A police department in Ohio is facing criticism following the release of a video showing an officer searching the pockets of a five-year-old boy during a regular traffic stop.
The video, shared on social media by the boy’s uncle, captures the boy standing beside his father with his hands raised, mimicking his father’s posture next to their Volkswagen SUV while officers examined the boy’s pockets.
One officer could then be heard asking the child, ‘Dad didn’t give you nothing, right?’
After ensuring that the child did not possess any prohibited items, the officers escorted the boy away from the vehicle.
The boy’s father, Brandon Wilson, has since told WOIO the shocking incident occurred at around 9.20pm on December 26 as he was driving to his mother’s house.
He said he was pulled over by Parma police officers for plates that expired in September and for a front tinted window that was too dark.
The officers opened his driver-side door and he asked what was going on, Wilson recounted. He said he was later asked to get out of his vehicle, and his son followed his lead.
‘My son right here and he’s going in my son’s pockets,’ Wilson said. ‘I’m like “Y’all shouldn’t touch him at all in the first place,” and then y’all search my car and there’s nothing there.’
Video posted online shows Parma police officers sifting through the pockets of a five-year-old during a routine traffic stop on December 26
Brandon Wilson said he was pulled over by Parma police officers for plates that expired in September and for a front-tinted window that was too dark
Wilson went on to claim that his son, also named Brandon, was left traumatized by the experience.
‘He’s reenacting it with his toys. That’s not cool,’ the worried father said, noting he wanted to teach his children to grow up to respect law enforcement and not fear it.
‘They could have went about it a whole different way. The officers didn’t have to touch him, I do what y’all tell me,’ he added.
Wilson said he even followed orders to keep the young boy calm during the search.
The father-of-two also argues there was no probable cause to bring a police dog to search his car for drugs when he already told officers he had no drugs or guns in his possession.
He has since hired an attorney, and said he deserves to be treated with respect just like everyone else.
‘I own my house. I pay taxes,’ Wilson argued.
‘They just seen me and thought, “He looks like he’s up to no good,”‘ the father claimed of the officers who conducted the search.
The father-of-two said he wanted to teach his children to grow up to respect law enforcement and not fear it
But the Parma Police Department has since claimed they were searching the boy for his own protection.
Officials said they reviewed body camera footage from the incident, and determined that the search was warranted after a police dog was alerted to the presence, or recent presence, of a controlled substance.
They clarified that the dog is trained to only alert officers to the presence of narcotics, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, and the dog’s alert required all occupants of the vehicle to be searched.
The review also found that cops did not instruct the child to raise his hands, and he was instead simply following his father’s example, officers wrote in their report obtained by the local news network.
‘The interaction with the child was brief, professional and focused on ensuring the child’s welfare,’ officials claimed.
‘These controlled substances are not only illegal, but can also be lethal, even in miniscule amounts,’ they continued. ‘The officer could not risk the safety of the child’s life, so the brief search was necessary under the circumstances.’
‘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,’ the officials said.
‘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 officers claimed they were searching the boy for his own protection
Attorneys representing the Wilson family slammed the police department’s response.
‘The Parma Police Department’s attempt to justify the unconstitutional and deeply disturbing events of December 26th is both flawed and one-sided,’ the Elkhatib Law Office told WOIO.
They claim Wilson and his son ‘were unlawfully subjected to an unwarranted K9 search, invasive questioning and an egregious violation of the Fourth Amendment rights.
‘This was a routine stop for an expired tag that inexplicably escalated into a full-blown search involving a K9 unit,’ the attorneys explained.
‘The police fail to explain why a K9 was deployed or how this routine stop led to the harassment of our client.’
‘The driver was cooperative throughout, yet he and his child were subjected to baseless searches, despite no contraband being found.’
‘The search of a five-year-old child is particularly egregious,’ the attorneys argued.
‘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 substance was prevalent.’
‘This was not about safety and it was an abuse of power that inflicted unnecessary trauma on an innocent child.’
‘We will vigorously audit and investigate every aspect of this incident to expose how and why it escalated. We will hold the Parma Police Department accountable for their actions and ensure that this family receives the justice they deserve,’ the attorneys vowed.
‘Our office will not rest until we uncover the full truth and ensure that those responsible are held to account.
‘This matter is far from resolved,’ they said.
