Child with autism handcuffed during outburst at New Bern Mall; mom demands answers

NEW BERN, N.C. (WTVD) -- A New Bern mother demands answers after officers handcuffed her 10-year-old son who has autism and is non-verbal.

Sasha Strayhorn said it happened at the New Bern Mall. Her son had an outburst and officers handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a patrol car.

"This is unacceptable. This shouldn't happen to my child or anybody else's child," Strayhorn said. She went on to say it's not the first time her son has had an outburst, but in all previous instances, officers talked him down without using force.

New Bern Police Chief Patrick Gallagher said officers took action for the safety of the child and bystanders. He said the child was not injured and his department planned to release body camera footage showing what happened.

Strayhorn took her complaint to the New Bern Board of Alderman, which declined to comment due to an ongoing investigation.