Police Sued For Assaulting Latino Kid With Down Syndrome

The Ortiz family in Cleveland, Ohio are suing police there, claiming their 17 year-old son Juan, who has Down syndrome, was assaulted in a case of mistaken identity. The alleged assault took place in August of last year in front of the family’s home. Juan was outside listening to his walkman when police mistook him for a robbery suspect. The family’s attorney told Fox8:

“But when you have the family trying to explain this is a child with down syndrome and the person they’re looking for is in their 50’s or 40’s and is a white male and this is 4’11” and 118 lb. Latino child, you have to wonder what’s wrong with them.”

That’s right, the police confused an old white man with a young Latino child. What they did do the kid, according to the lawsuit and the attorney:

“…threw him up against Mr. Ortez’s hot vehicle and held him there for awhile until Juan received a burn in his pubic area and later he had to have surgery for it.”

Pobrecito. The police, for their part, said they acted professionally and let Juan go as soon as they realized they had the wrong person. What do you think about that?