13-year-old autistic boy dies after being held face down for an hour by school staff after he became violent
A school in El Dorado County has come under fire for using excessive restraining techniques that allegedly resulted in the death of a 13-year-old autistic boy. According to the Sacramento Bee, a source revealed that the student was subjected to a 'prone' restraint, which involves holding the subject face down to ensure they don't move. The student is said to have been restrained in the manner for almost an hour.
El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Anthony Prencipe told the publication in a statement that the boy was severely autistic and had allegedly started getting violent, following which the staff of the school is said to have to put him in a restraining hold. The spokesperson also revealed that medical assistance was called after the boy became unresponsive. It is unclear as to what triggered the violence or for how long he had been in the hold.
School is in session at Guiding Hands School in El Dorado Hills after a 13 year old boy died. The autistic student became unresponsive after he was restrained in a prone position (lying face down). Two days later he died in a hospital. @FOX40 pic.twitter.com/9LmmPYcKCn
— Pedro Rivera (@PedroRiveraTV) December 7, 2018