Boy, 10, arrested for urinating in public 'needs therapy after driven to jail'

14 December 2023 , 07:04

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Quantavious Eason, 10, was arrested and taken away by officers with the Senatobia Police Department (Image: Eason Family)

A 10-year-old boy arrested for urinating in public now needs counselling after being taken to jail, his mother said.

Quantavious Eason, was caught short near his mum's car opposite the Tate County Courthouse in Senatobia, Mississippi, where a sign read 'no public toilets'. His mum, Latonya Eason, had popped into a law office for some legal advice when a plainclothes detective from Senatobia Police spotted the lad relieving himself.

Senatobia Police Chief Richard Chandler said: "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." Latonya told how she scolded her son for his actions and the officer seemed content.

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The youngster was arrested and hauled off to jail for public urination (FOX13 Memphis)

However, four more police officers turned up, including a lieutenant, according to Latonya. She said her son was arrested, put in a police vehicle and taken to a police station. She told CNN that the 10 year old was "distraught and now afraid of police, and he will start counseling."

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The chief said that Eason was informed her son would receive a Youth Court Referral for the incident and the child was taken to the police station, but was not handcuffed. The officer involved is no longer with the Senatobia Police, though the chief has not said whether the officer was fired.

LaTonya Eason and Quantavious Eason (Action News 5)

They didn't reveal the officer's name but said in a statement: "The officer's decisions violated our written policy and went against our prior training on how to deal with these situations."

Following an internal investigation, the police department stated: "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."

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Abigail O'Leary