Photo: Courtesy of Latonya Eason
A 10-year-old Mississippi boy who was arrested for public urination was placed on probation and ordered to complete a writing assignment, according to CNN.
Quantavious Eason was given three months of probation and assigned a two-page book report on Kobe Bryant during a hearing in the Youth Court of Tate County on December 12. Carlos Moore, who's representing the boy's family, told reporters Eason wasn't declared delinquent and the incident won't go on his record.
A Senatobia police officer arrested Quantavious after he was spotted urinating in a parking lot near his mother's vehicle in August. LaTonya Eason, the 10-year-old's mother, claims she was inside an attorney's office at the time of the incident, adding the officer came inside the building to inform her what happened. Moore said there were no public restrooms in the area.
Despite Eason reprimanding her son for his behavior, four more officers allegedly showed up on the scene and arrested Quantavious. The child was placed in a police vehicle and then taken to the station, while the first officer filed a youth court referral. The 10-year-old wasn't handcuffed, police confirmed.
The Senatobia Police Department said they launched an internal investigation following Quantavious' arrest. They ended up firing the officer who arrested the boy.
"The officer’s decisions violated our written policy and went against our prior training on how to deal with these situations," a statement from the police department reads. "As a result of this investigation, one of the officers involved is no longer employed, and the others will be disciplined. We will also have mandatory Juvenile training department-wide, just as we do every year."
Moore said he was baffled that prosecutors pursued the case and claimed race played a role.
“He did what any reasonable person would do: He urinated next to the car behind the door — not exposing himself to anyone,” Moore said, per NBC News. “He would not have been arrested, prosecuted or sentenced if he was any other color, race, besides Black.”
Moore revealed he plans on filing a federal lawsuit next month against the city and the fired officer.
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