Two Florida police officers are under investigation after drawing their guns on an 11-year-old girl in her own home, reports Orlando’s ABC affiliate WFTV9.
Groveland, Fla., Officers James Festa and John Rigdon entered the girl’s home last weekend after responding to a burglary alarm, which had been triggered accidentally. The police officers entered the house through the garage door and walked into the girl’s bedroom, where she was watching television. It was then that the officers drew their guns and forced her to the ground.
“One of the officers was pushing me down, and when he was pushing me down, [he] put his knee on me,” the unidentified girl told WFTV9. “The other officer had his gun pointed at me.”
It is reported that the two officers have a history of misconduct. Officer Festa mismanaged a child abuse investigation and was later suspended for sleeping on duty in 2013. Officer Rigdon was also punished in 2011 and 2013 for filing false police reports.
“Someone should get fired for doing something like that to an 11-year-old,” said the girl’s father, Jean Guirand. “She’s traumatized by it.”
The Groveland Police Department hasn’t issued a statement, but they are investigating the incident. Officials are scheduled to interview the child today.