‘Common Practice’: Sheriff’s Office Defends Viral Video Showing a Crying 11-Year-Old Black Girl In Handcuffs Until Evidence Proved New York Deputies Had the Wrong Car Theft Suspect

A sheriff’s office in Syracuse, New York, released details explaining what led up to the detainment and handcuffing of a Black 11-year-old girl deputies mistook for a car thief. The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office posted a news release explaining that deputies had conducted a traffic stop on a gray Kia on Monday, Jan. 13, that had been reported stolen on Jan. 12. Viral videos on Facebook show an 11-year-old girl being detained by deputies who mistook her for a car theft suspect pictured on the right. (Photos: Facebook, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office) All four occupants fled the vehicle on foot and, after a brief foot pursuit, deputies caught up with a 14-year-old driver who was taken into custody. Other deputies scoured nearby streets for the other suspects and spotted the 11-year-old girl wearing a near-identical outfit to one of the car theft suspects who was captured on dashcam video. Videos that went viral on Facebook showed the young girl’s detainment. The clips show deputies handcuffing the child as she’s surrounded by her friends who adamantly insist that their friend is innocent. Once deputies at the scene receive a photo of the suspect for review, one deputy shows the girl the...