Georgia woman claims police beating led to miscarriage
theGrio REPORT - A new lawsuit alleges that a Georgia police officer beat a pregnant woman so hard she ended up having a miscarriage - simply because he did not like the 'tone' she was speaking in.
A new lawsuit alleges that a Georgia police officer beat a pregnant woman so hard she ended up having a miscarriage — simply because he did not like the “tone” she was speaking in.
The suit, filed by Kenya Harris, claims that in May, 2011, Harris came to the Albany Police department because she was notified that her son was arrested. After waiting five hours for him to be released, she told officer Ryan Jenkins that she needed to leave to tend to her other children at home.
Jenkins reportedly reacted in a “hostile” manner, telling her that he didn’t appreciate her tone and that he would take her head and “‘put it to the floor,” if she wasn’t quiet.
Shortly after, Harris tried again to explain that she needed to leave — at which point, Jenkins followed through on his threat with the compliance of another officer, Richard Brown Jr.
The lawsuit alleges
Defendant Officer Jenkins, without provocation, grabbed plaintiff, who weighs less than one hundred twenty (120) pounds, by her neck and slammed her to the ground. Plaintiff momentarily blacked out and came to with defendant Officer Jenkins sitting on her back, and with his knee on her arm. Plaintiff was pregnant at the time.
After the alleged assault, Jenkins then arrested the expectant mother for obstruction of justice.
She claims that the next day, when she was released from jail, she went to Phoebe Convenient Care for medical treatment and was told she had miscarried because of her injuries.
Harris is seeking more than $50,000 as well as punitive damages
The suit was filed on February 5th, and Albany Police Department has confirmed that neither of the officers named in the suit still works for the police force.
