A Florida cop who was supposed to be retired was suspended Monday for arresting two children under the age of 12 without approval from his watch commander.
The children were both aged six. One was charged with battery after kicking a student. That student, Kaia Rolle, suffers from sleep apnea and was acting out of sleep deprivation, her aunt said (it was initially reported she kicked a teacher).
The other child, initially reported as being eight years old, was also jailed on a misdemeanro but police have not said why.
The arrests were made by Orlando police officer Dennis L. Turner, who has a history of abuse towards citizens as well as his own child.
Turner, who was hired in 1995, was arrested for aggravated child abuse in 1998 for beating his 7-year-old son over bad grades.
In 2003, he was investigated again for threatening to harm the husband of the woman he was dating, telling the man there would be nothing he could do about it because he was protected.
He also received a written reprimand for a 2015 incident in which he continued tasering a man even after he had stopped resisting.
So naturally, Orlando police found no reason to rehire him as a school resource officer after announcing his retirement last year. He is likely collecting a pension in addition to a salary.
Nevertheless, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon expressed surprise that Turner would abuse his badge.
“The Orlando Police Department has a policy that addresses the arrest of a minor and our initial finding shows the policy was not followed. As a grandparent of three children less than 11 years old this is very concerning to me. Our Department strives to deliver professional and courteous service. My staff and I are committed to exceeding those standards and expectations.
Rolon took over as chief in December 2018.