Muslim school boy arrested Texas

Grab All Association

Fourteen-year-old Ahmed Mohamed from Irving, Texas, is a keen inventor. But when he bought his latest project to school to show his teachers, he was arrested and asked whether he'd tried to make a bomb instead.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Ahmed, who likes to make radios, fix his own go-kart and is a member of his school robotics club, made a simple electronic clock using a switchboard, put it in his pencil case, and took it to school on Monday.

Ahmed's engineering teacher was impressed, but when the clock beeped in his bag during a later English lesson, a teacher thought it looked like a bomb.

The school phoned the police. Ahmed was hauled out of the classroom by a teacher and a police officer and interrogated by five officers in total, all the while insisting that he hadn't bought a bomb to school.

In a video interview, Ahmed told The Dallas Morning News that a police officer he'd never met before looked him up and down and said "Yup. That’s who I thought it was.”

The principal threatened to expel him if he didn't make a written statement. Ahmed was arrested and led out of school in handcuffs to a juvenile detention centre, where his fingerprints were taken, and he was later allowed to go home.

Ahmed was suspended from school for three days and the police have said he might be charged with making a hoax bomb.

A police spokesperson told The Dallas Morning News:

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/a-muslim-school-boy-brought-his-science-project-to-school-and-got-arrested--bkWe8ibbNIg

They could/would've saved a lot of time and resources if they had of talked to the engineering teacher and other students in the class.

I hope the parents of the teenager sue the school and the police.

allibastor

Chris___ wrote: »

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/a-muslim-school-boy-brought-his-science-project-to-school-and-got-arrested--bkWe8ibbNIg

They could/would've saved a lot of time and resources if they had of talked to the engineering teacher and other students in the class.

I hope the parents of the teenager sue the school and the police.

What would have happened if he DID bring a bomb to school, and the teacher knew it but said nothing?

endacl

allibastor wrote: »

What would have happened if he DID bring a bomb to school, and the teacher knew it but said nothing?

A Big Bang?

allibastor

endacl wrote: »

A Big Bang?

Just reminds me of all those school shootings, where people knew something funny was going on but said nothing.

spaceHopper

Read about it on the BBC too, from the sound of it the teacher or police could easily have checked with his engineering teacher and saved a lot of hassle never mind the law suit they will have to answer. So far as I know the ratio to Christian children with guns to Muslim is very one sided in the States.

Red King

Texas.

K.Flyer

endacl wrote: »

A Big Bang?

That's just a theory. ..

REXER

endacl wrote: »

A Big Bang?

Is that just a theory.

Damn, too late!

Mint Sauce

He got away lucky with just being arrested going by the current state of law inforcement in the US.

But seriously, if I was his parents, i'd be seeking legal advice against the school and the police for their reaction.

Why are people hoping he sues?

Because the police force was too cautious? Their job is to investigate suspicious behaviour. He was carrying a device that looked suspicious in a country where sadly schoolkids have murdered their classmates time and again.

Should he sue his parents for allowing him to bring the item to school? Should he sue the engineering teacher for not stepping forward fast enough to clear his name?

Why must people rush to the suing reaction?

the dark phantom

Sure down in a refugee centre in Kerry, An Afghan took apart his radio and had the parts on his bed, A worker spotted them and called the guards.

TommyKnocker

Racial profiling, pure and simple.

cowboyBuilder

TommyKnocker wrote: »

Racial profiling, pure and simple.

Actual profiling !!

Zillah

Deleted User wrote: »

Why are people hoping he sues?

Because the police force was too cautious? Their job is to investigate suspicious behaviour. He was carrying a device that looked suspicious in a country where sadly schoolkids have murdered their classmates time and again.

Should he sue his parents for allowing him to bring the item to school? Should he sue the engineering teacher for not stepping forward fast enough to clear his name?

Why must people rush to the suing reaction?

It was a clock. He told them it was a clock. His engineering teacher knew it was a clock. He made no threats. He engaged in no suspicious behaviour. They questioned him for hours, put him in handcuffs, and kept implying that the clock was intended for some other purpose. He is still suspended and the police have said that him being charged with making a fake bomb is a possibility.

This would never, ever, have happened if he was called Dave Smith. They should sue to make schools more cautious about discriminating against their students.

stevedublin

Deleted User wrote: »

Why must people rush to the suing reaction?

cuz its 'Murica

wes

Yeah, the family should sue. The police didn't do there job, as the whole thing could have been cleared up with the engineering teacher in a few minutes, and him being still suspended is absurd as well.

