A 13-year old girl was handcuffed by a sheriff's deputy in Irvington. Her mother wants answers

An Irvington mother is demanding answers after a Marion County Sheriff’s deputy briefly handcuffed her 13-year-old daughter during an encounter Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred near the intersection of Arlington and Lowell avenues shortly before 3 p.m., where witnesses say a group of children were playing and roughhousing. A deputy in an unmarked vehicle saw the group, stopped and detained the Black girl because he thought she was involved in an "active fight."

A WFYI staff member witnessed the event and recorded part of the interaction on video.

After the girl was released, she ran into her nearby home. Irene, the mother, said her daughter was in tears.

“We asked her why she was crying. And she told us and we both got up and went outside,” Irene said. “And we saw the police cars turning around and leaving.”

WFYI is identifying Irene only by her first name, and not naming her daughter because this story involves sensitive information about her.

Irene said she is upset about how her daughter was treated, and troubled that the deputy or other law enforcement did not seek her out. The Sheriff’s Office had not contacted the family as of Thursday afternoon.

“I really want answers from him. I want to know what made him do it,” Irene said of the deputy. “I want him to get into trouble.”

Irene said she filed a complaint with the office’s Internal Affairs Unit.

Now, she said the eighth grader does not want to attend school and feels embarrassed that people in the neighborhood know what happened. Images of the incident were shared on social media this week.

“She is shook up from it. She is kind of embarrassed about it,” Irene said. “She does not want to do anything.”

The incident sparked debate in the community about whether handcuffing a child was an appropriate response. Some residents questioned whether the deputy’s decision could damage trust between young people and law enforcement.

In a statement, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Sgt. Kevin Kegin observed what appeared to be a fight and stopped to intervene.

“Deputies are sworn law enforcement officers, obligated to intervene and investigate any potential criminal activity they observe,” the agency said in an email to WFYI. “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."

Kegin determined the children knew each other and no further police action was necessary. The child was released within minutes and the handcuffs were removed, according to the office.

The Sheriff’s Office said the situation was referred to its Internal Affairs Unit “out of an abundance of caution.” Kegin is a 15-year veteran of the office.

The Internal Affairs Unit investigates allegations of misconduct and can recommend discipline or additional training, according to the Sheriff’s Office website. Investigations typically include reviewing reports, interviewing witnesses and evaluating whether a deputy followed department policies.

Eric Weddle is WFYI's education editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at @ericweddle.