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A MOTHER has sued the city of Senatobia for $2 million after her 10-year-old son was arrested for urinating in public.
Latonya Eason claimed that the Mississippi police used excessive force last August when they jailed her son Quantavious Eason.
The federal lawsuit names the city of Senatobia, Chief Richard Chandler, the officer who arrested the boy, and four other officers.
“We firmly believe that every individual, regardless of age, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect by those sworn to protect and serve,” said the family’s attorney, Carlos E. Moore, in a news release.
“It is our firm belief that law enforcement agencies must prioritize the protection of citizens’ rights and well-being, especially when dealing with vulnerable populations such as children.”
According to the lawsuit, Quantavious and his sister were waiting for the mother when he decided to relieve himself behind her car door.
An officer saw the 10-year-old and went to notify his mother that what her son did was not allowed.
Eason was said to have scolded her son and thought that was enough. However, she was shocked when five other officers arrived and told her that Quantavious “must go to jail,” the lawsuit alleges.
Tate County Youth Court Judge Rusty Harlow Jr. ordered Eason’s son to serve three months probation, where he would undergo drug testing, have an 8 pm curfew, and be prohibited from carrying weapons.
The judge also ordered the child to write a report on the late NBA star, Kobe Bryant, as a penalty. However, the charges were eventually dropped.
Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler released a statement after the ordeal, revealing he regretted how his team handled the situation.
“It was an error in judgment for us to transport the child to the police station since the mother was present at that time as a reasonable alternative. Mistakes like this are a reminder in this profession of the continual need for training”
The lawsuit alleges since the arrest her son suffered from “embarrassment, harassment, PTSD, shock, and other physical, emotional, and traumatizing injuries.”
“They have to pay the family for what they did,” Moore told local NBC affiliate WMC.
“This boy is still emotionally traumatized. He is receiving counseling. His mother has been through a lot. And so, we’re here for justice.”
The attorney claimed that race had played a part in the incident, stating that he does not think this would have happened if Quantavious were a white child.
“This happened in America. And we’re here to say to the City of Senatobia, you have to pay for what you did. Senatobia, you can pay me now or you can pay me later. But trust me, you will pay this family,” Moore told the station
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Carlos E. Moore and the City of Senatobia for comment.