BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -
Should police officers be allowed to spray schoolchildren with mace?
A group of Birmingham city schools parents say no. They've filed a federal lawsuit against the police department asking for the practice to stop, and today they took their case directly to the city council. This case started when two sisters were sprayed with mace by a police officer who was working as a school resource officer during a school day.
Their mother sued to stop the practice, and today LaTonya Stearnes presented the city council with a petition that has more than 25,000 signatures of people who agree with her.
"My daughters are good girls. They did not deserve the physical or emotional pain they had to endure with this," Stearnes said.
For Stearnes this is a personal issue but she says it's also a question of good judgement. In her opinion, school-aged students shouldn't be maced no matter what the circumstances.
"What happened to my girls should not happen to any other student in the Birmingham city school system. I ask the community, the country, and all over the world to stand up with me because this needs to stop," she said.
The head of Greater Birmingham Ministries, Scott Douglas, agreed, saying it's a bad example to set in a city that will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the height of the civil rights movement next year.
"I hope we don't celebrate the memory of kids being fire hosed, while Birmingham school kids are still being maced," Douglas said.
On FOX6 News at noon, police chief A.C. Roper defended his department, pointing out the recent arrests of two teenage suspects in the case of five men murdered in Ensley.
"It's interesting from the standpoint that we just arrested a 16- and 17-year old in the homicides of five people, and we're talking about officers having spray," Roper said. "So we're still trying to understand what the claim is and what the solutions are."
The attorneys for Stearnes say they want school resource officers to have special training. So far, they say they haven't been able to negotiate with the city so they're planning on heading to trial late this summer.
No comment today from Mayor Bell's office.
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