Florida Cops Fingerprint 11-Year-Old Boy and Tow His Dirt Bike While He Was Going Fishing

Seeing children using bicycles to get from one place to another is nothing new. On the contrary, it’s encouraging because of the extra exercise and activity. However, things get a little muddy when it’s an electric bike instead of a traditional bicycle. Unfortunately for 11-year-old Cade Kirchner, he found that out the hard way.

Kirchner was riding his electric dirt bike toward a fishing pond in Oviedo, Florida, on September 7. He reportedly had his fishing pole with him, and he was only about 300 feet from his home. Not to mention, he and his father had bought the dirt bike themselves over the summer, so it isn’t as though Kirchner had been using it for too long.

However, an Oviedo police officer stopped the kid and fingerprinted him. As shown in the officer’s bodycam footage, he explained his court obligations to the kid and told him that the dirt bike would have to be towed. The officer told Kirchner that he’d have to show up to court or there would be a warrant out for his arrest, and the kid was subsequently given a court date.

Cade’s family were apparently under the impression that he was just riding an electric dirt bike, which only meant that he would be limited to a maximum speed of around 20 MPH. However, the authorities argued that the vehicle was actually a 4,500-watt electric motorcycle with no pedals.

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When looking at things through the city’s interpretation of Florida law, the bike was more than just another e-bike for roadway purposes. It needed registration and other motorcycle requirements. This also means that the rider would have needed an actual motorcycle license, which the 11-year-old obviously didn’t have.

Commenters Are Mixed On the Matter

The authorities apparently ended by saying that there were multiple violations they could have cited, but they ultimately issued one citation for the unregistered vehicle. While some commenters believe that the police did a good thing by letting some violations slide as a first-time offense, others have stated that the 11-year-old shouldn’t have been punished at all.

The question of whether Cade’s vehicle of choice counts as a motorbike or e-bike is unnecessary, considering the city’s law calls it so. Not to mention, Cade explained that he decided to ride along the shoulder instead of the sidewalk because the sidewalk would force him to slow down, while riding on the road would annoy the other drivers. Cade also mentioned that he didn’t want to scare pedestrians on the sidewalk.