An autistic 10-year-old Florida boy was forced to spend the night in a juvenile detention facility after he was handcuffed and arrested by Okeechobee County school resource deputies last week.
According to the Luanne Haygood, her son, John Benji Haygood, suffers from autism. On footage she filmed from the scene, the boy can be seen sitting in a chair with his left hand covering his eyes, distressed, as his mother attempts to figure out why “heroes” wish to arrest him.
“Does he have the same rights as an adult?” Luanne Haygood asks.
“He has a warrant,” one “hero” can be heard responding.
John can then be heard saying through tears that he doesn’t want to be touched as two “heroes” take hold of his arms and handcuff him. According to Autism Speaks, not wanting to be touched can be a symptom of autism.
The boy continues to cry and cuss as the “heroes” lead him out of the school building. ”
“He has autism, he doesn’t know what’s going on,” Luanne Haygood can be heard telling one of the cops. “He has autism. He’s 10-years-old.”
Luanne Haygood maintains that cops and school employees need to be better prepared to deal with children with special needs however. She said, “unfortunately, instead of treating or accommodating, we arrest.”
After spending the night at the Fort Pierce juvenile facility, John was released to his mother after a court appearance last Thursday.
Video report of incident:
I see a lot of speculation based upon information cited as predominantly coming from the mother of the accused felon, with little to no investigation and no follow up beyond the sensationalized recording.
You might want to check your facts more than a little. This is about more than a sole incident with a teacher.
The fact is the boy, John Benjamin Haygood, had exhibited 55 aggressive and excessively violent incidents at his school alone (not counting the fire his own brother reports in his social media that he set at the family’s home), among which was a premeditated stabbing of another disabled classmate, repeatedly breaking bones with the steel toed boots his mother so thoughtfully bought him, and certainly not the least of which the TWICE HE THREATENED TO RETURN TO HIS SCHOOL IN THE FUTURE WITH A GUN AND SHOOT PEOPLE DEAD, just over an hours drive from where Nikolas Cruz fatally shot 17 and injured as many at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Altogether that amounted to 5 felony charges. In addition, he was raised in a household that harbored white supremacist ideologies, a developing child being a product of his environment regardless of a developmental disability.
There is more information available at your fingertips in the form of additional articles, interviews, police, court, and arrest records as well as the family member’s own social media from the more than 2 years since this took place.
Directly from the report of the initial court appearance citing the Assistant State Attorney :
“When talking about the incident that led to John Benjamin’s arrest, Mr. Albright said he has been able to document 55 incidents committed by the boy while in the Okeechobee school system. “That’s only physical aggression against the other children or faculty,” he noted. Some of the documented incidents include kicking, biting, spitting and punching. The prosecutor then offered a few specific incidents.
• On one occasion, the boy kicked a male coach in the groin.
• The boy punched another student in the face.
• The boy stabbed another student with a pencil after he had just sharpened it and the pencil went through the other child’s jacket and punctured the skin.
• The boy intentionally stomped on a female teacher’s foot while wearing steel-toed boots and broke three of her toes. “Then, when she returned to work, he stomped on her same toes and said she deserved it,” said Mr. Albright.
• On two different occasions John Benjamin told teachers he was going to come back with a gun and kill them.”
Making a determination on the basis of a developmental disability is not at the discretion of the officers, John Benjamin Haygood being as subject to the law as anyone else. The exception being that it is the role of the court to take into account any impact of a disability or disorder, which of course it did. Those other developmentally disabled classmates, as well as those individuals that advocate and intervene on their behalf, who had been victimized and threatened by John Benjamin Haygood all have the undeniable rights to press charges in the interests of their safety and well-being. Something that is being too easily dismissed and contributed to by misrepresenting the facts as if they only involved a single incident with one teacher, or rather one para-professional.
