In Senatobia, Mississippi, Latonya Eason left her 10-year-old son inside her car in a law office parking lot while she went in to speak with someone about legal aid. While waiting, the boy had to use the restroom so he got out of the car and urinated beside it. As the law office was across from the county courthouse, a plainclothes Senatobia Police Detective walked by and saw the boy peeing. So naturally, he took him to the police station and gave him a Youth Court Referral before releasing him to his mother.
“In this situation, an officer personally witnessed a 10-year-old child committing an act in public which would have been illegal for an adult under these circumstances,” said Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler. “The officer did not perceive a parent on the scene during the initial contact.”
Worth noting is that there is a apparently a “no public restroom” sign at the courthouse. In any case, a assess sentenced the boy to three months probation and, for some reason, assigned him to write a two-page essay on Kobe Bryant.
From WREG:
The officer involved is no longer with Senatobia Police, though the chief has not said whether the officer was fired. The chief has previously called the case an “error in judgement.” The family retained an attorney and the incident has sparked calls from the community for accountability from the police department.
