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Crowd Defends Family

November 18, 2012 permalink

When police and child protectors tried to remove six children from a Somali family in Tacoma Washington, a crowd of angry Somalis gathered to protect the family from the police. Police called for backup and took the children anyway.

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Angry crowd confronts police in child-abuse case

A large number of angry Somali immigrants trying to keep Tacoma Police from placing children into protective custody on Friday, turned into a scene so threatening that officers made an emergency, all-agency request for assistance.

According to Tacoma Police Lt. David O’Dea, the incident began with the investigation into a child abuse case involving a single Tacoma child. In the course of the investigation and the removal of that child to Child Protective Services, police noted that six other children in the home were also in potential danger.

Officers revisited the home later in the day and discovered the family was visiting other family and friends in the 5600 block of North 37th Street.

When they arrived at that location to pick up the rest of the children, O’Dea said, they were confronted by a large number of Somali immigrants who were angry and hostile toward the officers and prevented them from taking the children.

The officers called for back-up, O’Dea said, and managed to regain control of the situation.

Police arrested three people, one adult and two juveniles, for resisting arrest and obstructing justice.

The adult was booked into Pierce County Jail. The juveniles were taken to Remann Hall.

All seven children are in CPS custody.

Source: The News Tribune, Tacoma

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