The Nebraska toddler seen in a profanity-laden viral video has been taken into protective custody, Omaha police announced.
The Omaha police’s Child Victim Unit and the Nebraska Child Protective Services stated the toddler and three other children were taken into custody on Wednesday. No criminal activity was found in the video, but an investigation found safety concerns.
According to KETV, the toddler and four others were injured in a suspected gang shooting and were relocated in the past due to gang activity fears.
The African-American toddler seen in diapers repeats phrases of profanity while the adults call him racial slurs and at one point he raises his middle finger. The adults also make references to gang activity. In the video, one of the adults can be heard asking the toddler, “So what hood you from blood?”
The child’s 16-year-old mother says that he is smart and does not curse. She insists that “somebody told him to do that. My son doesn’t do that. I don’t allow it.” The mother admits she was in another room while a friend of her brother was with the child. She said the friend was “wrong for doing that…posting the video up and getting us into this situation.”
The police union in Omaha shared the video online to show “the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in.” Officials say the video was found on a local gang member’s Facebook.
“The whole point of this is to give an unfiltered view of what police officers deal with every day,” said Sgt. John Wells, president of the Omaha Police Officers Association.
The police department said in a statement that the toddler was not taken due to any criminal activity. They have also distanced themselves from the police union saying they wouldn’t do anything that would “interfere with community relations.” Police Chief Todd Schmaderer says the department wasn’t involved in posting the video and doesn’t have control over what the union posts.