The mother of the 17-year-old punched during an arrest at Mayfair Mall last week released a prepared statement through the law firm Pinix & Soukup.
Last Friday, Wauwatosa police arrested the teen after they said they received calls about five male subjects inside the mall acting disorderly. One of the officers found the subjects in the parking lot and tried to speak with them.
Cell phone video captured an officer punching the teen during the arrest. The teen was cited for disorderly conduct.
Police said they are reviewing additional video they say shows the officer trying to talk to the 17-year-old, and he refuses to stop and speak to the officer.
Tywona McCann, the 17-year-old’s mother released the following statement:
Last Friday, while I was attending a family funeral out of state, I received a
phone call that no parent wants to get: my son had been detained by police. I was scared and worried about my son. I came home as soon as I could to deal with the situation.When I got home, my fear turned into terror when I learned that my son had
been repeatedly punched in the face by a police officer while a mall security guard held his arms behind his back.As a society, we owe it to our children to do better and to hold accountable those
who violate the constitutional rights to which we are all entitled.No parent should have to witness their child being beaten by the police. No
parent should have to worry that when their child goes out in public the people who are meant to keep them safe are actually a threat.No child should have to live in fear that innocent behavior could result in an
arrest. No child should have to fear that they will be punched in the face by a police
officer.My family is currently looking into all possible legal avenues available to us for
what happened to my son on May 11th.In the meantime, I ask that you respect my son's privacy and the privacy of my
family.
