Police Take 6-Year-Old To Hospital For Acting ‘Out Of Control’ At School

A so-called “out of control” 6-year-old special needs girl in Florida had to be involuntarily committed to a mental health facility after an outburst at her school according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Report

According to the report, the police were called to the Love Grove Elementary School when they were notified that a girl, Nadia King, was “destroying school property, attacking staff, out of control, and running out of school.”

Response

The school’s clinical social worker told the responders on the scene that young Nadia was “a threat to herself and others.” The girl was then taken from the school to the River Point Behavioral Health for a 48-hour psychiatric evaluation.

This is allowed under Florida’s Baker Act.

The Baker Act

According to the Baker Act, a mental health facility is able to hold someone for up to 72 hours for evaluation.

A person can be involuntarily committed is a law enforcement officer, a mental health professional or a Circuit Court judge if they are believed to be mentally ill, refuse a voluntary examination, or are considered a threat to themselves or others.

Committed

According to a report released by the Department of Children and Families, between July 2017 and June 2018, 36,078 involuntary examinations were performed on individuals below the age of 18 under the Baker Act.