Father Assaults Child At Grocery Store: New Haven Police

NEW HAVEN, CT — A father is accused of "assaulting and kicking his 12-year-old child" at a local business, New Haven police said.

At 3:51 p.m. Thursday, police responded to Key Foods, 480 Greenwich Ave., on a report of an assault. Witnesses told police that the man was in possession of a box cutter, police said.

"Upon the officers' arrival, a large crowd was surrounding the father, later identified as Kareem Smalls, while others were tending to the child," police wrote in a news release. "Officers ordered Smalls to get down on the ground and put his hands behind his back, but he refused, yelling at officers and the crowd."

Officers saw a box cutter in Smalls' pocket and when he continued to refuse commands and tried to walk away, a police K9 was deployed, police said.

Smalls, 42, of New Haven, was taken into custody with bite wounds to his leg. The child had swelling to the arms and face and complained of head and leg pain from being kicked, police said.

Video footage was recovered which captured the assault showing "Smalls kicking, punching and hitting the child in the head with keys, while s/he was on the ground and dragging the child by the hair," police said.

Smalls is charged with second-degree assault, risk of injury to a minor, second-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer, and second-degree breach of peace. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of the dog bite and is being held in lieu of a $250,000 bond, police said.

The child was taken to the hospital for evaluation and the state Department of Children and Families responded to take custody, police said.

image of Kareem Smalls, 42, of New Haven, via New Haven Police Department