Attorneys alleged a Joliet police officer illegally patted down a 12-year-old lady with no cause to take action in a civil rights lawsuit filed towards town and police division that was introduced Thursday.
Officers’ physique cameras have been rolling on the time of the incident that occurred virtually two years in the past, and the attorneys launched the video footage — edited by police — to reporters Thursday.
The incident began out as a site visitors cease in February 2024. Joliet police pulled over a automotive with two sisters inside. The 12-year-old lady was the passenger, and her older sister was driving.
“The rationale I am stopping you is in your lights. You have no of them on,” an officer stated within the physique digicam video.
The video confirmed officers explaining why they requested the sisters to get out of the automotive.
“Your plates are suspended due to the registration. So, we’re towing the automobile,” an officer stated within the video.
The lawsuit facilities round what occurred because the sisters bought out of the automotive, when an officer patted down the 12-year-old lady. Her older sister was not patted down.
The household’s attorneys stated it was an unlawful search, alleging constitutional violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments within the lawsuit.
“There was no 911 name which ought to have made them suspicious. No financial institution theft. No driving down the road at 80 or 90 miles an hour. Nothing. Only a routine site visitors cease,” stated Victor Henderson, legal professional for the Jones household.
Within the video, instantly following the pat-down, her older sister requested the officer: “Can I ask why you patted down a minor?”
They known as their mom, Nayocka Jones, and when she bought to the scene, she additionally repeatedly requested for an evidence. She requested a sergeant come to the scene.
“I ran to the scene in a panic, making an attempt to ensure that the whole lot was OK. My youngsters have been merely going to go to their grandmother when all of this occurred,” Jones stated in the course of the information convention Thursday.
The criticism alleged Joliet police later acknowledged the search violated division coverage and the officer concerned was disciplined. A spokesperson for the Joliet Police Division instructed NBC 5 Chicago it may well’t touch upon pending litigation.
Jones stated her daughter has needed to attend remedy because of the encounter.
“She’s developed separation nervousness. She does not need me to go wherever,” Jones stated.
Physique digicam additionally captured a dialog between the officer and his sergeant following the search.
“You significantly patted down the little lady?” the sergeant requested.
The sergeant later stated, “You made a mistake,” and the officer responded, “Agreed.”