John Benjamin Haygood was identified as subject to an outstanding warrant by the sheriff’s deputy on duty at the school the day that he and his mother came in for a test. That deputy had in fact taken the original complaint resulting in a warrant filed with the State Attorney’s office the prior November. That’s 6 months the mother had opportunity to address the initial criminal charge, but failed to. He being familiar with John Benjamin Haygood identified him as “a runner” in his report and called in another officer to help prevent John Benjamin Haygood from running down the halls. They permitted the boy time to complete his test in the library of the school. Time passed, during which the boy only showed interest in pulling books off of the library shelves and walking on them. Ultimately the mother deciding it was time to go. Subsequent interviews with the mother, the principal, and as corroborated by the report on file at the Okeechobee Sherriff’s Office confirm that the mother, Luanne Haygood, had even stopped by the school office before starting her recording to inquire if the warrant for her son was still outstanding. The reply from the principal, because it was a court matter under the jurisdiction of the State Attorney’s Office, over which the school had no authority, had been that the matter was, “Out of their hands.”
The officer’s having a valid warrant were not obligated to discuss or get into a debate with the mother, who clearly was aware of the outstanding charge. This confirmed in subsequent interviews, though Luanne Haygood even in her own dialogue in her own complete recording referencing the incident from “months ago”. That’s 6 months she knew and had the opportunity to have addressed the initial charge with the proper authorities, but failed to before the outstanding warrant was enforced for the charge filed with the State Attorney’s Office the prior November. As you can see in the full recording the officers did not allow themselves to be drawn into any conflict or battle of wills that might only cause matters to escalate. A difference of opinions serving no purpose in front of the boy. Especially when it can be observed that a simple inquiry from an officer was met by the mother snapping, “No. He’s not going to be okay!” Not allowing a power struggle to ensue when needing to intervene with a person with developmental disabilities, as well as their parent who frequently struggles with their own disorders, being a key element of strategies for crisis intervention and prevention.
This was by no means John Benjamin Haygood’s first experience in a patrol car either. According to his mother in subsequent streamed interviews, having been escorted to the psychiatric unit for assessment due to being identified as a threat to himself and others on a number of occasions. Which is a normal procedure in non-secure settings treating the mentally ill and developmentally disabled in those circumstances. In these instances handcuffs are not just a regulatory issue but help prevent self-injurious behavior. Neither was it the mother’s first experience with those of her brood of 7 children being placed under arrest, or for that matter convicted. Not by a long shot.
Ultimately the court, as is its role, took his disorders, which behaviors strongly indicate include an oppositional defiant disorder and or a conduct disorder as well as ASD and ADHD, into account and adjudicated him as incompetent. Which provides safeguards that prevent his future access to any firearms, as well as the court assuring there is provision of additional intervention and oversight at his current placement at the Mountaineers School of Autism in West Palm Beach. These safeguards further not requiring any conviction, incarceration in juvenile detention, or any punitive measures. Most importantly preventing a repeat or mirror of circumstances that contributed to the 17 shooting fatalities in relatively nearby Parkland involving Nikolas Cruz, as well instances where others had likewise made good on their threats. Those who had unfortunately not been barred from access to firearms despite histories and circumstances that in hindsight clearly indicated the action was warranted. Those like Adam Lanza, and even James Egan Holmes and Devin Patrick Kelley.
If you’re curious about the mention of environmental influences impacting the boy, here for instance we have a particularly telling example of the family’s social media, taken directly from the elder brother’s public account. On which the mother, Luanne Haygood, has also even posted and made acknowledgements. She has also voiced her extreme pride in this son.
In his complete and unedited quote directly from his social media he says:
“Avery Haygood September 20, 2016 ·
I was fortunate enough at work today and able to pay for and serve Mr. Daniel carver and his family! Too bad I was to concentrated on my first impression (which I I did ) to ask for an autograph. Oh well. It still will always be a day Ill remember!”
In case you don’t know who Daniel Carver is, he is a white nationalist and former Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Real nice family ties. White supremacy. What an influence for a mentally ill child with aggressive and violent tendencies huh? The kid is also undeniably a product of his environment, regardless of any developmental disability.
Hi Keys,
A grown man who can’t deal with a 10-year-old kid without treating him like an adult “offender” has no business being an AGW.
Scratch that. AGWs have no legitimate business, regardless.
In fact John Benjamin Haygood was neither treated or tried as an adult. He is however, as subject to the law as anyone else, as previously noted and available for your review. Again, the exception being it is the role of the court to take into account the impact of his disorders and age, which as you can see they of course did.
