The image on Facebook of a girl with long braids being handcuffed by a deputy immediately caught Jennifer Mitchell’s attention. She recognized the girl and a group of children in the photos, who, all summer long, “took pride” in doing yard work to earn extra cash.
Seeing the girl handcuffed by a Marion County sheriff’s deputy a few blocks from her home simply didn’t compute. Based on the time of the social media post, the kids had just left after mowing the lawn of her Irvington neighborhood home.
“These are sweet and respectful kids, so it’s wild to me that (the deputy) would do that,” Mitchell said.
The sheriff’s office is defending its deputy, who was on duty when the interaction happened before 3 p.m. Aug. 24 near North Arlington Street and Lowell Avenue.
According to the Facebook post, which had more than 300 shares generating hundreds of comments as of 3 p.m. Aug. 27, the children were playing around when one of them “cussed” and another child hit them as punishment. The deputy saw the interaction and decided to investigate, handcuffing the girl in the process.
In a statement to IndyStar, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the deputy, while on duty, witnessed a “fight” in the neighborhood, and standard procedure when breaking up or investigating an active fight is to briefly detain those involved, often using handcuffs to ensure the safety of all involved.
The deputy quickly learned the children knew each other and that the situation “didn’t warrant further police action,” the sheriff’s office said, noting the interaction “lasted only a few minutes.”
Facebook post shows girl in handcuffs
But it’s those few minutes that some, like Mitchell, feel leave a lasting negative impression on children.
“I truly believe he saw these unsupervised Black kids and immediately profiled them,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said it shouldn’t take handcuffing a child to get them to stop bickering. The deputy could have taken the opportunity to talk to them and establish a trusted connection, she said. Instead, Mitchell feels like he used fear and scare tactics to target the children.
“I understand youth being out of control in this city,” Mitchell said. “But these are all good kids under the age of 14. They were profiled! That type of thing sticks with you, and it just makes a bigger divide between law enforcement and the community.”
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Black children viewed differently by police
Conversations about the policing of Black children have been discussed on a wide scale for decades, with experts weighing in on national studies. Research from a 2014 study by the American Psychological Association showed that people often perceive Black youth as 4.5 years older than they actually are.
Kristin Henning, director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic at Georgetown University’s law school, said that matters when law enforcement is making a split-second decision. In a 2021 NPR interview, Henning said America has a long history of failing to see Black children as children
The Center of Policing Equity touched on the adultification of Black children in a 2023 article, citing the same research. Black children, the research showed, are often treated as adults by age 13, if not well before. They’re also regularly perceived as less innocent and more threatening than their White peers.
IndyStar reached out to multiple local experts, including the ACLU, to weigh in on the images, but experts declined to comment on this specific case.
The role of deputies in Marion County
Pictures shared on Facebook show a Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy handcuffing a child with other children around on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025.
IndyStar has not been able to get in contact with the children’s parents or guardians, and could not verify their ages. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office did not share the name of the deputy but said the matter was referred to their Internal Affairs department Aug. 25.
While Marion County Sheriff’s deputies typically manage the jail, serve warrants and enforce court orders, a spokesperson said deputies are sworn law enforcement officers, obligated to intervene and investigate any potential criminal activity they observe.
“Our deputies take seriously the responsibility to protect our neighborhoods and look out for our young people,” a statement from the office said. “We will continue working conscientiously, fairly, and with care to reduce conflict and keep our streets safe for everyone.”
Mitchell feels the scenario was a missed opportunity for law enforcement to build trust.
“I know we have 12-year-olds with Glock switches, but these kids aren’t hoodlums,” Mitchell said. “He would know that if he took the time to really connect with them, vs. detaining them the way that he did.”
Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Marion County deputy’s handcuffing of Black girl sparks questions