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Cops Rough Up and Handcuff 15-Year-Old Girl for Using Her Student MetroCard

The NYPD is investigating an incident involving the roughing up and handcuffing of a 15-year-old girl for using a student MetroCard officers believed was not hers. (Spoiler: They were wrong.) On July 26, summer-schooler Alexis Sumpter was waiting for the A train at 125th Street when two plainclothes officers — who had apparently seen a turnstile light indicating a student card had been swiped — approached her and demanded to know her age.

When Sumpter could not produce an ID, the cops called her a liar and summoned a third officer, who “[pressed] her face against the wall while the two others cuffed her” while saying they “didn’t owe an explanation” for the harsh treatment. They then called Sumpter’s father, who vouched for her age, but the girl was only uncuffed and released when her mother brought a copy of her birth certificate to the station. There, officers finally explained their reasoning, which was that her daughter “looked like an adult.” Take note, teens: There are some disadvantages to looking older than your age — especially when you live in a city with a very, very aggressive police force.

Cops Rough Up Teenager for Student Metrocard Use