The mother of the 10-year-old boy who was arrested for public urination is suing the city of Senatobia, Mississippi, and the officers who were involved in the “distressing incident,” their attorney announced on Wednesday.
On behalf of her son Quantavious, Latonya Eason filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi on Wednesday, Feb. 21. The filing lays out the events that led Eason’s child to be put behind bars last August.
While she was running errands at a local office building, Quantavious told his sister that he had to use the bathroom and could not wait. He noticed a sign indicating no public restrooms, so he urinated in the parking lot.
“Without his mother’s permission, he decided to discreetly relieve himself by opening his mother’s car door and using the restroom behind the door so as to not expose himself,” the family’s attorneys say in their filing to the court.
According to the complaint, a Senatobia Police officer saw what he was doing, notified Eason, and reprimanded them but let them go. However, shortly after, former Sentatobia police officer Zachary Jenkins arrived with four colleagues at the scene. Jenkins — who is listed as a defendant in the document — notified Eason that Quantavious would be taken into custody.
Quantavious was placed in the back of a patrol car, transported to jail, and charged with being a “child in need of services,” per the filing. He was held for about an hour inside a cell. Eason and her son are represented by attorney Carlos Moore, who has been vocal about the treatment of his client, saying that he would not have been arrested if he was white.
“This lawsuit is not merely a pursuit of justice for Q.E. and the Eason family; it is a call for accountability and systemic change within law enforcement practices,” Moore said in a statement. “We firmly believe that every individual, regardless of age, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect by those sworn to protect and serve.”
In December, Eason declined to sign her son’s three-month probation agreement, which required him to do check-ins and complete a two-page assignment. The case against Quantavious, which made national headlines, was dismissed earlier this month.
The incident has left Quantavious with physical and emotional trauma, including suffering from PTSD and shock, the family says. Moore said he hopes the lawsuit will lead to a reexamination of the training and policies at the police department.
“By holding the City of Senatobia, Chief Richard Chandler, Officer Zachary Jenkins, and others accountable for their actions, we aim to send a clear message that such behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Moore added. “It is our firm belief that law enforcement agencies must prioritize the protection of citizens’ rights and well-being, especially when dealing with vulnerable populations such as children.”
