve what they get.

    Report this comment

    Ghandi was a Republican  
    • siguy62
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:05pm

      I beg to differ. I struggled for many years against what was happening to my home city of NY, and sadly was eventually forced to give up. Now that I’ve moved my family to a saner place, I feel sorry for those sane individuals who remain.

      Report this comment

      siguy62  
  • 00100111
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:51am

    That’s pretty harsh. I wonder what the penalty would be if a toy gun or 32oz soda was involved.

    Report this comment

    00100111  
  • term limits for congress
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:43am

    The mom should sue the school district for not raising her child properly.

    Report this comment

    term limits for congress  
  • EQUALIZER
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:34am

    the only one who belongs in hand cuffs is Bloomberg, he is the real criminal.

    Report this comment

    EQUALIZER  
  • Dagnabbit5
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:32am

    No matter if he did it or not the police may be in trouble for questioning.

    Assuming no changes have been made (and this is the internet I got it from)..

    STATUTES

    New York

    As soon as a police officer arrests a child under 16 years of age and takes him into custody he must make every reasonable effort to notify a parents or other person legally responsible for the child’s care (McKinney’s Family Court Act, § 305.2).

    The child may not be questioned unless he and his parents or other person legally responsible for his care been advised of the child’s right to remain silent and request to have an attorney. (McKinney’s Family Court Act, § 305.2).

    Report this comment

    Dagnabbit5  
  • Chuck7884
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:30am

    looks like the parents are going to make money and a lot of it!. You cannot interrogate a child without a parent present wither the child had a attorney present or not. the age group in question is of tender age and the parent is responsible for the child’s actions! and why a parent must be present!.

    Report this comment

    Chuck7884  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:18pm

      We live in the new Amerika though. The times have changed and we must act in the expediency of the moment and with regard that the laws and regulations are living laws and regulations, and must change with the times. [sarc]

      Report this comment

      Cavallo  
  • Bonnieblue2A
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:26am

    This is crazy. What ever happened to th days that school administrators handled this by placing students in detention and calling in the parents for face to face meetings?

    Report this comment

    Bonnieblue2A  
    • edschneid
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:38am

      Imagine if it was a fight over a toy gun. He would have been sent immediatly to death row. No trial no lawyer no judge, straight to death row. If Hinystein (Fienstein) has her way this will be our future.

      Report this comment

      edschneid  
    • kaydeebeau
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:45am

      Whatever hapened to the days when you would be sent to the Prinicples office for such behavior, gotten a few swats on the rear end with the wooden paddle, your parents would be notified and when you got home – you would get a few swats from your dad…..????

      For some reason when this was the normal procedure for school and home discipline there were fewer problems with student behavior

      Report this comment

      kaydeebeau  
    • Priscilla King
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:50am

      Well…in my day they handled it by spanking the bullies. And guess what happened? The bullies had to prove that they weren’t intimidated by adults, so they went out and beat up more smaller kids.

      My guess, for what it’s worth: If this 8-year-old is going to be a bully, five years from now he’ll be proving that he’s not scared of the police either. The way to end bullying in schools is to put more distance among children. When crowded, some children are going to lash out.

      Report this comment

      Priscilla King  
    • UNINFORMED
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:52am

      Obozo’s world.

      Report this comment

      UNINFORMED  
  • DougHuffman
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:26am

    The kid must have failed his citizens compliance drill and required re-education. Better now as an adolescent than as a Constitutional citizen.

    Report this comment

    DougHuffman  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:26am

    Next reality show: NYPD Scared Straight

    Report this comment

    NOBALONEY  
  • biohazard23
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:21am

    At least he wasn’t drinking a 48-ounce Big Gulp.

    Report this comment

     
    • GoodCook
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:25am

      Yeah, they would have locked him up and thrown away the key for that offense for sure!

      Report this comment

      GoodCook  
    • MAX0O1
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:44am

      YOU GUYS are sooooooooooooooooo funny!

      Report this comment

      MAX0O1  
  • Smokey_Bojangles
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:19am

    I am usually one of the hated ones on here for jumping on cops.Especially the NYPD,but this kid is a little hellion and deserves this.He is a bully,a thief, and his mother better get used to seeing him like this. Might as well get him his gang tattoo and a gun now. Oh Wait! Guns are illegal in New York. Criminals do not have them……

    Report this comment

    Smokey_Bojangles  
    • whatthecrazy
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:38am

      Omg young children are becoming just as dangerous as grown ups.I agree with you smokey this kid is going to be big trouble when he grows up and mom best move close to the prison to make visiting easier.

      Report this comment

      whatthecrazy  
  • shorelineliz
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:17am

    Book em Dano! Sorry. Couldn’t resist. This new Hawaii 5-O is fabulous!

    Report this comment

    shorelineliz  
  • Landon410
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:14am

    so what they’re telling us is that these cops made a random trip to the school, picked this kid out of all the student just to have fun?

    now even if this kid got into a fight and stole $5 maybe handcuffing a little kid isn’t the best idea, but what damages were done to sue for $250,000,000?
    they lawyer is hoping for a “here is 100,000, go away….. ” from the 5.0

    Report this comment

    Landon410  
    • booger71
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:40am

      Your right. They will give her 100K, the lawyer will get 33K, and the mom will have some new tats, clothes, and some new gold jewelery.

      Report this comment

      booger71  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:13am

    I have a feeling this kid has been in trouble many times before. I do think, however, they should not have talked to the kid without parents present. THe kid is on his way to being a first class mugger. I think the parents of the kid that this little criminal hit ought to sue his family for any amount of money they get from NYPD.

    Report this comment

    thegreatcarnac  
  • mrja
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:13am

    NYPD really getting tough on crime. This is just rediculous

    Report this comment

    mrja  
  • Cavallo
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:13am

    Its the KGB. Welcome to the police state.

    Report this comment

    Cavallo  
  • The Jewish Avenger
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:12am

    If he took the money after beating a kid for it…

    I’d look at him and tell the cops, I’ll be back….

    He’s that dumb to pull that stunt, let him sweat.

    Report this comment

    The Jewish Avenger  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:11am

    “Imagine how I felt seeing my son in handcuffs,” Maybe better now than later Mom.

    Report this comment

    Gonzo  
    • Cavallo
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:16am

      The Police State is likely what his parents voted for.

      Report this comment

      Cavallo  
    • MCON29
      Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:27am

      “Imagine how I felt seeing my son in handcuffs,” Reyes’ mother, Frances Mendez, told the Post. “It was horrible. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

      If he is doing this in third grade then Mama better get used to seeing him in handcuffs. There will be alot of it.

      Report this comment

      MCON29  
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