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Background: John Small Elementary School in Washington, North Carolina (Google Maps). Inset: Khadeeja Muhammad (Beaufort County Sheriff”s Office).
A North Carolina mother, in a fit of anger, assaulted a pregnant law enforcement officer after being denied immediate access to her child at an elementary school, according to authorities.
Khadeeja Muhammad, aged 44, faces five misdemeanor charges. These include assault on a pregnant woman, assault on a government official, resisting a public officer, second-degree trespassing, and disorderly conduct. She was taken into custody at the Beaufort County Detention Center, where she was held on a $1,000 secured bond.
The incident unfolded on January 29 at around 2:15 p.m. when Muhammad arrived at John Small Elementary School in Washington, a city near North Carolina’s Atlantic Coast. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office reports that Muhammad entered the school’s front office, demanding to see her daughter, which prompted the involvement of the school’s resource officer.
The resource officer, who is pregnant, informed Muhammad that the school needed to verify her visitation rights due to an ongoing custody issue. The officer was aware that Muhammad did not currently have custody of her daughter, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, Muhammad’s attempt to visit her child came after being instructed by the North Carolina Division of Social Services to refrain from contacting her daughter.
The sheriff’s office went on, saying “Muhammad became agitated and started screaming profanities in the office.” Though the school resource officer instructed her to leave, she allegedly refused, and the officer asked for help over her radio.
“Once additional units arrived, Muhammad had to be physically removed from the building due to her behavior, which included slinging water at staff from a water bottle, being combative, and resisting commands by Deputies and Officers,” the sheriff’s office continued. “In the process of removing Muhammad from the building, she kicked the School Resource Officer in the stomach.”
Authorities noted that neither the officer nor her unborn child was injured in the incident.
A judge has recommended that Muhammad obtain a mental health evaluation, according to court records. Records do not indicate a date for her next court appearance.