Early Onset Injustice

Photo by iam Se7en on Unsplash

Yall know from my Pride Month article No Police At Pride that I am incredibly critical of cops. I always have been. A cop’s job, theoretically, is to protect people above all else, so when cops in real life fail to do so, I get really damn pissed.

Aretha Simmons is the mother of an eight year old daughter in Chicago. Five years ago, her family was raided by police, and a cop aimed a gun at the then THREE YEAR OLD CHILD.

After the criminal investigation that caused the raid was concluded, Simmons sued the Chicago PD for causing her daughter irreparable trauma. A therapist who examined Simmons’ daughter found that her mental health is permanently scarred, and will need treatment for PTSD for the rest of her life.

This year, the suit was settled and the Chicago police department was forced to give the family over two million dollars to pay for treatment and care for this girl, so that the family will be able to give her exactly what she needs.

But this is not a one off case. Chicago PD apparently has a habit of traumatizing children.

Dominique Wilson and two of her three children.

Dominique Wilson and her three prepubescent children (Ages 6, 8, and 9) were forced at gunpoint to leave their home on March 15th of this year. The Wilson kids are still shaken by the experience. The 8 year old, a boy named Royal, was left handcuffed for well over a half hour and developed bruising and incredible pain as a result.

Royal Wilson explaining what it was like to be handcuffed to a news reporter.

Though the Chicago PD says the handcuffs were removed when Royal’s age was discovered, you can tell by this screenshot from an interview that he is CLEARLY a minor. Handcuffing children is against Chicago PD protocol.

The Attorney who handled the Wilson case, Al Hofeld, has represented a total of 15 children traumatized by Chicago police. 15 children. Ad that’s just this one attorney.

There are stories of kids being tasered, staring down the barrel of an automatic rifle, being marched out of their homes like criminals. Innocent children, harmless children who have done no wrong.

This is unacceptable, this is disgusting. Chicago PD, fix your shit and fix it soon. You want us to believe cops can be good?

Prove it to us. End child abuse at the hands of Chicago cops.