Zillah

Zillah wrote: »

They should sue to make schools more cautious about discriminating against their students.

I hope the school join the parents in to any action. They should do so to make parents more cautious about what their kids bring to school.

Litigation all round solves every problem...

salmocab

The Police were right when called to come out and investigate, however if it took hours to ascertain what the device was, when presumably the child said quite early on that its a clock for engineering class and the teacher could have confirmed then thats just plain ineptitude or else over zealous policing bordering on racism. As has been said wouldn't have been as big a deal if he was a white kid.

Boring username

Zillah wrote: »

It was a clock. He told them it was a clock. His engineering teacher knew it was a clock. He made no threats. He engaged in no suspicious behaviour. They questioned him for hours, put him in handcuffs, and kept implying that the clock was intended for some other purpose. He is still suspended and the police have said that him being charged with making a fake bomb is a possibility.

This would never, ever, have happened if he was called Dave Smith. They should sue to make schools more cautious about discriminating against their students.

Dave Smith could be a Muslim also. Nice bit of racial profiling there...


As for the story itself, it was a false positive. Possibly an overreaction by the teacher, maybe there was previous behaviour that had been flagged up, who knows at this point.

Akrasia

Deleted User wrote: »

I hope the school join the parents in to any action. They should do so to make parents more cautious about what their kids bring to school.

Litigation all round solves every problem...

Oh come on. An engineering student brings in a clock he made himself to show to his teacher and his friends, and this is somehow irresponsible?

He didn't pretend it was a bomb. The only reason anyone thought it was a bomb is because the English teacher watches too much tv and thinks any timer with wires sticking out of it is a bomb...

The teacher is an idiot for jumping to conclusions, and the police are worse for how they treated the kid after it became perfectly obvious that this was not a bomb

salmocab

Deleted User wrote: »

I hope the school join the parents in to any action. They should do so to make parents more cautious about what their kids bring to school.

Litigation all round solves every problem...

He brought a clock to school. What parent would stop that.

Grab All Association

salmocab wrote: »

He brought a clock to school. What parent would stop that.

http://gearandtoys.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Timex-Weekender-Wrist-Watch.jpg

weisses

Deleted User wrote: »

Why are people hoping he sues?

Because the police force was too cautious? Their job is to investigate suspicious behaviour. He was carrying a device that looked suspicious in a country where sadly schoolkids have murdered their classmates time and again

He brought a clock ... Not a glock

seamus

Deleted User wrote: »

I hope the school join the parents in to any action. They should do so to make parents more cautious about what their kids bring to school.

Litigation all round solves every problem...

So his parents should have stopped him from bringing a school project...to school?

So much idiocy here. In spite of all the school shootings in the US, they're still statistical outsiders. If a child has something in his bag that he says is a school project and looks like a school project...then it's probably a school project.

The terrorists won on 11th September 2001. The goal was terror. And now the Americans are terrified. You've lost the war on terror, America.

KERSPLAT!

I've no issue with the school and the police being cautious but after questioning the student and I assume the school he should have been released, end of, happy days.

Instead they suspend the child and say there is a possibility that he'll face changes for making a hoax bomb, what the actual fúck!? Clowns.

asherbassad

Deleted User wrote: »

Why are people hoping he sues?

Because the police force was too cautious? Their job is to investigate suspicious behaviour. He was carrying a device that looked suspicious in a country where sadly schoolkids have murdered their classmates time and again.

Should he sue his parents for allowing him to bring the item to school? Should he sue the engineering teacher for not stepping forward fast enough to clear his name?

Why must people rush to the suing reaction?

So if a kid brought the same gadget to school in Dublin what would your reaction be?

Seems there's always an excuse or an apology for the galactic retardation of the American reaction to things and the fantasyland view they have about everything.

Here's a few more for ya. i'd like to hear your justifications for these:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-arrested-for-burping-lawsuit-claims/

He could have ingested anthrax and was threatening to kill the whole school with a belch, right?

What's your opinion of this one:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/cops-called-for-school-kiss-657831

How about this one:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/01/02/charlton-library-sends-police-to-collect-overdue-books-from-5-year-old/

Sending the cops to a 5 year-old's house because her library books were overdue.

No doubt you'll find some justification for it. Personally I'd send round a cake to congratulate the little girl for availing of the public library rather than playing xbox.

A few more for your enjoyment:

http://www.activistpost.com/2012/04/10-disgusting-examples-of-very-young.html

asherbassad

Deleted User wrote: »

I hope the school join the parents in to any action. They should do so to make parents more cautious about what their kids bring to school.

Litigation all round solves every problem...

