“Cussing-Video” Toddler and Siblings Taken Into Protective Custody
Nebraska Child Protective Services have taken a swearing toddler and his siblings into custody after an Internet video went viral. That’s according to police in Omaha.
Authorities saw nothing in the video that was criminal. However, officials with the NCPS and the police department’s Child Victim Unit said a joint investigation revealed some safety issues.
The video shows the diapered child, around two or three, sworn on numerous times by the adults in the room. The African-American toddler throws a chair over and responds back with some obscenities of his own and giving the adults a middle finger. He even tells one adult to “Shut up b—-.” All the adults are heard laughing and encourage him to say more bad words.
It was just another thing on the web until the Omaha police union posted the “toddler/adult cursing rant” video to its website to show the cycle of thuggery and violence the community is faced with.
The city’s police chief, one community leader and the ACLU criticized the Omaha Police Officers Association, saying the move provokes the minority communities, which comprise of nearly a quarter of the city’s 409,000 residents.
President of the union Sgt. John Wells said the video is both offensive and disturbing, and focus shouldn’t be placed on race but rather the behavior that’s directed at the child. He said the behavior is going to cause the child to follow a path that’s not healthy. Wells said the video was from the Facebook page of a local thug.
In a post written by the police union, it was noted that even though the footage was heartbreaking and sickening, they had an obligation to share the video to teach law-abiding people the vicious cycle that young innocent children are trapped in. It further went on to say that there wasn’t anything “illegal” in the video but there was plenty of immoral and unhealthy things the child was being subjected to.
In one part of the video, an adult talks about a local street gang, Wells said.
He said it’s the reason that when talking about the criminal culture that something is done to break the cycle and focus on the violence and gang activity culture.
Omaha is faced with a slew of racial tensions between police and the locals. How police treat minorities often lead to lawsuits, reassignment and firings as well as criminal charges, and critics have said the video is pouring salt in an open wound.
Black Men United community president Willie Hamilton said the union walked a fine line and crossed it by posting the video. Hamilton said for the union to suggest that a two-year-old – who has no idea what’s really going on – will grow up into a life a crime is not appropriate.
The ACLU of Nebraska recently filed an excessive-force lawsuit again the city’s police department for an African-American family and said the use of such racially-charged language by the union is upsetting.
Todd Schmaderer, Omaha police chief, said the website and Facebook page of the union is not linked in any way to the Omaha Police Department, and that he has no control over the union members’ public statements.
Schmaderer said he wanted it made clear that the OPOA’s Facebook page and the statements found on it do not represent the police department’s official stance. He said he did not agree with the postings because he knew that it would cause further problems within the community.
Wells said the police department’s child victim unit now has the video and will work with the child-welfare agencies to investigate the issues. He also said he didn’t think there would be this kind of reaction.
Wells said he hopes law-abiding citizens now understand what law enforcement has to contend with every day. He said the union wants an open discussion about how to confront and get over the issues; have some solutions to combat the problems.
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