Police Officers Who Handcuffed Black Children While Calling Them "Ghetto" and "A Pack of Animals' Are Still on Force

Two California police officers faced allegations of excessive force and discrimination toward children. Despite these accusations, they were only required to undergo extra training while being permitted to continue serving on the force.

Movie Theater Incident

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In October 2020, the incident unfolded when Sacramento Police officers Brandon Lundgren and Connor Lawrence received a dispatch call to a movie theater. The report stated that kids were allegedly 'loitering, fighting, and deterring patrons from entering businesses.'

Officer’s Racist Remark 

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When the kids did not comply with the police orders to leave, Lundgren made a disturbing remark to a 14-year-old Black boy, saying, 'alright, the first victim.' Subsequently, he handcuffed the boy and placed him in the backseat of a patrol car, as detailed in the letter.

According to the disciplinary letter, Lundgren can be heard on a body camera saying, ‘There are two hundred of you roaming around, being a pack of animals.’

Describing Black People as ‘Wolf Pack’

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The police officer continues, ‘It’s like a pack of wolves out there destroying the community ... you are not going to get away... I could tase you, I could bola wrap you, I could shoot you with a bean bag round. I could deploy a dog on you. I mean is this really how you are going to grow up and live your life, just f--- the police?’

‘Live a great life and show some respect. Because right now, you are the problem with our society. You are the problem with our country.’

 Unsettling Remarks Continues 

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The conversation between the two officers was captured by the body camera. ‘How many of these kids you think are drinking Lean and s--t?’ Lawrence can be heard saying. He continues with the remark, 'So ghetto, so ghetto, so ghetto.'

The body camera also picked up both officers referring to the kids as 'retarded.'

 Officer Admits of Potential Harm

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When questioned by Internal Affairs in July 2021, Lundgren acknowledged that his remarks towards the Black kid “could leave a long-lasting effect on a 14-year-old."

Explaining 'Ghetto'

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Lawrence offered an explanation for his use of the word 'ghetto' during the interview. “You stated that by saying ‘So ghetto, so ghetto, so ghetto,’ you were referring to the behavior of the large crowd in the area and their lack of regard for the businesses, police and patrons in the area.”

“You admitted your comments ... could be offensive to the public and could bring discredit or embarrassment to the (department).”

Acknowledging Offensive Language

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The two officers acknowledged that using the word 'retarded' is derogatory. Lawrence further admitted that using the expression 'blind cats' to describe people could be perceived as derogatory.

Handcuffing a 10-Year-Old Girl

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In a distressing incident last year, unidentified Sacramento officers handcuffed a Black 10-year-old girl while she was sobbing. The video of this incident was presented by the city's Office of Public Safety Accountability Director, LaTesha Watson, and Inspector General Dwight White during a council discussion on police racial bias.  Despite seeing the video, the council has not taken any action to address the issue.

Community Organizer Calls for Harsh Disciplinary Actions

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According to community organizer Sonia Lewis, the city's disciplinary actions against the officers should have been harsher. ‘People in the Black community have stressed for too long that training doesn’t deter this type of behavior,’ Lewis stated. 

Unpaid Suspensions

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‘It’s a culture, it’s a norm of law enforcement. I would like to see suspensions unpaid. We need to hit them in the pockets. Too often when something really goes awry it hits the taxpayer in the pocket when huge settlements are paid out for wrongdoings by cops.’

The Need for a Policy Against Handcuffing Kids

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Lewis suggested that the council should establish a policy to prohibit officers from handcuffing young kids, saying, ‘It’s one of those things that are long-lasting traumas. Handcuffing doesn’t solve anything. You detaining a child in handcuffs does more irreparable harm than good.’ 

Multiple Policy Violations

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As per the letter, the incident reports filled out by both officers were found to lack 'pertinent information' about the detainment of a kid. Moreover, they did not follow department policy and ensure the kid was released to a parent or guardian. They also neglected to fill out the Racial and Identity Profiling Act entries for the detained kid, marking another policy violation.

Kid Handcuffed for 27 Minutes

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The letter stated that the 14-year-old kid was handcuffed for 27 minutes without any proper departmental documentation, which added another policy violation. Unlike Baltimore and San Jose, the department does not have a policy that forbids handcuffing minors. 

Officers Didn’t Report the Takedown

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A fourth policy violation was that the officers neglected to call a sergeant to report their use of force. Lawrence detained the minor initially to issue a notice of trespass. However, the situation escalated into a detention for resisting arrest, which violated a state law.

How the Two Officers Were Punished

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As a consequence, both officers were required to attend a 3-day training focused on 'resilience, compassion, and leadership for law enforcement.' Additionally, they were tasked with a 2-week assignment in the department's Outreach and Engagement Division, where they had to complete a 'community engagement project' involving the youth in south Sacramento.

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