Photo: Getty Images
An Ohio father is seeking justice after police searched his five-year-old son during a routine traffic stop.
The incident unfolded on December 26 when Parma Police officers pulled over Brandon Wilson.
In a video captured by his brother, Wilson appeared to have his hands in the air while he was searched by an officer. Wilson's five-year-old son, Brandon, also put his hands in the air and was searched by police.
One officer asked the boy: “Dad didn’t give you nothing, right?”
It's unclear whether police directed the five-year-old to put his hands up. Police said officers pulled over Wilson for expired plates and a front window that was too tinted.
Wilson said he and his son got out of the car after officers approached the vehicle.
“My son right here and he’s going in my son’s pockets. I’m like, ‘Y’all shouldn’t touch him at all in the first place.’ Then y’all search my car, and there’s nothing in there,” Wilson said.
In the video, Wilson can be heard telling his son to put his hands down and to stand by his uncle. Police ultimately cited Wilson, and he was released.
Parma Police released a statement addressing the traffic stop, saying that a K-9 alerted for the presence of a controlled substance on the front passenger side, where the child was seated. According to the department, their police dogs are only trained to alert to narcotics, including heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
The alert from the K-9 required all occupants to be searched, police said.
“Our decision to conduct this search was influenced by the increasing prevalence of tragic incidents where children have been harmed or killed after accidentally coming into contact with dangerous substances. In Ohio and across the nation, there have been cases where children have overdosed on drugs that were negligently left within their reach. This is a risk our officers work to prevent. In this case, our review process has confirmed that the officer acted reasonably, professionally, and with the child’s safety as a primary concern," Parma Police said in a statement.
Police also claimed that officers didn't instruct the boy to raise his hands. After officers searched the boy's pockets, police said he was released to his uncle.
Wilson believes there was no probable cause for police to deploy a dog to search his car for drugs. The father said he's acquired an attorney after the incident left his son traumatized.
“The search of a five-year-old child is particularly egregious. The police claim this was for the child’s ‘safety,’ yet the facts paint a different picture: a frightened child raising his hands and being unnecessarily searched while no evidence of danger or controlled substances was present. This was not about safety—it was an abuse of power that inflicted unnecessary trauma on an innocent child," the Elkhabit Law Office said in a statement.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.
