12-year-old boys were playing with gun before sergeant stepped in, Florida video shows

Two 12-year-old boys were handcuffed and put in “secure detention” by a Florida sheriff’s sergeant after she encountered them firing a pistol for amusement, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.

It happened around 12:30 p.m. Monday, July 11, in the Oak Hill area, and video of the encounter shows the deputy pulled her own pistol after the boys claimed “it wasn’t a real gun.” Oak Hill is 60 miles northeast of Orlando.

A loaded pistol was found at the scene, officials say.

Investigators say a motorist was the first to report the boys, after hearing the gunshots.

“The reporting parties ... went to check to see if anyone was injured. One of the boys then pointed the gun at their car, which was occupied by 2 adults and 3 children,” the sheriff’s office reported.

“A responding sheriff’s sergeant heard and witnessed additional gunshots as she approached.”

In the video, the sergeant arrives to find the two boys running away and threatens to unleash a dog if they don’t stop.

“Put your hands up. Come out to me right now,” the sergeant yells. “Let me see your hands. Stop right there. Keep your hands where I can see ‘em. You drop them, bad things are going to happen. You understand me?”

The officer then learns the boys are 12 and on someone else’s land. The pair deny they had a real gun, despite the sergeant noting she saw one of them carrying it.

“Lying to me is not a good deal, dude,” the sergeant says, before putting the pair in handcuffs. “I’m securing you for my safety and yours right now.”

A loaded pistol, ammunition and four empty shell casings were found during a search of the area, the video shows.

“The boys, both age 12, were taken into custody without incident and charged with discharging a firearm and possession of a firearm by a person under 16,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.

“The boy who pointed the gun at the witnesses was also charged with aggravated assault with a firearm. Both were transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice and taken in for secure detention. ... The source (of the gun) remains under investigation.”

This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 7:48 AM with the headline "12-year-old boys were playing with gun before sergeant stepped in, Florida video shows."