OVIEDO, Fla. – Oviedo police are standing by their decision to stop and fingerprint an 11-year-old boy who was riding his e-dirt bike on a road to go fishing.
News 6’s Ashley Garrett has been following this story for three nights. Newly released body camera video shows officers stopping Cade on Labor Day and issuing him a uniform traffic citation with a court date.
Cade’s father, Chris Kirchner, calls the encounter “absurd.”
Police say, at the time he was pulled over, Cade was riding a 4,500-watt electric motorcycle, going 50 miles per hour. Cade said he was heading to a nearby fishing hole and wanted to get there faster.
Body camera video shows an officer asking Cade why he was riding the electric motorcycle if he knew he was not supposed to.
“I was hoping to get to the place a little bit faster,” Cade responded.
The video also shows an officer fingerprinting Cade. That officer then told Cade the electric motorcycle would be towed.
Oviedo police said Cade was operating an unregistered motor vehicle without insurance or a motorcycle endorsement. Officers also said he was not wearing required eye protection.
Police said the vehicle was a 4,500-watt motorcycle without pedals. According to the department, it would need to be registered and meet U.S. Department of Transportation requirements for motorcycles to be legally operated on the roadway. The rider would also need a driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement.
Police said there were multiple violations for which citations could have been issued, but the officer issued only one.
Chris, the father, disagrees with the decision.
“It’s one of the most absurd overreaches of justice I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Cade’s court hearing is set for Tuesday morning.
