Man Should Never Have Been Arrested After Daughter, 4, Draws Picture Of Gun

As every adult knows, kids have active imaginations. They tell elaborate stories and innocent lies. Which is exactly what happened when a 4-year-old girl drew a picture of her father holding a gun. “He uses it to shoot bad guys and monsters,” the girl told teachers. Next thing you know, her unsuspecting father is being arrested and strip-searched by police.

Perhaps this story is supposed to make us feel good in knowing that our children are protected. But I see it as a bad judgement call. In my own loving and gun-free household, my son is forever drawing pictures of “bad guys” holding guns and swords. “They’re in battle,” he tells me with pride. This seems to be a common practice among many households, especially those with boys (that may sound stereotypical but, hey, it’s what I’m seeing). And those “bad guys” are often father-son pairings, which is all super cool in the eyes of a 4-year-old.

In the case of this unlucky dad – 26-year-old Jessie Sansone from Kitchener, Ontario – police were quick to intervene. Officials told the Toronto Sun the move was necessary to ensure there were no guns accessible by children in the family’s home. Sansone, meanwhile, was in total shock when he was arrested and handcuffed while picking up his three children from school. “This is completely insane,” he said. “My daughter drew a gun on a piece of paper at school.”

While Sansone was in custody, police searched the family home and took his wife and three children to the police station, as well. There the kids were interviewed by Family and Children’s Services. Several hours later, Sansone was released without charges and the family headed home. I can imagine they were rather upset and shaken – and I don’t blame them one bit.

(Photo: therecord.com)