A TikTok video showing a 12-year-old Black boy being arrested while riding a bike in North Carolina has sparked widespread debate. The child was taken into custody and charged with reckless riding, raising questions about whether the arrest was necessary.
The video, filmed by a bystander, shows the boy sitting in the back seat of a police car with handcuffs on. A police officer can be heard explaining, “[If] they recklessly drive into traffic, hitting cars, we try to stop them,” and that authorities seize the bike to prevent further incidents.
Spectators in the video challenge the arrest, arguing it was unnecessary since the boy hadn’t hit any cars. One bystander says, “That’s how it should’ve been … that’s a minor,” insisting a warning would have sufficed. The officer counters, explaining it is “not how it works.”
The boy can be heard reciting his mother’s phone number, asking witnesses to contact her.
His mother, Jasmine Ervin, later told WBTV that her son was on a “rideout with his friends” in a park with bike lanes and busy sidewalks. She explained that the police followed and tried to stop the children, prompting her son to evade them out of fear.
“They absolutely did go too far. He’s 12, he’s 89 pounds,” Ervin said, calling the arrest unnecessary and saying the incident took away some of her son’s innocence.
The boy was charged with reckless driving but was released the same day.
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