Massive lawsuits might put the brakes on colossal stupidity and those that defend it no matter how flabbergasting it is.

Knasher

Deleted User wrote: »

Because the police force was too cautious? Their job is to investigate suspicious behaviour. He was carrying a device that looked suspicious in a country where sadly schoolkids have murdered their classmates time and again.

Obviously the police should have responded. But really it doesn't sound like anybody ever thought that this was dangerous. The teacher saw it in class, confiscated it because it looked weird and they probably have rules on that, but kept teaching with the "bomb" in the class till the end of the period. Then it went to the principle, who should have just consulted the engineering teacher and then dropped it, but maybe there is a policy to ring the police, who then pulled him out of class later in the day. But at no point did they feel the need to evacuate the school or anything else.

Also, it is extremely likely that the breadboards and simple electronics that would have been a part of his clock, are all in the school as teaching materials in the physics/engineering labs. So he is effectively bringing school material, to school.

And to top it all off, he ended up with a suspension, the principle really crossed the line between overly cautious, and just obstinate there. And he is possibly facing charges. But well I guess that will teach the kid for trying to learn on his own....

Omackeral

Has "blown out of proportion" been used yet? If not, I'd like to state that I think this bomb story has been blown out of proportion.

Zillah

Boring username wrote: »

Dave Smith could be a Muslim also. Nice bit of racial profiling there...

What point do you think you're making here? He has a Muslim sounding name so they treated him badly. Someone called Dave Smith would not have been treated like that.

Deleted User wrote: »

I hope the school join the parents in to any action. They should do so to make parents more cautious about what their kids bring to school.

Litigation all round solves every problem...

Neither he nor his parents did anything wrong.

Paramite Pie

allibastor wrote: »

What would have happened if he DID bring a bomb to school, and the teacher knew it but said nothing?

The teacher could easily have spoken to the engineering teacher who had previously seen the clock (and i presume already examined it!).

The teacher can say something without accusing the kid directly. We're not asking that she does nothing, just not go overboard either.

asherbassad

Omackeral wrote: »

Has "blown out of proportion" been used yet? If not, I'd like to state that I think this bomb story has been blown out of proportion.

Suspension is a bit harsh. He should have just been given a few hours detonation

Magico Gonzalez

Smart kids with their smart engineery stuff. Damn right he needed to be locked up. Making the stupid teachers look even stupiderer.

MonkeyTennis

Nerd

PARlance

Disappointed upon reading thread... was expecting Sharleen Spiteri and her mates to have been handcuffed by some Muslim kid.

asherbassad

asherbassad wrote: »

Massive lawsuits might put the brakes on colossal stupidity and those that defend it no matter how flabbergasting it is.

Oh I agree, after all we live in a country where a child can be removed from its parents because it isn't Roma enough looking so we know all about racial profiling and the police.

But child brings device into school, looks like a bomb, USA is on high alert about violence is classrooms etc. etc. Sounds like a series of unfortunate events. Look, if it's clear that there is racial profiling, fair enough, let them go to Court and prove it.

allibastor

asherbassad wrote: »

So if a kid brought the same gadget to school in Dublin what would your reaction be?

Seems there's always an excuse or an apology for the galactic retardation of the American reaction to things and the fantasyland view they have about everything.

Here's a few more for ya. i'd like to hear your justifications for these:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-arrested-for-burping-lawsuit-claims/

He could have ingested anthrax and was threatening to kill the whole school with a belch, right?

What's your opinion of this one:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/cops-called-for-school-kiss-657831

How about this one:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/01/02/charlton-library-sends-police-to-collect-overdue-books-from-5-year-old/

Sending the cops to a 5 year-old's house because her library books were overdue.

No doubt you'll find some justification for it. Personally I'd send round a cake to congratulate the little girl for availing of the public library rather than playing xbox.

A few more for your enjoyment:

http://www.activistpost.com/2012/04/10-disgusting-examples-of-very-young.html

Those stories are bloody hilarious.

Not funny like laugh our loud funny, but showing how stupid Americans really are funny.

How can such a thick lot of people have most of the worlds wealth

Magico Gonzalez

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh I agree, after all we live in a country where a child can be removed from its parents because it isn't Roma enough looking so we know all about racial profiling and the police.

But child brings device into school, looks like a bomb, USA is on high alert about violence is classrooms etc. etc. Sounds like a series of unfortunate events. Look, if it's clear that there is racial profiling, fair enough, let them go to Court and prove it.

Child brings clock into school, looks like a clock....

super_furry

Well what does he think he's doing walking around not being white in Texas?

