Mom whose toddler was brutally taken away from her during arrest is freed from jail

On Tuesday, Jazmine Headley was finally sent home after being subjected to appalling treatment by police. The incident went viral, sparking outrage online and nationwide.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzelez dropped all the misdemeanor offenses that police charged Headley with. Judge Craig Walker gave the order to release the young mother on Tuesday night according to the Daily Mail. 

The charges included resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child, obstruction of governmental administration, and trespassing. However, the video showed a different story from what the above implied.

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This morning my office spoke to the Brooklyn DA about dropping the charges against Ms. Headley. I applaud the DA’s decision to do so. She should be reunited with her child as soon as possible.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) December 11, 2018

On Friday evening, Headley stood in an office awaiting a daycare voucher for her son. Her mom told reporters that she was trying to work as a cleaner to make ends meet.

Headley's lawyers said that she stood with her son for four hours. She then sat down on the tiled floor. An officer asked her to get up and Headley refused.

That's when the security officer called the police. Chaos ensued and was recorded in a video which was later uploaded to Facebook by Nyashia Ferguson.

Calls for NJ to drop credit card fraud charges against Jazmine Headley, who had her baby ripped from her in NY and was then held on NJ warrant.
Here's what police reports say about why she & 2 others were charged in the alleged scheme:https://t.co/wCmOL4HmTL #JusticeForJazmine pic.twitter.com/AvLMxS8V1f

— Rebecca Everett (@RebeccajEverett) December 12, 2018

Ferguson, who witnessed the occurrence, said:

"The baby was screaming for his life. The lady was begging for them to get off of her. I was scared."

The clip showed as three officers forced Headley's one-year-old son out of her arms. One of them threatened the angry crowd with a stun gun.

Source: YouTube/ NBC New York

Eventually, the police arrested Headley. She stayed in Rikers until Tuesday, prompting protests outside the jail. Supporters further started a petition to have her released on Change.org.

In considering the case, Gonzalez had this to say:

"Like everyone who watched the arrest of Jazmine Headley, I was horrified by the violence depicted in the video. It is clear to me that this incident should have been handled differently."

Source: YouTube/ NBC New York

Finally free, Headley spoke to the media:

"I just want to thank everybody and all the support that I've been getting in New York and just all the great people who has been supporting me."

She continued, stopping at one point to regain her composure:

"I'm so grateful to everyone and I'm just happy to be free and I just need to see my boy."

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Dec 13, 2018

Horrific video shows NYPD officers pulling toddler out of his mother’s arms

Source: YouTube/ NBC New York

Headley also had to take care of a warrant for credit card theft. According to her lawyer, she didn't steal any cards but rather was in the same car as the thief.

Another controversial incident involving police took place back in December 2017. Dexter Betts shot at a family dog twice, missing the dog but injuring a nine-year-old who was sitting nearby.

Wichita Police Accidently Shoot Child Instead of Violent Dog | Visit -> https://t.co/HKZwuWkiWf pic.twitter.com/b5R7lkTzBg

— born2doubleup (@born2doubleup) August 21, 2018

Betts said that the dog had attacked him. Body cam footage showed that the young girl was in his line of sight when he shot. The Wichita officer was charged with aggravated battery in the case.

While most understand the job of officers is difficult, situations like these are disturbing to take in. Particularly in Headley's case in which any form of de-escalation could have been attempted.