A Florida sheriff’s office is under fire for posting a mugshot of a 9-year-old black boy online. The boy was charged with a felony after he threatened his classmates with a knife. The Facebook posts that the sheriff’s office posted on their Facebook page received immense backlash from social media users.
On October 9, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting a shocking incident that took place at the Crescent City Elementary School. A 9-year-old boy pulled out a pocket knife on two of his classmates in the middle of a fight.
During recess, when the fight broke out, he threatened them with the knife. The child was booked into jail after the police arrested him. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. The child was then released and is expected to appear in court.
Soon after the incident unfolded, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office took to their Facebook page and uploaded a mugshot of the child. Not only that, but the child’s full name, age, and the details about his arrest were released to be public.
This particular decision did not bode well with the public. People took to the comments section of the post to condemn the authorities for failing to maintain anonymity of the case, given that a minor was involved. Netizens expressed their disapproval of the move by calling the Sheriff’s Office out.
“I don’t agree with this at all. While I absolutely do not support his behavior or bringing a weapon to school, this is still a 9-year-old child. Arresting him, taking a mugshot, and publicly posting it like this can cause lasting psychological harm,” one comment read.
“At this age, the focus should be on intervention, counseling, and protection, not criminalizing him in a way that could follow him for life,” another noted. The same user alleged that posting the child’s photo felt more like “ trauma and child abuse” than justice.
“A 9-year-old doesn’t just do this; this is learned behavior,” another noted. “Unbelievable,” one user simply exclaimed. The Sheriff’s office was quick to defend its decision by noting that its actions complied with the policy they put in place in 2018.
“We have not had any repeat offenders since we have put this in place,” Allison Merritt with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office told WTSP in a statement. Legally, according to Florida Statute 985.04, juveniles who are charged wth felonies lose their right to confidentiality.
The only damage control the family can opt for is requesting to get the photo be taken down. The agency is compelled to take the photograph down within 10 days to avoid getting slapped with civil penalties.
