A video of an Omaha, Nebraska toddler cursing and flipping his middle finger at adults, who yell curses back, went viral. The child, whose name has not been revealed, has been taken into protective custody, along with three other children.
The Omaha Police Department said in a statement that officials were able to identify the child and the adults yelling at him. The Omaha Police Department Child Victim Unit began an investigation and took the child and three others after being concerned for their safety. However, officials said that they did not find any criminal activities in the video.
CNN reports that the video hit the internet when the Omaha Police Officers Association posted it on their Facebook page and their website. It subsequently gained national attention, with the ACLU criticizing the group for releasing it.
In the video, an African-American toddler is seen only wearing a diaper. The child knocks over a chair and adults are overheard yelling obscenities. The child then responds by yelling curses back and even flips the middle finger at them.
“We here at OmahaPOA.com viewed the video and we knew that despite the fact that it is sickening, heartbreaking footage, we have an obligation to share it to continue to educate the law abiding public about the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in,” the officers’ union wrote on their website.
One of the union’s critics was Willie Hamilton, executive director of Black Men United in Omaha, notes The New York Daily News. “It’s almost like the kid was abused twice: once by the people in the video and once by the police officers association,” he said.
image: OmahaPOA.com