An autistic 10-year-old boy arrived at his school to take a standardized test, only to be arrested as his confused and helpless mother looked on.

John Benji Haywood's mother Luanne filmed her distraught son being handcuffed at the Okeechobee Achievement Academy in Florida on Wednesday and repeatedly asked why her son was being apprehended.

While Haygood knew her son had been suspended for attacking a member of staff at the school in November 2016, she had no idea there was a warrant out for his arrest.

John spent the night at a juvenile facility in Fort Pierce before he was released the next morning under house arrest.

John Benji Haywood, an autistic 10-year-old boy, arrived at his school to take a standardized test on Wednesday. He was arrested instead

The boy cried and pleaded with the school resource deputies not to touch him in the disturbing cell phone video his mother posted on Facebook

The boy cried and pleaded with the school resource deputies not to touch him in the disturbing cell phone video his mother posted on Facebook.

According to a school incident report, John was suspended for punching and kicking a school employee, who his mother claims is 6ft 4inches and weighs about 300 pounds.

John had been homebound for several months, and returned to school on Wednesday to take a standardized test.

Unbeknownst to the 10-year-old or his mother, the school employee he allegedly attacked decided to press charges, and the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office issued an arrest warrant.

John was suspended for punching and kicking a school employee, who then pressed charges against the 10-year-old boy. Pictured, John being led out to a patrol car

The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office issued an arrest warrant and John spent the night at a juvenile facility in Fort Pierce before he was released the next morning

When John arrived at school on Wednesday, an officer recognized the boy, who was then handcuffed and led into a police car.

In the video footage taken by his mom, John be seen crying in a chair and telling the two cops, 'I don't want to be touched! Please don't touch me!'

Luanne can be heard trying to reassure her son while asking the police for an explanation. But they ignore her and march the 10-year-old outside.

Luanne then asks, 'Can you tell me what is going on? Or have any paperwork that you can show me? Excuse me?'

But the cops continue to ignore her while John says, 'I don't know what's going on!'

As the boy is led into the patrol car, Luanne says: 'He has autism. He doesn't know what's going on, he's scared to death and he's 10 years old.'

The cops ignored John's mother Luanne (above) while she repeatedly asked for an explanation as to why her 10-year-old son was arrested. The sheriff's office and the State's Attorney's office claimed they were unaware John was autistic

But the sheriff's office said they were unaware the boy was autistic. The State's Attorney's Office made the same claim, and said they would take it into account going forward.

The school district released a statement that read: 'It has been district procedure to invite students in to take the Florida Standards Assessment. The district would not invite someone to one of our campuses for the sole purpose to arrest.'

John, who is accused of battery on a school employee - a third-degree felony - is scheduled to appear in court on May 11.