Police Officers Berate, Threaten 5-Year-Old Boy: Watch Video

Editor's note: The video, as well as the description of the video, might be disturbing for some readers.

SILVER SPRING, MD — Newly released video shows two Montgomery County Police officers berating a 5-year-old boy who had left school grounds and threatening him with a beating.

The 51-minute body camera footage was released Friday by the Montgomery County Police Department. It was recorded on Jan. 14, 2020, and involved a kindergartener at East Silver Spring Elementary School.

"I watched in horror as what can only be described as a nightmare unfolded for nearly an hour," Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando said in a statement. "It made me sick."

The councilmember — who is an outspoken advocate of police reform — said he had requested the footage for three months.

The video begins with officers Kevin Christmon and Dionne Holliday finding the little boy in what appears to be a residential neighborhood.

Christmon approaches the boy — who is leaning against a car — and asks: "You feel like you can make your own decisions, huh? You feel like you can do what you want? Are you an adult? Are you 18?"

Seconds later, he grabs the boy's wrist and the boy begins to cry.

As the officer puts him in the back of his cruiser, the boy cries out: "I don't want to go!"

"I don't care!" Christmon shouts back. "You don't make that decision for yourself."

The child was driven back to East Silver Spring Elementary School, where administrators say he attacked a teacher and broke a computer before leaving the property.

"This is why people need to beat their kids," Holliday said in the video.

Once inside an office at the school, Christmon lifts up the crying child and carries him to a chair.

"Shut that noise up!" Holliday can be heard saying. "I hope your mama let me beat you."

She moves her face close to his and yells "Ahhh!" five times — seemingly mocking his sobs.

"Oh, my God, I'd beat him so bad," she told Christmon, before speaking to the child again. "Oh, my God. You do not embarrass me like this at school."

Eventually, the boy's mother arrived at school. According to the video, both officers repeatedly encouraged her to "beat" her child.

"We want you to beat him," Holliday said.

"I can't beat him ... because I'm not going to prison," the mother replied.

"You don't go to prison for beating your child," Holliday explained. "...You don't use a weapon to discipline. But you can smack that butt repeatedly."

At one point, Christmon holds out his handcuffs and tells the boy: "When you get older — when you want to make your own decisions — you know what's going to be your best friend? These right here."

"You know what these are for?" Christmon asks as he handcuffs the boy's wrist. "These are for people who don't want to listen and don't know how to act."

The officer then pulls the boy closer to him and puts both of his hands behind his back. He eventually uncuffs him.

The police department said it has conducted an internal investigation and the findings are being kept confidential under Maryland law. To date, both officers are still working at the police department.

The police department's union, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 35, said the incident "could have been handled better by all involved."

In response to the footage, County Executive Marc Elrich (D) released a statement — saying the video was "difficult to watch" and "does not reflect the training and expectations we have for our police officers."

In a separate statement, the County Council said the incident "reflects the need for increased police training on interactions with young children and de-escalating situations."

"We must also state that we do not condone the unacceptable statements made by the officers that appear to encourage child abuse. The Montgomery County Council unequivocally condemns child abuse, and no member of our government should ever encourage it," they wrote.

Lawmakers said they repeatedly asked for the footage, but only received it 23 minutes before it was released to the public.

"We were blindsided by the notice of the public release and expected much greater advance notice prior to (Friday), particularly since this incident happened over a year ago," they wrote. "The footage should have also been released to the public much earlier."

Montgomery County Public Schools also condemned the incident, saying adults should never speak to children this way.

"As parents and grandparents, we know that when families send their children to school, they expect that the staff will care for them, keep them safe and use appropriate intervention processes when needed. In MCPS, we have a commitment to addressing the social-emotional well-being of our students, celebrating their strengths, and helping them meet their full potential," a statement released by MCPS read. "While we are unable to provide further comment on this incident due to pending litigation, we want to assure the MCPS community that we are unwavering in our commitment to ensure that all MCPS schools are safe places where students can learn, thrive, and reach their highest potential."

The mother has filed a lawsuit against the individual officers, court records reveal.