Mississippi Police Officer No Longer Employed After Arresting 10-Year-Old For Peeing Behind Mother’s Car

A Mississippi police officer is no longer employed after arresting a 10-year-old for urinating behind his mother’s car. 

The incident unfolded on Thursday, August 10th, when Latonya Eason stopped by a lawyer’s office in Senatobia. As she was inside seeking legal advice for a separate matter, her son, Quantavious Eason, was outside. However, an officer approached her inside the building to let her know he’d caught Quantavious using the bathroom at the rear of her vehicle. She spoke with her son and verbally reprimanded him in front of the officer, who was only going to issue the child a warning. Several other deputies and a lieutenant responded to the scene and informed Latonya that her son was being arrested. The child was placed in a police car and taken to jail, and placed in a cell for a short while before being released. 

“Him urinating in the parking lot was not right, but at the same time, I handled it like a parent, and for one officer to tell my baby to get back in the car, it was okay, and to have the other pull up and take him to jail, like no. I’m just speechless right now. Why would you arrest a ten-year-old kid?” she shared with Fox 13 Memphis. 

On Tuesday, Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler shared an update via the department’s Facebook page. He confirmed that the arresting officer went against “prior training on how to deal with these situations.” That officer is no longer with the Senatobia Police Department, and others who participated in detaining the child are expected to face discipline. In a separate statement to Fox 13 Memphis, Chandler called the matter an “an error in judgment” but insists Quantavious was not handcuffed during the ordeal. 

Nevertheless, Latonya says the incident could traumatize the young boy permanently.