front of the classmates. >> reporter: these are pictures his mom says show the bruises left behind. but she says the school is well aware of his behavioral problems, caused not only by autism but also a traumatic brain injury and they could have handled the situation much differently. >> he should be taken to a hospital if they think there's something different about him or he's acting anxious or frustrated. >> reporter: the pasco sheriff's office says the deputy followed state law, no matter their age. >> we feel we were justified to protect the child and the other kids in the area and the teachers. >> reporter: records show a doctor at north bay recovery center found allen calm and collected and did not admit him. his mother has an attorney is looking against possible lawsuits against the school district and the sheriff's office. >> at the end of the day, my goal is to change the way that these schools are being run and to make sure no child ever has to experience anything close to this ever again.

district says the teachers are certified in crisis prevention. erik waxler abc action news. happening now, action air 1 live over the usf sun dome right now on the right side there of your screen is inside the sun dome where thousands are gathering to hear from donald trump. the republican front runner is set to speak at 7:00 tonight. protesters are gathered outside as well. according to the latest po poll, trump is leading. as abc's bazi bazi kanani shows us, the democratic candidates are back on the trail after debate in wisconsin last night. >> reporter: in south carolina, ahead of tomorrow's republican debate, the candidates take aim at front runner donald trump. >> we have an entertainer, a guy who's a reality tv star, who has been successful in his

look better. >> reporter: the latest polls show trump leading by a wide margin in the palmetto state where he is confident enough to change tactics, pulling all attack ads from the air, going positive is a strategy john kasich says propelled him to the number two spot in new hampshire. >> the light outshined the darkness of negative campaigns and i think it's awfully cool. >> reporter: both democratic candidates hope for a boost after last night's debate. >> i am not asking people to support me because i'm a woman. i'm asking people to support me because i think i'm the most qualified, experienced and ready person to be the president and the commander in chief. >> reporter: hillary clinton tries to regain her footing after a double digit loss in new hampshire, hammerrering bernie sanders for details on his proposals and criticism of president obama. >> he's called him weak, a disappointment. >> one of us ran against barack obama.

street. >> why in god's name does wall contributions. i guess just for the fun of it. >> reporter: the democrats meet again tonight when they both attend a dinner many minnesota, the next democratic caucus is in nevada, just one week away. busiy conanine, abc news -- bazi kanani, abc news, washington. now, abc action weather. everybody. made it to another weekend. skies are clear. north. there's at least a decent cloudiness overnight. most of us are sleeping, shouldn't be a problem. 70s. we topped out at 70 today in tampa. 67 in st. pete. skies began to cloud up a little bit, especially from the north, and eventually maybe even a sprinkle before sunrise, but other side we're clear for

then we cool off again. the next week, we're talking about another stronger front and a better chance of rain. we'll pinpoint those details and let you know how it affects your weather in a couple minutes. now at 5:30, taking a live look at the roads. i-275 southbound at ashley drive, traffic is moving smoothly. back ups. tonight, traffic reporter, janelle martinez is looking the roads tomorrow. just when you thought gas gasparilla was over; this is happening through e boar city along 7th avenue. it starts at 7:00. they're going to be shutting down roads starting at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon. it begins right here, travels up 7th avenue, right to 22nd street. so if you have any cars parked on 7th, make sure you have those moved by 2:00 so you

on in clear water. this is right in front of countryside high school. this could cause problems for kids going to and from school. construction is going on today through tuesday afternoon. so westbound main street closed between mcmullen booth and landmark drive. your althoughs, you're -- alternates, you're going to want to take mcmullen to enterprise, to village, back up to countryside, to main street to get into the school that way. this is the westbound lanes and it's supposed to open back up on tuesday. for more information on the both of these, follow me on twitter @ tampa bay traffic. this just in, a highlands county jury has found 28-year- old sandes etienne guilty of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl and getting her pregnant. he was arrested in 2013 when the girl was 13 years old. she was six months along when her mother discovered she was pregnant. he could spend the next 45 years in prison. sentencing set for march.

a new plan to help firefighters in avon park actually keep their jobs. we first told you about this story last september when the city took emergency action to temporarily fund the fire department. well, now, according to the highlands today, city manager julien deleon wants to repeal the residential fire assessment for $140 per home. he's asking the city council to consider supplementing the fire services with the county's fire district at $25 a house, which is the county rate. if approved, the plan would save residents and business owners a combined $680,000 per year. they're still trying to find out when the council will actually review that plan. and an investigation is now looking into a deadly plane crash off florida's emerald coast. two people died when the piper archer went down today in the gulf of mexico. it looks like the man and woman were the only ones on board. you can see that search happening there in that video. the sheriff's office says the plane was registered in texas. authorities are still trying to

crash happened and who the people were. authorities now combing through a wildlife refuge in oregon looking for evidence as well as explosives, after a 41- day protest, the final four protesters surerer surerer -- surrendering peacefully to the fbi yesterday. the militia men in their standoff warning the federal government to turn over public land to local control. >> we have said since day one, our goal has been to end this illegal occupation peacefully and we are grateful that we were able to do so. >> at least 25 people have been indicted on federal charges related to this case. officials say it could be weeks before that refuge opens back up. a sea sebring woman is facing charges accused of stabbing the father of her children and stabbing herself. according to police, 29-year- old sonia avilla stabbed the men in the leg.

