In a troubling incident, a 10-year-old African-American child was at the center of controversy last week when he was arrested and taken into custody for urinating behind his mother’s car in Senatobia, a small Mississippi town. Here’s the whole story.
He Peed Behind His Mother’s Car
On August 10, the young boy, Quantavious, committed a public indecency infraction by urinating behind his mother’s car while visiting an attorney’s office.
The incident, which typically warrants a simple ticket, took a distressing turn when an unnamed police officer intervened and informed Quantavious’s mother, Latonya Eason, about her son’s actions.
Eason, who was inside the attorney’s office at the time, expressed her disbelief at the escalation of the situation.
Initial conversations between Eason and the officer indicated that the matter should have been resolved with a warning, given that Eason had already addressed the issue with her son.
“Son, Why Did You Do That?”
“I was like, “Son, why did you do that?”” she recalled.
She told the local news outlet how her son decided to relieve himself after his sister in the car told her that the legal office did not have a bathroom.
“He said, “Mom, my sister said they don’t have a bathroom there,” Eason told the outlet.
“I was like, “You knew better, you should have come and asked me if they had a restroom,”” she added.
Officers Insisted the Boy Was Taken Into Custody
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when more officers arrived, including a senior lieutenant who insisted that Quantavious was taken into custody.
The young boy was placed in a police car and transported to the police station, where he was later released to his mother.
The incident quickly gained attention as local media outlets reported on the arrest of the 10-year-old.
The mother revealed that her son was traumatized by the experience, describing how he cried and felt scared during the ordeal.
Public Outcry!
In response to the growing public outcry, the town’s police chief, Richard Chandler, issued a statement acknowledging the mistake made by the officers involved.
Chandler stated that the decision to transport the child to the police station was an “error in judgment,” given that Eason was present at the scene and could have handled the situation as a reasonable alternative.
“The Youth Court Act allows officers to file a referral against a child as young as seven years old if they are in need of supervision (which may also be based on delinquent acts), or 10 years old if they commit acts that would be illegal for an adult under identical circumstances (i.e., a “delinquent” act),” he added.
“I Get Scared and Start Shaking and Thinking I’m Going to Jail”
Quantavius, however, remained traumatized, tearfully telling the media, “I started crying a little bit. They took me down there and got me out of the truck. I didn’t know what was happening. I get scared and start shaking and thinking I’m going to jail.”
“I’m just speechless right now. Why would you arrest a 10-year-old kid,” Eason concluded.
Several social media users expressed their thoughts on the incident.
“Traumatizing That Poor Child for a Quick Pee Outside?!”
One Twitter user wrote, “This was a 10-year-old boy who needed to pee. This is an infliction of trauma for no good reason. And always a black or brown child.”
Another user wrote, “Traumatizing that poor child for a quick pee outside?! This would be a cute #American story if it has some white kid from #Nashville is doing it. Who did he even hurt? Wasted time and resources bothering this kid because he had to pee?”
She Called the Police Because He Was Doing His Job! But He Was in the Right
The post Horrifying Overreach: Mississippi Police Arrest Terrified 10-Year-Old Black Child for Simply Peeing Behind Mom’s Car! first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / VaLiza. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Daily Mail