A 12 year-old boy with a high-pitched voice was filmed being arrested and handcuffed by North Carolina police over claims he was riding his bicycle recklessly.
The clip, filmed in Charlotte's South End, show the child sitting on the sidewalk in cuffs before he is seen again inside the police vehicle.
He is said to have ridden into traffic in a dangerous manner.
One officer is heard explaining the arrest to bystanders: '[If] they recklessly drive into traffic, hitting cars, we try to stop them. Obviously they take off, so we have to seize the bike… doesn't matter if they're a kid, it's still illegal, right?'
When pressed further, the officer added: 'He doesn't have to,' after being asked if the boy had actually struck a car.
Bystanders can be heard pushing back. 'So if he ain't hit no car, it should have been a warning,' one man said. Another asked: 'And why is he in the back of a police car?'
At another point in the video, the boy is heard giving out a phone number and asking someone to call his mother.
The TikTok, which has been viewed more than 50,000 times, sparked furious reactions online.
One user wrote: 'Out of everything that goes on in Charlotte THIS is what they choose to address?! A kid riding his bike?! Smh.'
Another added: 'That child did nothing wrong to be in handcuffs in the back of a police car.'
Video shows the 12-year-old boy sitting handcuffed on a Charlotte sidewalk before being placed in the back of a police cruiser
Bystanders can be heard confronting officers, demanding to know why the child was arrested instead of being given a warning
Others compared it to more dangerous drivers who are ignored, with one comment reading: 'Cars be racing on 485 consistently… yet this is what our tax dollars go to.'
Another blasted the lack of safe spaces for kids: 'Meanwhile, there's absolutely no parks for kids to ride bikes and enjoy being outdoors!!!'
CMPD has defended the officers, saying in a statement: 'Because this incident involves a juvenile, only limited information can be released to the public in accordance with privacy laws.
'However, we can confirm that officers acted to ensure the safety of the individual seen in the video, based on the circumstances at the time.
'The department's Central Division regularly responds to reports of individuals riding bicycles in a manner that poses a danger to themselves or others on city roadways. This remains an active investigation.'
