A Mississippi child who was arrested for urinating in public has learned his sentence.
Quantavious Eason, an elementary school student, was arrested on August 10th in Senatobia. The child stepped behind his mother’s vehicle to urinate while she was inside an attorney’s office. An officer witnessed the act and approached the child. He was going to let Eason off with a warning until his superior arrived on the scene and placed the third grader in handcuffs. The child was hauled off to the Senatobia Police Department. Now, he has been sentenced to three months of probation. Additionally, he must pen a two-page book report on the late NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant.
Despite the police department acknowledging that the arrest “went against our prior training,” Eason was still penalized for such a minuscule act. During the Tuesday court hearing, Eason was not declared delinquent or in need of supervision. Therefore, the incident will also not go on his record. The arresting officer has since been fired. The other officers who responded to the scene will also face separate disciplinary action.
Family attorney Carlos Moore told CNN that the ordeal left Eason “distraught and now afraid of police.” He will now begin therapy sessions. The family, as well as Moore, believe the arrest was racially motivated. As a result, a federal lawsuit is being prepared against the Senatobia Police Department.
“I want to make sure this doesn’t happen again. No matter the color or who you are, no child should have to go through that,” Eason’s mother, Latonya, stated.
