- A woman in California is suing sheriff’s deputies for allegedly assaulting her while she held her baby.
- Yeayo Russell’s attorneys claim that the police forced her to discard her breast milk after arresting her.
- Russell was initially arrested for child endangerment, but prosecutors decided not to press charges, according to her attorneys.
African American mother Yeayo Russell has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County and several unidentified Palmdale Sheriff’s Station deputies, alleging that she was physically attacked by the deputies while holding her baby and unlawfully detained for several days before being released without charges.
Russell’s lawsuit, which was filed in the Central California District Court, represents both herself and her underage child.
According to the lawsuit, Russell was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over by the deputies on July 14, 2022, for a traffic violation. At the time of the traffic stop, Russell was breastfeeding her baby. The incident escalated when the deputies allegedly harassed and threatened the vehicle occupants, instructing them to exit the vehicle. The deputies then threatened to separate Russell from her child and forcibly pulled on the baby’s legs, causing them to scream, as stated in the court documents.
Footage from a body camera obtained by The Los Angeles Times captures Russell defending herself and her baby, declaring that she does not currently have custody of her child and that the deputies would have to resort to violence to take the baby away.
The lawsuit claims that one of the deputies punched Russell in the face twice, causing her significant pain, while she continued to hold and protect her newborn. After the punches, the baby was allegedly left in an inverted position and the deputy grabbed their leg, causing Russell to fear that the leg would be broken.
Jamon Hicks, Russell’s attorney, emphasizes that the case goes beyond physical violence, stating, “It is about the way the deputies treated this mother.”
The deputies initially booked Russell for felony child endangerment, but prosecutors ultimately decided not to pursue charges against her. Despite this, Russell spent over four days in jail, according to The Los Angeles Times. Additionally, the lawsuit claims that the deputies forced Russell to dispose of her breast milk.
In the lawsuit, Russell alleges that the deputies failed to disclose the location of her child, despite her distress, and denied her access to medical treatment during transportation to the jail. The lawsuit further asserts that the Sheriff’s Department inadequately trained its deputies on the appropriate use of physical force.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, which will be determined in a jury trial, as well as attorneys’ fees and court costs.
As of now, the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station and Jamon Hicks have not responded to Insider’s request for comment.
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