Man Arrested After Swatting Child who was Kicking Him

[CrysG]

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A man was arrested after he repeatedly told a child to stop kicking him, then took his belt off a swatted the child several times. The two had no family relation.

Forty-eight-year-old Derrick Richards was charged with child abuse.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the boy was playing with a friend who knew Richards.

The child asked Richards for ice cream money at his school, Hyde Park Elementary. When Richards told the child no and that he was not his father, the child begin pulling at his pockets.

Richards repeatedly told the child to stop, but the boy insisted and began kicking Richards on the leg. When he turned to the boy and said, 'Stop or I'll whoop your butt,' the child picked up a rock and hit Richards in the back of the head.

Richards chased the boy and struck him with his belt several times. He told police he had to defend himself and could not let the boy continue.

The boy told police that Richards hit him with the belt all over his body, including his head, and that he threw the rock to defend himself.

"Health wise, he's fine. But mentally he just can't believe an adult took off his belt off and beat him," the boy's mother, Mona Johnson-Long, told First Coast News' Erich Spivey.

Police did not see any marks on the child. And he did not have any bruising on his head.

There were two witnesses who said they saw Richards striking the child, but did not see what lead up to the incident.
©2009 First Coast News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.


http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=136596&provider=rss



1) I LOVE how mom said "Health wise, he's fine. But mentally he just can't believe an adult took off his belt off and beat him". That said the whole story. She needs to be arrested for not being a responsible parent.

2) Where can I donate some money for his defense fund?

[RiversideLoki]

Little brat needed a spank. Obviously his parents won't do it. As a parent, I find it horribly offensive with what some other parents let their kids get away with because they're scared to spank them and coddle them. What those parents fail to realize is that if you raise your children right there's seldom need to spank. There are far more entertaining forms of punishment that will teach your kids respect. I prefer push-ups and grass-drills.

+1 on the legal defense fund.

[Springfielder]

It's shameful how there's so many sorry a$$ parents out there that just don't control their chirrens. This kid sounds like a brat, and needed his but tore up...too bad it meant this guy being arrested for doing what the sorry parent(s) should've done long ago.

This little moron not only was kicking the guy, but then threw a rock and hit him on the back of the head with it. Sounds like the kid should've been arrested for his actions.

[Omarvelous09]

He's lucky thats all that poor guy did. God help him if that was me... lol

[TREE4309]

that kid sucks and got what he deserves.

[Shwaz]

Should've hit him with a phone book...  POS kid.

When I was dropped off at friends houses growing up my pops would always tell the parent's of the household to give me a good shot in the pants if I got out of line. I stayed in line.

[mtraininjax]

I love the westside news!