A video of officers in Syracuse, New York, putting a sobbing 8-year-old Black child in the back of a police car has recently gone viral, and the public wants answers.

The video opens with the young boy crying as at least three police officers surround him. A few seconds later, the officers restraining the child led him to the police car, prompting the boy to loudly wail and sob.

Meanwhile, the civilian recording the matter, Kenneth Jackson, calls the officers out. However, the authorities doubled down on their response to the situation, referring to the 8-year-old as a thief.

The videographer continues arguing with the officers, saying they “snatch[ed] him off the bike like he’s a f**king grown-ass man” for allegedly stealing a bag of chips.

Additionally, another young boy steps forward and defends the detained 8-year-old, yelling “it wasn’t him” in response to the chip-theft accusation.

As the police continue accusing the child of breaking the law, the cameraperson offers to pay for the allegedly purloined Doritos. However, the authorities keep the boy in the backseat, and the video ends soon after.

The recording was soon uploaded onto social media, and various outlets began reporting on the matter.

As you might’ve guessed, the public outrage was enormous, with many accusing the officers of going too far.

In response to the situation, the Syracuse Police Department (SPD) released a statement on Instagram.

“We are aware of a video being shared on social media involving several of our Officers and juveniles accused of stealing from a store on the City’s northside. The incident, including the Officers’ actions and body-worn cameras, are being reviewed,” it read.

As the statement went on, some additional information was shared.

“There is some misinformation involving this case. The juvenile suspected of larceny was not placed in handcuffs. He was placed in the rear of a patrol unit, where he was directly brought home. Officers met with the child’s father and no charges were filed,” the spokesperson wrote.

Ben Walsh, Mayor of Syracuse, also released a statement and confirmed that “the officer knew the child from prior interactions” and took him home without filing charges.

The boy’s father, Anthony Weah, spoke on the matter, slamming the SPD’s treatment of his 8-year-old son.

“Why would the police treat [my] child like that? Over a $3 bag of chips?” he asked.

Weah also acknowledged that, while his son stealing chips is not okay, he still has an issue with how the cops handled the matter.

“The policeman, they are not children. They are not boys — they’re men,” he noted.

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