The para- professional, Brandon Rose, had performed physical interventions before, and the point was not exclusively about his injuries, if at all. Rose in numerous interviews has made it clear saying, “I pressed charges in order to get the ball rolling to get his mother to realize he ( JB Haygood) needs additional help. I think it is now understood the additional help is needed. The students are back in a safe environment and the class can resume instruction. ” The later part of statement reflecting that following the school suspending John Benjamin Haygood that his mother kept him at home, and then he was subsequently placed at the Mountaineers School of Autism in West Palm Beach. That the court observed better addressed his increased needs for a more behaviorally oriented facility. Whereas previously his behavior was placing demands on the classes resources that were a detriment and risk to the other classmates with special needs Rose appropriately advocated for.
I think you really didn’t get the point of the information shared with you so that you’d hopefully understand that John Benjamin Haygood among 55 aggressive and violent incidents at the school alone had twice threatened to return at some point in the future to the school with a gun and shoot people dead. As reflected in documented incidents, and shared as a quote from the court proceedings. This is not a unique set of circumstances and inaction or deciding that the threat was insubstantial to warrant further intervention has been clearly noted to have contributed to tragic results, particularly in the case of Nikolas Cruz and the fatal shootings at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Where Cruz had a history of actions and threats that warranted an adjudication of incompetence that would have denied his access to any firearms that was regrettably outstandingly obvious in hindsight, after he was able to take the opportunity to make good on his threats of a mass school shooting. To not take those necessary steps to follow through with a legal adjudication of incompetence permanently barring Haygood’s legal access to firearms in light of the circumstances, without the need for a conviction or incarceration would be an inexcusable act of negligence and stupidity.
Why do things like this keep happening? Why are they happening more and more often?
It makes make no sense, right?
Actually it makes perfect sense, if one realizes how people in government think, and what matters to them. They are sociopath control freaks, and their driving obsession is control. It is a form of insanity, of course. But unfortunately most sheeple don’t understand this, so they insist that “We cannot do without government”, and perpetuate the system.
Over time, a nation of ever meeker sheeple begets a government of ever more vicious wolves. That is how ‘Murca has become what it is today. There is nothing accidental about it.
bevin, one reason I can think of…..autism didn’t exist when we were young. It’s a manufactured disease, manufactured by too many chemicals we get in our bodies. Of course govt. is an unholy thing these days, much worse than in feudal times and much worse than in the early days of this country when people were independent and no harm, no foul was the law of the land.
My grandfather was killed by a drunk driver but never have I heard anyone refer to the man as anything but being drunk and incompetent at the time. I never heard of what fate befell him, probably not much of anything other than what he’d have to live with the rest of his life. I don’t see, seemingly, as I imagine other people saw back then, what good could come of some harsh punishment for him.
He was probably jailed and set free soon thereafter. My dad quit school at age 10 and went to work and probably never even considered not working…..ever. Of course govt. fucked him up good in WWll, that war everybody was raring to join…..not. As in every war, no ordinary person wants to participate. Goebbels said it correctly when he pointed out the average person had nothing to gain by war.
I’m not a Glen Beck fan but his book, “Control” is something everyone in this country should realize as true.
Dear 8,
I have no doubt that some of the things that fellow opponents of Big Brother point to, such as fluoridation, vaccinations, chemtrails, and whatnot, have probably had an effect on peoples’ ability to think clearly and realize that the government is doing them harm.
But probably the most important fact is “public education”. As I have noted in one of my blogs,
The purpose of public education is not to facilitate understanding. It is to instill obedience. https://anenemyofthestate.wordpress.com/quotations-from-chairman-zhu/
Morning, Bevin!
I agree with you. I attribute most of my ability to think – such as it is! – to the fact that my parents provided me with numerous books at an early age, which I consumed eagerly, and then sent me to an excellent private school for the majority of my childhood. When they moved us to another state and I entered the local government school, I had already acquired that dreadful thing the government cannot abide – the capacity to reason. I was also years ahead of my age peers and quickly discovered I knew more about, for instance, history than the history “teacher” did. I soon learned that the “teachers” often had no specific academic credential in their subject nor much specific knowledge of their subject. Their method was: Read Chapter 5 and answer the questions at the end. There will be a quiz tomorrow.
