A father is demanding answers from police after he was arrested because his four-year-old daughter drew a picture of a handgun in class.
Jessie Sansone, 26, arrived to Forest Hills public school in Waterloo, Ontario to pick up his daughter, Neaveh, when he was hauled to a station and strip-searched.
No charges were filed, however, a voluntary search of the family home uncovered no more than a plastic toy gun.
Waterloo Regional Police Inspector Kevin Thaler told TheRecord.com a staff member at the school issued a complaint that 'a firearm was in a residence and children had access to it.'
According to the website, school officials were concerned not only about the drawing, which depicted a man holding a gun, but of the girl's remarks when quizzed by a teacher about who the man was.
'That’s my daddy’s. He uses it to shoot bad guys and monsters,' she was quoted as saying.
Mr Sansone told the website he was called into the principal's office when he arrived to pick up Neaveh and her two siblings last Wednesday.
Three officers were present, and he was handcuffed and taken into custody for possession of a firearm.
Mr Sansone while in custody was asked to remove his clothing for a strip search for 'officer safety', according to Thaler.
He was given a blanket and told he would appear before a judge the next morning. But after several hours, he was released without charges.
It was not until then he was told about the picture his daughter had drawn, and how it led to his arrest. After Mr Sansone's release, he gave police permission to search his home, where all they found, according to Ms Squires, was a clear plastic toy gun.Only in Canada, eh? I hope so.....
Bet he's glad the cops are watching out for him, eh?
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