- A police officer in Mississippi has lost their job after taking a 10-year-old boy to jail for peeing.
- The Senatobia Police Department acknowledged that it was an “error in judgment” to arrest the boy.
- The department has committed to providing additional juvenile training for officers in the future.
A police officer in Mississippi has been terminated after arresting a 10-year-old boy who urinated behind his mother’s car, according to the police.
Chief Richard Chandler of the Senatobia Police Department admitted that the officer’s decision to arrest Latonya Eason’s son on August 10 was an “error in judgment.”
Eason stated that she was inside an attorney’s office when the officer observed her son, Quantavious, urinating behind her car, as reported by WHBQ.
“This is extremely ridiculous; something must be done,” Eason expressed in a Facebook post about the incident.
Initially, Chandler defended the officer’s choice to refer the boy to youth court, stating that the officer witnessed him engaging in “acts that would be identical for an adult under identical circumstances” and believed he was “in need of services.”
However, Chandler now acknowledges that it was an “error” for the officer to take Quantavious to jail since his mother was present and could have transported him to the police station, which he considers a “reasonable alternative.”
In a statement on Monday, Chandler confirmed that the officer responsible for taking Quantavious to jail is no longer employed by the department as a result of an internal investigation into the incident.
The department will also discipline the other officers involved in detaining Quantavious and will provide additional training on handling juvenile cases for all officers.
“We greatly appreciate your trust and support, and we are committed to continuously improving and learning from our mistakes,” Chandler stated.
A coalition called “Mississippi on the Move,” which aims to empower Black Mississippians, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist Eason and her son. The campaign has raised nearly $1,000 to help the family secure more stable housing.
According to the campaign, Eason was consulting with a local attorney to seek assistance in enrolling her children in school due to housing displacement.
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