One-on-one conversation
Hanif Abdul-Wahid of the local Black Agenda Group concurred with Thavakumar that it was vital to recognize the girl s traumatized state of mind. Most folks can see the trauma in the little girl; she’s asking for her father, he said. And if someone had said, We’re going to get you to your father and make things all right, that would have made things better. (The BWC video showed a female officer attending say she would try and locate the girl s father.)
The proper approach, the experts said, would have been to exhibit greater patience and attempt to make some personal connection with the child rather than resorting to force.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle I am a child, the girl replied.
According to children s health advocates, that is exactly the point. Several Rochester experts said officers clearly should have taken the girl s age and emotional state into account before using pepper spray on her if police officers had to be there at all. There was a lot going on for this child, Tharaha Thavakumar, a school-based therapist at Genesee Mental Health Center, said Monday. The biggest thing … is to understand the kid is in trauma, and (has) a fight-or-flight mindset.
Rochester police department personnel were called to the girl s house on Avenue B Friday afternoon for a complex situation involving a possible stolen vehicle. The girl s mother told police she was afraid the girl would hurt herself or someone else and requested that she be handcuffed, according to police.