Those felonies are defined by the state.īut there's growing debate in several states about whether the minimum age should be higher, that children behaving badly shouldn't be viewed as criminal. It was part of a wider police reform bill and says no one under 7 years of age can be arrested, charged or adjudicated unless they've committed a forcible felony. Kaia's ordeal prompted Florida to set a minimum age for a juvenile's arrest. 'She also still suffers from separation anxiety.' It also led to changes in state law.īut Kaia is still feeling the effects of that day more than two years later, her grandmother, Meralyn Kirkland, tells NPR. The video of her crying and pleading with a school resource officer not to handcuff her sparked widespread outrage at the time. The then first-grader was accused of kicking and punching staff members while throwing a tantrum.Ī police officer used zip ties to handcuff her. Kaia Rolle was 6 years old when police arrested her at a Florida school in 2019. Sarah Espedido/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images Meralyn Kirkland with her granddaughter, Kaia Rolle.