I literally could have gone from seventh grade to college.
Dear eric,
Even though I attended only public skools, this was back in the 50s and early 60s, before public skools began their “edumacation” process in real earnest, so I was spared the worst indoctrination.
I pity the kids today. Not only are they being brainwashed through the teaching materials, they are being conditioned to accept the police state as “normal”. The schools today resemble prisons, with their metal detectors and school police, ready to arrest children for behaving like children.
Again, no accident. It all follows once one accepts the lethal premise that “Government may be evil, but it’s necessary, otherwise we’d have anarchy [sic!]”.
By the way, Larken Rose, one of the good guys, has a relatively new video on YouTube. Worth watching. He, like you and many of us here at EP Autos, continues to refine his arguments, making them more succinct and giving them more bite. This latest video shows it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k4pXwmis7A
Hero’s following procedural, no matter how stupid it is.
If nothing else it shows that stupidity to the world. Not that it seems to help, since it keeps happening over and over.
If those parents would like their child to not become institutionalized for the rest of his life, they better get him the hell out of that school. Because if you let them “educate” him, that’s what will happen.
Not a lick of common sense either.
Exactly, these kids and all kids should not be in school.
Important facts left out.
The 10-year-old is accused of battery on a school employee which is a third-degree felony.
Deputies say there weren’t able to serve the warrant until Wednesday at school, which was John Benji’s first day back for testing since he had been out on suspension and then homebound.
Haygood says her son kicked the teacher because he didn’t feel safe with that particular employee.
“It was because of his autism that spurred this incident. And he was arrested for that,” said Haygood.
Out of control kid kicked a teacher. He should just have been kicked out of school. The school and cops need to make a bigger deal out of it and teach a lesson.
Hi Todd,
The world has gone insane… or at least, our part.
When I was that kid’s age, kicking a teacher would have resulted in – at most – the kid being suspended, the parents called. He’s a ten-year-old. A little kid. Not a surly 17-year-old. It’s ridiculous, over-the-top.
It is another piece of evidence that this country has become a sickening police state that cops are sicced on a ten-year-old over what amounts to a temper tantrum.
It won’t be long before they shoot kids for such.
“Safety!”
“I feared for my safety!”
Why are there even “heroes” in elementary schools in the first place?
Oh. Yeah. Columbine.
So, disarm the adults and treat all the kids as hardened criminals.
Hut! Hut! Hut!
When I was that age the teacher would have jerked my smart ass up and pounded it with a paddle. The newer, younger, female teachers might have called the principal….and then you were in deep shit.
Maybe it was just another world but even using curse words wasn’t anything anyone did….ever. Best case scenario, your teacher took care of it and didn’t let your folks know. I don’t even want to think about kicking a teacher.
Not because my dad was big or strong or mean, especially not mean, but I would have regretted something like that more than I can say. But it certainly wasn’t something to get anyone other than the teacher or your parents involved with.
There’s a few more important facts than just the assault charge. Which was made not due to a single incident but escalating violence and threats that put the safety and well-being of the other developmentally disabled classmates at risk, and parents that were essentially clueless and refusing to accept accountability for John Benjamin or their other 6 offspring.
See my previous comment sharing the circumstances and details of this case that have become apparent ,
Hi Keys,
Once upon a time in a place called America, ten-year-olds weren’t cuffed and AGWs weren’t in schools. Grown male teachers or principals dealt with unruly kids.
But that America no longer exists.
Hut! Hut! Hut!
This isn’t merely an “unruly kid” but an individual with mental disorders that behaviors indicate are consistent with an oppositional defiant disorder and or a conduct disorder as well as ASD and ADHD. If you want to fantasize about the “Once upon a time in a place called America” in reality an individual like him wouldn’t be in a school in those days but an overcrowded institutional psychiatric and developmental center shitting himself in a corner.
Fortunately , that America no longer exists.
Hi Keys,
It’s still a 10-year-old-boy; did you watch the video? An AGW – and cuffs – weren’t necessary.