Mississippi cop loses job over arrest, removal and jailing of 10-year-old boy Quantivious Eason who peed in car park while mother visited office nearby
A Mississippi police officer is out of a job after police arrest and jail a 10-year-old boy they found urinating in a parking lot.
Senatobia police faced an outpouring of criticism for their heavy-handed treatment of young Quantivious Eason when photos circulated of the embarrassed child in the back of a police car on its way to jail.
Police Chief Richard Chandler admitted he had made an “error of judgement” in taking the boy to jail, where a referral had to be made for “acting delinquent”.
But as the pressure mounted, he has revealed that one officer involved is “no longer on duty,” and that other officers will face punishment for ignoring department policies and training.
“We appreciate the public’s patience as we investigate this incident,” he wrote on the department’s Facebook page.
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Quantavious, a 10-year-old Mississippi boy, was arrested last week by Senatobia police after he was caught urinating behind his mother’s car
The incident caused the preteen to burst into tears, after being swarmed by police and separated from his mother so she could fill out the paperwork to get him out of custody.
“We deeply appreciate your trust and support, and we are committed to continually improving and learning from our mistakes.”
Mother, Latonya Eason, said the cop who caught her son interrupted her meeting to tell her what he had found and that he would let Quantivious go with a warning.
But she claims he changed his mind when other officers arrived on the scene and an irate lieutenant demanded that he be taken to the station and given a statute for being left unattended.
Jason told FOX 13 Memphis she went to the parking lot to find her son and explained, “I thought, ‘Son, why did you do that?’
Quantivious told her he decided to relieve himself after his sister — who was also in the car — told her the legal office didn’t have a bathroom.
“He said, ‘Mom, my sister said they don’t have a bathroom in there,'” Eason told the outlet, adding that at the time she planned to discipline the child herself.
“I was like, ‘You knew better, you should have come and asked me if they had a toilet,'” she recalled. She said the then-only officer seemed to be on the same page.
“He said, ‘Because you handled it like a mother, he could just get back in the car,'” she said of what the officer allegedly told her.
The child’s mother, Latonya Eason, has expressed outrage, telling local media that the August 10 arrest could have been easily avoided and that the responding officer was wrong
She said she had a meeting at this law firm at 216 S Ward Street before the unnamed officer came in and took her to the parking lot of the building where her son had been waiting. Eventually more officers would arrive, before the youngster would be arrested
Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler reveals one officer has left his job and others face disciplinary action over Quantivious’s arrest
But the child was chased away after senior officers arrived and beaten with a child in need of help, which would get the town’s children’s court involved in helping Eason deal with him.
Chief Chandler issued a lengthy statement that resistance was gaining strength in the town of 8,100, some 40 miles south of Memphis.
He said the child was not handcuffed and under the Youth Court Act a warrant could be issued against a 10-year-old if they commit acts illegal for an adult.
“The officer did not see a parent on site during initial contact,” he added.
The mother was found shortly afterwards at a nearby business and informed that her child would receive a referral from the Juvenile Court for this case.
Officers then took the 10-year-old to the police station to complete paperwork, after which the child was released to the mother.
“Under the circumstances, it was an error of judgment for us to transport the child to the police station as a reasonable alternative, given that the mother was present at the time.”
In his latest statement, he reveals that the disciplinary action against his agents was taken in response to an “internal complaint.”
“Together we will make progress towards building a safer and more respectful environment for everyone,” he added.
Quantivious, meanwhile, remains traumatized, tearfully telling the Fox affiliate this week, “I started to cry a little bit. They took me there and got me out of the truck. I didn’t know what was happening.’
“I get scared and start shaking and think I’m going to jail.”
Urine big problem: Chandler – who was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2021 by First Responders of Mississippi – has admitted a ‘misjudgment’ of his juniors
His mother said she was “speechless” about the behavior of the officers.
“No, it wasn’t right for him to pee in the parking lot, but at the same time I handled it like a parent,” she told the channel, getting emotional.
“And one cop telling my baby to get back in the car like it’s okay, and the other one to pull over and take him to jail. Like no.
“I’m just speechless right now. Why would you arrest a ten-year-old child?’