A Kansas City fireman has been cleared on all charges after a family accused him of using racial slurs and spitting on a Black toddler at a Hooter’s restaurant earlier this year.
On Wednesday, a judge found fireman Terrence “Jeremy” Skeen not guilty of disorderly conduct, battery and assault after finding that a witness account of the Feb. 26 incident was inconsistent with video evidence presented at trial, local station KCTV reported.
Skeen, 42, was accused of calling a 3-year-old boy the N-word and threatening the child’s grandfather as their family dined at the popular restaurant. When the boy wandered away from his family’s table, another patron told the grandfather that she saw Skeen spit on the toddler. A confrontation ensued and Skeen reportedly made a threatening comment about guns.
The surveillance footage shown in court only showed the actions of the grandad, Raymond Harris, and the young boy before and after their encounter with Skeen but failed to capture the moment the fireman allegedly spat at the toddler.
During his testimony, Skeen acknowledged his tense encounter with the grandfather, saying he told the man he owned several guns. He denied using a slur and spitting on the little boy, however.
“There was more than one liar in the restaurant,” Skeen told the court, calling the other accusations against him “bold-faced lies.”
The Wednesday ruling left Harris’ family utterly disappointed.
“We learned that racism is still prevalent, and it’s alive and well in our communities and in our society, and you can be a victim of racism in this country and not receive justice,” the family’s attorney Reginald Stockman said.
Skeen, who’s worked for the city fire department since 2002, was fired and later reinstated after being charged in the alleged incident. Fellow firefighters testified that Skeen has never shown racial bias toward anyone.
