A New York peace officer suspended over her handling of the “baby snatching” incident involving Brooklyn mother Jazmine Headley at a benefits office last week is defending herself against the outrage, a loved one told The New York Post.
Tonyin Ramos-Williams, who works at the Human Resources Administration office, has been “broken up” about the Dec. 7, incident where Headley engaged in a tug-of-war with NYPD officers over her 1-year-old son, according to her ex, Ray.
Police charged Jazmine Headley, 23, with resisting arrest and endangering the welfare of a child, among other charges. (NY1 Spectrum News / video screenshot)
“She said, ‘Why do I have to have this [happen]? I did my best. I’ve been working for 15 years there and I have a good record, not a single write-up on my job,’ ” he explained.
Ramos-Williams and fellow HRA peace officer, Bettina Barnett-Weeks, were placed on leave for 30 days after their encounter with Headley, 23, went viral. Witness videos from the incident showed police wrestling the young woman’s son, Damon, from her arms as they attempt to arrest her.
Headley was reportedly waiting inside the crowded benefits office for four hours and was forced to sit on the floor, as there were no more chairs available. Guards Ramos-Williams and Barnett-Weeks asked the mother to stand up because she was blocking the walkway, but she refused.
The pair said they were eventually forced to call the NYPD after Headley reportedly kicked Ramos-Williams in the shoulder, bit both of the guards and intentionally used her son as a shield so that she wouldn’t be arrested.
The guards “made several attempts to calm client Headley down and to just have a seat to avoid [the] situation from getting worse,” according to one of the statements from the HRA officers. The officers wrote that Headley “became very loud, irate, and was using profanity towards the security supervisors” as they tried to talk with her.
Ray said he feels Ramos-Williams and her colleague had no choice but to call the police.
“They called police because they were worried about the mob attacking them,” he told the newspaper. “They can’t do anything. They asked the client to leave and the client refused to go so they were about to arrest her but the mob was coming to attack them.”
“If she (Headley) had obeyed the police’s order all this wouldn’t have happened,” Ray added.
According to her ex, Ramos-Williams is staying with relatives until things blow over.
On Monday, the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau determined that the uniformed officers involved in Headley’s arrest did nothing wrong and will not face any disciplinary action.
“The NYPD conducted a strenuous review of what happened because the public deserves answers, and we must take every opportunity to continuously strengthen how the NYPD serves the people of New York City,” N.Y. Police Commissioner James O’Neill said in a statement. “This review shows that prior to the incident depicted on public video, NYPD officers are working with the client to de-escalate the situation.”
Ray argued the only reason the NYPD officers were absolved of any wrongdoing is because of their “strong union.” Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend was suspended from her job.
The police were the one ones that actually did something,” he added. “Nothing happened to them.”
