London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 12, 2026

US: A 6-Year-Old Girl Cried As She Was Restrained And Arrested, New Police Video Shows

The Orlando police officer who initiated the arrest was later fired from the department.
A body camera video released this week shows Orlando police officers arresting a 6-year-old, restraining her hands behind her back, at her school as she cries to be let go.

He was white and she was black, obviously.

Officer Dennis Turner arrested Kaia Rolle, a first-grader, on a battery charge in September after her grandmother Meralyn Kirkland said she threw a tantrum at Lucious and Emma Nixon Academy in Orlando. The treatment of the girl drew widespread criticism, the Orlando Police Department apologized, and Turner was fired days later.

Now, the video, which was provided to BuzzFeed News by the family's attorneys, shows how the arrest happened. Turner, who was on duty as a school resource officer at the time, enters an office where Kaia is seated with a school employee and tells her to stand up.

"Come over here," Turner says.

"What are those for?" Kaia asks, referring to zip ties.

"It's for you," Turner responds.

"Give your hands, OK?" another officer says. "Come over here, honey."

Kaia begins to cry as the officer ties her hands behind her back, screaming, "No, no, don't put handcuffs on."

She continues to cry, pleading to be let go as the officers lead her out of the school.

"I don't want to go in the police car," she sobs.

"You don't want to," the officer says. "You have to."

"No, please. No, please, give me a second chance," Kaia cries. "Please, please just let me go."

On the same day that Kaia was arrested, officials said Turner arrested a second 6-year-old at school in a separate incident. According to the police department, he did not follow its policy requiring approval from a watch commander for the arrest of any children under the age of 12.

Turner wrote in an arrest report that the girl in the bodycam video had punched and kicked school employees, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

After leaving her in the car with the other officer, Turner returns to the school building where a woman staff member asks if the restraints are necessary.

"Yes," Turner responds, the video shows. "Uh, and if she was bigger, she would've been wearing regular handcuffs."

He then tells the staff member that the youngest kid he's ever arrested was a 7-year-old who was stealing from Albertson's and "thought it was a joke."

"Seven is the youngest. She's 8, isn't she?" the officer asks. The woman says she's 6.

"She's 6? Now she has broken the record. She broke the record," the officer said.

Shortly after the incident, Kirkland told NBC affiliate WLFA her granddaughter was handcuffed, fingerprinted, and had mugshots taken before she was released from custody.

“No 6-year-old child should be able to tell somebody that they had handcuffs on them, and they were riding in the back of a police car and taken to a juvenile center to be fingerprinted, mug shot,” Kirkland said in September.

An attorney with the Smith & Eulo Law Firm, which is representing the girl's family, told BuzzFeed News Tuesday that Kaia has since been enrolled in a different school and is meeting with a counselor on a weekly basis. The firm filed a notice of intent to sue against the city of Orlando in November.

In a statement Tuesday, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said that in addition to firing Turner, the department has implemented changes to prevent this from happening again, including now requiring arrests of children under the age of 12 to be approved by a deputy chief.

"As a Grandfather myself, I understand how traumatic this incident was for the children and everyone involved," Rolón said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
World Cup Visitors Turn American Big-Box Stores Into Souvenir Stops
Netflix Weighs Always-On Channels, Bundles and Short-Form Video
Passenger Is Pulled Partly Outside Ryanair Jet After Window Fails Mid-Flight
Innovation-led growth strategy
Public service reform pressure
Defence and industrial security
Labour leadership transition and economic reset
Northern England Pushes for Greater Influence in Britain’s Future Economic Model
UK Technology Strategy Focuses on Life Sciences, Digital Innovation and Research Investment
Britain and United States Maintain Focus on Pharmaceuticals Cooperation and Industrial Growth
UK Public Services Face Continued Pressure as Government Promises Visible Improvements
Regional Economic Power Becomes Key Theme in Britain’s Next Political Phase
Britain Expands Support for Small Businesses as Firms Seek Better Access to Finance
UK Economy Remains Central Political Challenge as Cost of Living and Growth Concerns Persist
National Health Service Introduces New Workplace Reviews to Improve Conditions for Healthcare Staff
UK Life Sciences Sector Secures More Than Three Billion Pounds in Investment to Support Innovation
Britain Strengthens Defence Strategy as Security Concerns Reshape Military and Industrial Policy
Andy Burnham Promises Stronger UK Defence Industry and Expanded Domestic Production
UK Government Faces Difficult Spending Choices as Labour Leadership Transition Approaches
Rachel Reeves Warns Andy Burnham of Immediate Economic Challenges After Expected Leadership Change
Andy Burnham Prepares to Lead UK Government With Plans for Regional Power Shift and Economic Reset
Government Creates Emergency Support Scheme for Financially Struggling Universities
United Kingdom Replaces Traditional Farm Subsidies With Payments Linked to Environmental Performance
National Grid Reports First Week of Electricity Generation Without Fossil Fuels
United Kingdom Financial Regulator Introduces Tougher Capital Rules for Cryptocurrency Exchanges
Belfast Harbour Expands Operations to Attract Investment Through United Kingdom and European Union Market Access
Scottish Government Threatens Legal Challenge Over Westminster Cuts to North Sea Transition Funding
United Kingdom Accelerates Trans-Pennine High-Speed Rail Project Linking Northern Cities
United Kingdom Secures Ten Billion Pound Investment for Cambridge Quantum Computing Campus
Port Talbot Steelworks Wins Support for Green Hydrogen Transition and Protection of Industrial Jobs
United Kingdom Sends Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group to Indo-Pacific as Regional Security Focus Expands
National Health Service Expands Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics Across England to Reduce Screening Backlogs
United Kingdom Launches Fifty Billion Pound Infrastructure Fund to Accelerate Housing and Construction
UK Medical Chiefs Update Health Guidance to Promote Everyday Physical Activity
Office of Communications Keeps Wikipedia Under Review Under UK Online Safety Rules
UK Defence Ministry Expands Deep-Strike Capability Through Precision Missile Programme
Russell Group Universities Warn Funding Cuts Could Damage NHS Workforce Training
UK Parliament Calls for National Emergency Broadcast as Heatwave Conditions Intensify
UK and Netherlands Strengthen Naval Cooperation With New Amphibious Defence Partnership
UK Defence Ministry Joins International Missile Programme With One Hundred and Ninety Million Pound Investment
Bank of England Warns Middle East Conflict and AI Risks Could Pressure UK Economy
UK Government Introduces New Rules to Limit Foreign Influence in Political Donations
UK and France Prepare Naval Mission to Protect Shipping Through Strait of Hormuz
United States Pressures UK to Increase Defence Spending at NATO Summit
Bank of England Warns Artificial Intelligence Investment Boom Could Create Financial Stability Risks
Bank of England Begins Direct Oversight of Critical Technology Providers Supporting UK Finance
Andy Burnham Set to Become UK Prime Minister After Labour Leadership Race Clears Path to Downing Street
Scottish Fishing Industry Calls for Emergency Support Amid Rising Costs
UK Supports Stronger European Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine
Devon and Cornwall Police Release Suspect in Ann Widdecombe Murder Investigation
×