stomach threatening to kill him and kill herself. avila is charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. abc action news is committed to taking action against domestic violence. if you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation call the statewide hot line (800)500-1119. we have posted information at abcactionnews.com/dv on our taking action against domestic violence facebook page as well as our twitter feed at action against dv. parties in a matter of weeks you can expect a letter from the state showing your child's fsa test score from last year. it will look something like this. a 5 or a 4 is above average. a 3 is satisfactory. and a 2 or 1 means they need more help understanding that subject. while this may be overwhelming, this father knows where to turn if he needs answer. >> i think you can reach back to the teacher for more info if you have questions or anything. >> there's also this section on a student performance showing

the state put out this new guide after confusion over test results this fall. these new score cards should come out sometimes in the next few weeks. new tonight, a bay area community is rallying around a 6-year-old boy severely injured in a crash. here's his facebook page right here. he's just coming out of a coma. his name is river ross. and he has a message for all of us. >> thank you. >> straight ahead, the one thing you can do to help him with his recovery. the personal information of hundreds of people found inside of one vehicle, how the people

we're taking a closer look at the safety of bridges in the area. we are getting an indeath look at what f dot is doing to keep your family safe. >> check for cracks, all that stuff. just kind of looking, if

>> most days, this is brice mcmin's office. for 16 years, mcmins work as a certified bridge inspector, on a crisp january morning he took us up for the two year inspection of the clear water memorial bridge. that ride came with a hard hat and disclaimer. >> you get seasick? >> we'll find out. >> i don't want you to find out on my boots, man. >> the pontoon boat with a fully extended 60-foot lift is a queasy ride. every passing boat sways the seemingly floating basket left to right. >> they have most of this stuff documented. >> reporter: for ms. speaker min today is calm. he doesn't notice the sway and looks for problems to report to his boss down below. >> this is a concrete segment tall bridge. >> reporter: james jacobson is the bridge engineer for district 7. inspecting more than 1300 bridges in five counties. his worst enemy, salt. >> it's better to catch it early over time.

through the concrete, and reach the steal reinforcement. >> reporter: jacobson says to get a good idea how well they're doing, you have to look at the worst bridge. that means that it needs to be replaced and with 16,000 cars coming across daily, he says, they are going to build it bigger and better. >> improved concretes that will help the bridge last a 75-year life. >> reporter: in the meantime, if bridges have problems, inspections will be done more than every two years. >> we inspect it every year. if it continues to deteriorate, we inspect it every six months the public. >> reporter: the bridge into clear water is good to go. shape. according to a national report, 98% of florida's 12,000 bridges are in good condition. feel our infrastructure is in

>> reporter: in clear water, abc action news. a 6-year-old boy is out of a coma after a serious car crash last month. his mother was injured, forcing a father, a local firefighter to take time off. as adam weaner shows us -- adam walser shows us, he is in the fight of his life. >> the physical activities that once came so naturally to this 6-year-old boy aren't so easy anymore. with just a few weeks ago, it wasn't clear river ross would wake up from a coma. a simple mistake sent them into a tree. river hit his head, fracturing his skull, and causing brain damage. just this week, drinking through a straw was a big accomplishment for river. >> i think he's got a plan. >> reporter: his father brian has been by his side for nearly every minute of this tough physical therapy. >> nothing can prepare you for when it's yours. >> reporter: brian is a manatee

fund me page to benefit the family says, brian has spent 13 years helping others and now it's time for us to help him. >> i would like to think it's all him that's bringing all the support. >> reporter: whether it's because river's dad is a firefighter or because river's smile is so inspiring, donations, about $25,000 have come in from all over the country. >> i don't have words to convey how grateful we are, how thankful. it's something that we never would have even dreamed of asking for, much less receiving. >> reporter: the money and support from friends is allowed brian to take leave from working to stay by river's side. the ross family isn't asking for anything. well, except one thing. >> he has a twin brother that, you know, is his number one friend, and we want them back together running around, playing. >> reporter: from inside the children's medical center at tampa general hospital, i'm adam walser, abc action news. >> if you're interested in sharing your support with the

their facebook and go fund me pages at abcactionnews.com. now, the most accurate weather team in florida, abc action weather. >> the weekend is here, and looks like we have some decent weather. it's going to be nice. a lot going on. the florida state fair, the night parade as janelle mentioned a couple minutes ago. the weather, beautiful. a lot of sunshine. cooler as the front comes through. tomorrow night, if you are headed over to ybor for the parade, temperatures will be cooling to the 50s. 63 degrees at 4:00. by parade time, closer to the mid-50s. breezy, pleasant and dry. next rain chance looks like it holds off at least any significant rain,s measurable rain would be late monday night into tuesday. even though there is a cool front that's right up in the panhandle, it's going to come

