SENATOBIA, Miss. — A police officer in Mississippi who took a 10-year-old boy into custody for urinating in a parking lot is “no longer employed,” and other officers will be disciplined over the incident, according to the city’s police chief.
Chief Richard Chandler with the Senatobia Police Department announced Monday that after an internal investigation, one of the officers involved is “no longer employed” and the others will face disciplinary action.
However, the top cop did not specify whether the officer at the center of the controversy was terminated or resigned. The chief also did not indicate what type of discipline the other officers might face, the Houston Chronicle reported.
“We appreciate the public’s patience while we investigated this incident. We deeply value your trust and support, and we are dedicated to continually improving and learning from our mistakes,” Chandler wrote in the Facebook post, noting that officers did not follow their training and protocols on how to deal with children.
The child’s mother — who had a warrant for her arrest and was taken into custody by the Tate County Sheriff’s Office — told members of the press that her son urinated behind her vehicle while she was visiting a lawyer’s office on Aug. 10. She further said that officers placed the boy into a patrol unit and transported him to the police station.
Despite the custodial situation, Chandler said the child was not handcuffed or charged, and that the officers issued a citation for a “child in need of services.”
It was unclear if the “citation” was something like a referral for social services and whether it had been rescinded or remained in place.
The chief did not immediately reply to a request from the Chronicle requesting additional information.
The City of Senatobia, Mississippi is located about 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.
