Police defend pepper spraying boy, 8

LAKEWOOD, Colo., April 6 (UPI) -- Police in Lakewood, Colo., say pepper spray was the appropriate response to an 8-year-old boy threatening his teachers with a sharpened stick.

During the incident Feb. 22 at Glennon Elementary School, the boy was handcuffed after he dropped the stick, KUSA-TV, Denver, reported Monday. He has since been transferred to a school for children with behavioral problems.

"You've got teachers barricading themselves in a room. They are obviously frightened," said Steve Davis, a spokesman for the Lakewood police. "I think they not only made the right choice, they made a great choice that day to use the pepper spray."

The boy's mother, identified by KUSA only as Mandy, said she thought police overreacted. She said on two previous occasions police officers had simply talked to her son until he calmed down.

"I'm sure what he was doing wasn't right, but he's 8 years old," Mandy said. "They walked in, asked him to drop the stick, and then sprayed him with the spray."