Click here for updates on this story
COBB COUNTY, Ga. (WGCL) — CBS46 has obtained cell phone video of a Cobb County police officer arresting a 12-year-old African-American boy at Cumberland Mall.
In the video that has since gone viral, you can see an officer holding the arm of an African-American boy. In the background, you can hear the aunt of the boy screaming for the officer to let him go.
Police say this all happened because the 12-year-old was selling CDs inside the mall. They say he had been given a criminal trespass warning twice before.
Police say when the officer tried to get information from the child, he tried to run so the officer grabbed his arm. They say the child then pushed or swung at the officer and that’s when the aunt got involved.
The officer is still on active duty while they conduct an internal investigation.
The young boy and his aunt were charged with felony obstruction, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
Atlanta Attorney Gerald Griggs released the following statement:
“The detainment, arrest, and felony charges to 12-year-old Corey Jackson are disheartening. We believe the officer was careless in the handling of this young boy. He is only 12 years old. At the time of the arrest, there was no probable cause that my client had committed a crime. In fact, the officer detained Corey while attempting to find probable cause. The Fourth Amendment provides individuals, such as Mr. Jackson, the protection by law against “unreasonable searches and seizures.” An arrest is a seizure. This is an unlawful arrest, and we’re demanding that the Felony Obstruction and Misdemeanor Criminal Trespass, Disorderly Conduct, and Providing a False Name to Law Enforcement all be dismissed.
We believe with adequate training that this case could’ve been resolved with Corey leaving the Cumberland Mall without being escorted out in handcuffs.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
