'Furious' mum claims 10 police officers violently arrested autistic son, 15, at Sheffield home

[AGXStarseed]

(Not written by me)


A Sheffield mum claims police have 'no idea' how to deal with autistic people over claims 10 officers arrested her autistic 15-year-old son violently.

Mum Helena Reid, aged 50, claims a 'hoard' of officers stormed into her home last week to arrest autistic son Brandon, who had failed to return to a residential care home.

Helena said it is 'ridiculous' that 12 police officers attended her Parson Cross home and has criticsed the 'heavy-handed' way police arrested Brandon. She claims that Brandon has been left 'deeply traumatised' by the incident due to his condition.

Helena, of Gleadless, said: "I answered the door to a hoard of police officers. Two policemen went into my house and pulled Brandon off the sofa.

"At this point I threw myself over Brandon, but police pulled me off. Then around ten more police officers just dived on him, put him in handcuffs and dragged him away.

"He's a young teenage lad, with severe autism. He doesn't understand why this happened and has been left deeply traumatised.

"Why on earth does it take 12 police officers, attending in two riot vans and several police cars, to arrest a 15-year-old boy? I am furious.

"There was no need for them to be so violent either. It just shows that the police still have no idea how to deal with autistic people."

Helena said Brandon had been staying with her for the weekend and was supposed to return to a residential care home in Stoke-on-Trent on Sunday. However, Helena said she contacted the home and they agreed he could stay another night.

Brandon then ran away before care home staff came to collect him on Monday at 7.30pm. At 11,30am the following day, police attended the home and arrested Brandon.

Helena said that Brandon was voluntarily admitted into the care home in May as his sister had just given birth and concerns were raised about Brandon being around the newborn baby.

Brandon Reid with his niece.

Helena said: "Brandon is fine with the baby. But his sister has now moved out of my house and I want Brandon living with me again.

"He's not dangerous - he just needs to be treated like a human being."

South Yorkshire Police have been approached for a comment.


SOURCE: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/furio...d-autistic-son-15-at-sheffield-home-1-8237263

 

[biblophile]

What a story, I think police love showing off their power over others. Good thing this did not happen in America, the police would have shot him dead.

 

[toothless]

i suffer from quite severe nerve damage in my spine thanks to being manhandled by a gaggle of police over the period of 20 hours,no they dont all understand autism,some of them do try to relate to me though.

i have a bit of a issue with the story,firstly,i think the mum in the story should have made the sister move out of the home and get a flat as she would have got one no problem on social housing being pregnant,the young lad brandon was forced into residential care with no understanding of why and he will have had to live with people he didnt know and were no doubt very unpredictible to him.
he will have lost a lot of his benefits [when you go into residential care,you lose the care component of DLA] and your only allowed a small amount each week-aka pocket money in residential care,he wont have had a good quality of life if my experiences are anything to go by.
you also come across a lot of agency staff in residential care and so many of them can barely speak english or know the basics of what to do when it comes to interacting with someone who interacts without voice,why oh why would you choose to have your son put into care and not a supported living option with 2:1 or 1:1 support is beyond me.

anyway thats my complaint,as for the police,they need a heck of a lot more training,its disgusting that we are treated like criminals if we resist restraint and we are restrained even worse-i had my entire legs tied up and hand cuffs on and my head held down whils restrained on the floor during one incident.

a residential care home i used to live in, actually trains greater manchester police every year on autism and learning [intellectual] disability,but its only once a year and there arent that many that turn up.