Mistaken identity? Florida mom wants accountability after son tackled by officer in missing kid search
Mom demands accountability after son tackled by police
A 15-year-old is recovering after his elbow was fractured during a police encounter. Melbourne Police officers were looking for a missing child when the incident unfolded. The department is reviewing the case and officer’s response.
MELBOURNE, Fla. - A local mother is demanding answers and an overhaul of police training after her 15-year-old son was allegedly assaulted by Melbourne police officers who mistook him for a missing child.
The incident, which was captured on body camera video, left the teenager with a fractured elbow and deep emotional trauma. The Melbourne Police Department is currently reviewing the case.
What we know:
Melbourne Police Department officers were actively searching for a runaway teenager struggling with mental health issues when Judah, 15, was taken down by officers.
According to Judah's family's attorney, Judah was helping the missing child's mother search for her child when officers approached him.
The family's civil rights lawyer, Dan Faherty, said responding officers even interacted with Judah just minutes before the takedown.
A 15-year-old was allegedly assaulted by Melbourne Police officers. (Source: Dan Faherty)
Body camera footage shows police takedown
Body camera footage FOX 35 obtained from Faherty shows an officer cursing and then taking Judah to the ground.
"Get on the f-ing ground. Get on the ground. I will f-ing tase you," an officer can be heard shouting on the footage.
Despite complying with the orders, Judah was tackled to the ground and handcuffed.
According to Faherty, Judah was completely compliant during the interaction.
"He completely complied," Faherty said. "He fell down on his knees, arms in the air, clearly unarmed. Nobody asked him a question. They just threatened to tase him."
Moments after the takedown, the footage shows the officers realizing they had the wrong person.
"Are you [the missing child]? No, you’re not [the missing child]," asked an officer.
"I don't know what’s going on," Judah responds in the bodycam recording.
‘Absolutely horrific’: Judah's mom responds
Angela Sparks Hansen, Judah’s mother, is devastated by the physical and emotional toll the arrest has taken on her son.
"It was absolutely horrific," Hansen said. "This should have never have happened. My son, he should not have a broken elbow. This mistake should have never have happened."
The mistake is especially difficult for Hansen to accept because bodycam footage reveals that other responding officers were talking directly to Judah and the missing child's mother just moments prior.
Beyond the physical fracture to his elbow, Hansen says the psychological impact has been severe for her 15-year-old.
"He feels scared of the police," Hansen said. "It’s been very taxing on our family, and it’s been a punch in the gut."
Melbourne Police responds; Attorney calls tactics ‘aggressive’
What they're saying:
In a statement to FOX 35, the Melbourne Police Department explained that officers mistook Judah for a second fleeing juvenile.
The MPD statement reads:
"Officers observed a teenage male running and gave verbal commands to stop. They pursued the male on foot; stopping him a short distance outside the complex… Officers then determined this individual was not the teen they were originally searching for, but another juvenile who had also left the apartment."
The other side:
However, Faherty strongly disputes the logic behind the officers' aggressive tactics, noting that the child police were originally looking for was much smaller than Judah.
"All of the officers saw him, even asked who he was," Faherty said, adding that the target of the search was a "much smaller child... and he had already presented himself to the poor mother in front of the police."
"Had they looked him over even for a second, [they] would have known this was not [him]," Faherty said.
Full incident review underway
What's next:
The family is now channeling their frustration into a demand for systemic reform within the police force.
"Complete overhaul of the Melbourne PD in training," Hansen said when asked what changes she wants to see.
The Melbourne Police Department confirmed to FOX 35 that an internal investigation is underway.
"The department is conducting a full review of this incident in accordance with standard policy," MPD stated.
Meanwhile, the family's legal team is moving forward to gather more evidence. Faherty stated they are currently submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to ensure they obtain access to all available body camera footage, case reports and evidence from the incident.
The Source: FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower spoke with the teen's mother and family attorney. She reviewed medical records, bodycam and case reports provided by the family attorney. Bower also reached out to Melbourne Police for a statement.