A FLORIDA police officer allegedly admitted to handcuffing and jailing his three-year-old son as punishment for the child’s potty training issues.
Lieutenant Michael Schoenbrod of the Daytona Beach Public Safety Department was reportedly seen in a body camera video explaining to a caseworker why he put his unnamed son in jail.
Schoenbrod reportedly admitted to the Department of Children and Families caseworker that he dragged his son into a cell on two consecutive days last October.
He is even said to have handcuffed the toddler whilst he sat in the cell – all because the youngster had soiled himself.
Lt. Schoenbrod reportedly told the caseworker: “He was crying. I was getting the response I expected from him.”
After that, the boy promised to “never poop his pants again”, Schoenbrod is reported to have said.
According to reports from local media, Schoenbrod also confessed to the caseworker that he had used the jail method as a form of punishment on his older son nine years ago when he misbehaved at school.
The officer shared that his son had admitted to hitting a girl, so he explained to him that people who do such things are put in jail.
Schoenbrod was quoted as saying: “I took him to the jail and he sat there.
“And I watched him … and he was crying and everything, and to this day, if you mention that incident, he’s just like, ‘I would never do that again’. It was effective.
“So that’s why I did it with this. He didn’t hit anybody, but I figured the same thing, discipline.”
Schoenbrod reportedly added: “It’s just disgusting that somebody would drag our family through the mud like this.”
These incidents became known after Schoenbrod filed two lawsuits against state attorneys, one of which was a joint lawsuit with the children’s mother and fellow cop, Det. Sgt. Jessica Long.
Det. Long reportedly referred to the investigation as “insane”.
It is currently unclear if Schoenbrod and Long have faced any disciplinary measures for the incidents.
Local news stated that memos were sent to both officers, informing them about an ongoing investigation by professional standards.
However, many of the court documents related to this case are so far not available to the public.
The Department of Children and Families has so far not commented on the matter.