BattleCorp

I would be more shocked if nobody investigated something like this but the reaction was way over the top.

If the principal has a report of a bomb from another teacher, he has to investigate. I don't blame him for calling the cops to be honest.

You can't expect the principal to examine the suspected bomb himself, he wouldn't be qualified. In fact, if it was a bomb, an untrained person could set it off inspecting it. I'm of the opinion that examining possible bombs is something that should only be done by the experts.

Right so, that's the cops called.

I don't blame the cops for handcuffing the kid. After all, if it is a suspected bomb, he is a suspected terrorist.

The cops should have consulted with the engineering teacher and found out if it was a bomb or not. Next best scenario is to call the bomb squad. The bomb squad would then call out, investigate the clock and give the all clear.

At that stage, all there is to do is apologise to the kid, "Sorry son, but we have to investigate reports, let me take off those handcuffs and you can go back to school now". Case closed.

Suspension from school and threatening legal action for making a fake bomb........I don't know where that is coming from. Oh yeah, he is Muslim.

super_furry

You know I could almost see where the school could be coming from if they really did think it could be a bomb but........if the principle or the school had even the slightest, tiniest, smallest inclination that it might have been a bomb, then why wasn't the school evacuated?

Duggy747

That kid is clearly a danger to time and needs to be locked away. I hear the Phantom Zone houses some of the more imaginative criminals like him.

Footoo

Wouldn't this "bomb" be noticeably missing a vital feature - like a few lbs of explosives?

asherbassad

asherbassad wrote: »

So if a kid brought the same gadget to school in Dublin what would your reaction be?

Seems there's always an excuse or an apology for the galactic retardation of the American reaction to things and the fantasyland view they have about everything.

Here's a few more for ya. i'd like to hear your justifications for these:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-arrested-for-burping-lawsuit-claims/

He could have ingested anthrax and was threatening to kill the whole school with a belch, right?

What's your opinion of this one:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/cops-called-for-school-kiss-657831

How about this one:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/01/02/charlton-library-sends-police-to-collect-overdue-books-from-5-year-old/

Sending the cops to a 5 year-old's house because her library books were overdue.

No doubt you'll find some justification for it. Personally I'd send round a cake to congratulate the little girl for availing of the public library rather than playing xbox.

A few more for your enjoyment:

http://www.activistpost.com/2012/04/10-disgusting-examples-of-very-young.html

There seems to be two separate strands here, first of all the the police in the USA overreact, which I think is a perfectly fair and assessment and wouldn't challenge that. They seem to be in a state of permanent paranoia. And secondly that this incident was racially motivated, whereas of course your own thread shows that they overreact when white kids are involved too.

Still though, maybe after we pay out huge sums to the Roma kids who were taken off their families for...well just not looking Roma enough for our liking, we can laugh about the overreaction there.

Son Of A Vidic

seamus wrote: »

The terrorists won on 11th September 2001. The goal was terror. And now the Americans are terrified. You've lost the war on terror, America.

Compounded by the fact that they lost the war on stupidity some time ago.

InTheTrees

Red King wrote: »

Texas.

Just remember this happened in the hellhole that is texas.

They're still deciding whether to teach evolution in the schools there.

Frynge

I'm not going to lie...... I'm a bit jealous of this kid.

When I got my electrical engineering degree in 1975 my final years project was to make a clock, he does it in high school.

Shelflife

Strangley theres no mention of the school being evacuated, or the classroom cleared ?

Surely if there was any chance that it actually could have been a bomb the first thing you would do is get all the children and teachers out of there.

The fact that it was clock like would imply a timer, fat lot of good putting handcuffs on him would do in that situation.

seamus

To be fair, the knowledge and parts would have been much harder to come by in 1975. I remember my brother building some weird LED-based calculation thing in college as part of his degree in the mid-90s.

Now the parts and knowledge for building a small LED clock are freely available online. He could have even bought it as a kit, all he had to do was put it together. Doesn't mean it's not cool that he's experimenting like that as his age though.

RDM_83 again

His next project should definitely be a more sophisticated clock that has a count down that accelerates when the red wire is cut (or is it the blue wire :-o )

I do get the initial response but everything else is ludicrous.

He showed it to his engineering teacher first thing Monday morning and didn’t get quite the reaction he’d hoped for.

“He was like, ‘That’s really nice,’” Ahmed said. “‘I would advise you not to show any other teachers.’

He should have listened to the first teacher!

Timberrrrrrrr

weisses wrote: »

He brought a clock ... Not a glock

It was Texas, a Glock probably wouldn't have been given a second glance.