it's going to change these temperatures which today hit the low 70s, tomorrow more than likely, the upper 60s for highs, a little breezy at that as well. so today was about as good as it gets. certainly as good as it's been of late as we hit the low 70s; and a lot of sunshine. we're still 66 in tampa. as we said, we topped out at 70. 2 degrees below normal. we are heading in the right direction. i do think we're going to see those temperatures take a downward turn, especially tomorrow night and the first thing on valentine's day morning, it's going to be down into the low 40s across much of the area. sunny and 66 in st. pete. sarasota, looking good at 64. also sunny skies. satellite picture, there it is. i mean, literally, couldn't find a cloud. we were looking hard today. it was completely rain free. completely cloud free. overnight tonight, and boy, hasn't this been the way it's been all winter long.

two, and all of a sudden things change. this will be a little bit of a subtle change. in fact you'll probably sleep through it, later tonight, overnight, into tomorrow morning, clouds roll in. if you're up first thing tomorrow morning, the crack of dawn or before then, you could see some clouds and maybe even a sprinkle. that's it. this is by 6:00. it's already through the area. by 8:00, it's long gone, and then temperatures will start to steady out just a bit, so instead of low 70s on saturday, we're going upper 60s. and some of the models are trending colder over the next run or two. check ow us out at 11:00. either way, skies will be clear. sunday looks good, too. all of a sudden, notice the models are not hinting at more of an easterly flow setting. in florida, remember, since we're surrounded by water, sometimes that's all it takes. if the winds go strong out of the east, we can sometimes see clouds coming from the east side. and maybe bring polk county a little more cloud cover on valentine's day. i don't think it's going to be

the fair will still be great weather both days. this is just something we'll keep our eyes on and update later tonight and this weekend. in terms of rain, monday into tuesday is our next weather system. it's going to be a decent front. i don't think we see severe weather out of it. i think a lot of area picks up a half inch of rain. this shows how much energy or spin is going on in the atmosphere, and by tuesday evening, notice most of the spin is off to the north. that's just one of the reasons i think our severe threat is rather low. we will keep our eyes on it since models can change. other than that, the rest of the week looks to be quiet. taking the boat out. it's gustier tomorrow afternoon with northerly winds up to 15. knot seas 2 to 4 feet. moderate chop on the bay. here's a look at florida's most accurate 7-day. the weekend looks good. it's going to be a little cooler. what else is new, right. by monday into tuesday, that's our next big change.

morning into the afternoon. and then turning back to where we should be with more sunshine by the middle of next week. next at 5:30, a man tries to steal fish from a store by stuffing them down his pants, but it's what he did before that that workers have been scared for life. plus, what you say on twitter could land you in jail. the $10 million decision

a man is in jail accused of trying to steal a packet of trout putting it in his pants. >> police said he urinated on

mart say they saw david wily urinating near the alcohol section while trying to hide the trout. officers say he had been urinating because he wasn't concerned because it's a misdemeanor. and confessed to drinking. he's charged with shopping, vandalism, public indecency and intoxicate. actor james woods is moving forward with a $10 million lawsuit with a twitter crewser who called him names. a judge ruled it should be thrown out, and changed his mind, deciding woods, established comb win. that autonomous tweeter called woods a cocaine addict, scum and clown boy. twitter has so far refused to reveal the user's identity. here's wendy ryan. take a look here. we are live at usf sun dome. it's been a busy day out there. at five we showed you the trump supporters.

also, the serious dangers of artificial turf. what's now being done to make sure your children are not exposed to cancer causing agents. plus these top stories. the personal information of hundreds of people found inside of one vehicle, how the people inside were acting that tipped off that trooper. >> the leader of the polk county school district has resigned. coming up at six, the meeting that's going on right now to

live, from the station taking action for you. this is abc action news. a wrong way driver. >> there's an accident at the ashley exit. >> ending two lives. >> mangled wreckage, blocking a major exit for hours. >> we're not inside, and the man is not moving. >> now at six, the victims and the reason this tragedy could have been worse. but first, the most controversial name in politics is preparing to take the stage in tampa. taking a live look right now outside the usf sun dome. protesters rallying against donald trump's presence, but the gathering of the tractors far outweighed tonight by the number of supporters. the line to get in, stretching around the stadium. you see it there. a lot of them started lining up

>> the doors didn't open until an hour ago. we're taking action for you tonight, covering inside and outside the big gathering. we want to start our team coverage with michael pallusa inside the sun dome tonight. >> reporter: it is a packed house. expected capacity more than 10,000 people as we pan across the media stage towards where trump will be speaking in just an hour at 7:00 tonight. we talked to a lot of people here who say they want to hear trump talk about specifics this time around. it is getting packed in here, as you can see. let's show you some chopper aerials we shot just a short time ago. it is wrapped around the block. they are free tickets, it is first come, first serve. so if you don't get in time, and there aren't any seats available, you will be turned away. a lot more seats open, but pretty much just the nosebleeds at this point, where i'm looking right now in the middle