Moment Ohio cops search five-year-old boy’s pockets during father’s traffic stops

An Ohio police department has come under fire after video surfaced showing an officer searching the pockets of a five-year-old boy during a routine traffic stop.

The footage, posted online by the boy’s uncle, shows him standing next to his father with his hands up and facing his father’s Volkswagen SUV, mimicking his father’s position as officers searched the boy’s pockets.

An officer could then be heard asking the child, “Daddy didn’t give you anything, did he?”

Once officers were apparently satisfied that the juvenile had nothing illegal on him, they were able to lead the child away from the car.

The boy’s father, Brandon Wilson, has since done so told WOIO The shocking incident took place on December 26 at around 9.20pm while he was driving to his mother’s house.

He said he was stopped by Parma police officers for license plates that had expired in September and because a tinted front window was too dark.

The officers opened the driver’s side door and he asked what was going on, Wilson said. He said he was later asked to get out of his car, and his son followed suit.

“My son is here and he’s going into my son’s pockets,” Wilson said. “I’m like, ‘You guys can’t touch him at all,’ and then you all search my car and there’s nothing there.”

Wilson further claimed that his son, also named Brandon, was traumatized by the experience.

‘He plays it out with his toys. That’s not cool,” the concerned father said, noting he wanted to teach his children to grow up to respect law enforcement and not be afraid of it.

‘They could have done it very differently. The officers didn’t have to touch him, I’ll do what you tell me,” he added.

Wilson said he even followed orders to keep the young boy calm during the search.

The father of two also claims there was no probable cause to bring a police dog to search his car for drugs when he had already told officers he had no drugs or weapons in his possession.

He has since hired a lawyer and said he deserves to be treated with respect just like everyone else.

‘I own my house. I pay taxes,” Wilson argued.

“They just saw me and thought, ‘He looks like he’s up to no good,’” the father claimed of the officers who conducted the search.

But Parma police have since claimed they were looking for the boy for his own protection.

Officials said they reviewed body camera footage of the incident and determined the search was justified after a police dog was alerted to the presence, or recent presence, of a controlled substance.

They clarified that the dog is trained to only alert officers to the presence of narcotics, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, and due to the dog’s alarm, all occupants of the vehicle had to be searched.

The investigation also found that police did not instruct the child to raise his hand, but instead simply followed his father’s example, officers wrote in their report. obtained by the local news network.

“The interaction with the child was brief, professional and focused on ensuring the child’s well-being,” officials claimed.

“These controlled substances are not only illegal, but can be fatal, even in minuscule amounts,” they continued. “The officer could not jeopardize the safety of the child’s life, so the short search was necessary under the circumstances.”

‘Our decision to conduct this search was influenced by the increasing prevalence of tragic incidents involving children being injured or killed after accidentally coming into contact with hazardous substances.

“In Ohio and across the country, there have been cases of children overdosing on drugs that were carelessly left within their reach. This is a risk our officers are working to prevent,” officials said.

“In this case, our review process confirmed that the officer acted reasonably and professionally with the child’s safety as a priority.”

Lawyers representing the Wilson family have rejected the police response.

“The Parma Police’s attempt to justify the unconstitutional and deeply disturbing events of December 26 is both flawed and one-sided,” Elkhatib’s law firm told WOIO.

They allege that Wilson and his son were “unlawfully subjected to an unwarranted K9 search, invasive interrogations, and a blatant violation of Fourth Amendment rights.”

“This was a routine stop due to an expired tag that inexplicably escalated into a full-scale search involving a K9 unit,” the attorneys explained.

“Police cannot explain why a K9 was deployed or how this routine stop led to the harassment of our client.”

“The driver was cooperative throughout, yet he and his child were subjected to unsubstantiated searches despite no contraband being found.”

“The search for a five-year-old child is particularly egregious,” the lawyers argued.

“Police claim this was for the ‘safety’ of the child, but the facts paint a different picture: a frightened child who raised his hand and was unnecessarily searched in the absence of evidence of danger or controlled substances.”

“This was not about safety and it was an abuse of power that caused unnecessary trauma to an innocent child.”

“We will vigorously monitor and investigate every aspect of this incident to uncover how and why it escalated. We will hold the Parma police accountable for their actions and ensure this family receives the justice they deserve,” the lawyers vowed.

“Our office will not rest until we uncover the full truth and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

“This issue is far from resolved,” they said.