Jazmine Headley, mother violently separated from her toddler upon arrest, released from Rikers Island Prison



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NEW YORK – A mother jailed after police violently snatched her infant son was released Tuesday night. A judge ordered his release earlier in the day after Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said he was abandoning all charges against Jazmine Headley, 23, "in the interest of Justice".

"I am so grateful to everyone and myself." I'm just happy to be free and I just need to see my boy, "said Jazmine Headley as a result of his release from Rikers Island Prison.

Headley, detained under a warrant, in an unrelated credit card fraud case in New Jersey, is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday in this case. [19659002] In abandoning the charges in Brooklyn, Gonzalez said he was "horrified by the violence described in the video," which showed officers firing Headley's 18-month-old son his arms.

"The consequences of this arrest on this desperate young mother already have a significant impact on any conduct that would have led to her: she and her baby have been traumatized, she has been sentenced to an independent mandate and can face collateral consequences es, "said Gonzalez in a statement .

He stated that prosecuting the charges – obstruction of government administration, resistance to arrest, endangering the protection of the child and violation of the right of property – would not serve to nothing. and I have therefore proposed today to reject it immediately in the interests of justice.

Nyashia Ferguson, a witness, said that a security guard had confronted the woman, sitting on the floor in the overworked office of the city's Human Resource Management Center (HRA), for lack of chairs. Headley's family told CBS New York that she was waiting nearly four hours to renew the watchwords.

"The security guard, I guess she came to see her and told her that she could not sit there. s & # 39; & # 39 sit; She thought to herself: "I guess you'll have to stay up." She said, "Well, I'm not going to stay with my son," Ferguson told CBS New York. "She said," What is the crime? does it hurt? "And then it just degenerated. "

The police responded, and the woman ended up lying face down during a tussle on the child.At a point, we can see on the video an officer on the train to shoot his stun gun and point him to the people in the angry crowd.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) called Friday's confrontation "unsettling," security guards said had "brought the woman to the ground" before the police stopped her, and Ferguson challenged that, saying that a police officer had forced the woman to land. James O'Neill, said the body cameras of New York police officers would be examined.

"It's disturbing, but we have to see what led to this event," he said. he declared.

The Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio praised the decision of the prosecutor [19459] 012] on Twitter . "This morning, my office spoke to the Brooklyn prosecutor about the discontinuation of the prosecution of Ms. Headley. I applaud his decision. She should find her child as soon as possible, "wrote Blasio.

Headley's family The station was told that the ordeal and use of force were useless.

"There was no reason for NYPD to shoot at him and shoot as he did with him – he was basically a rag doll. And she was really trying to protect him and you heard him scream, "said the child's grandmother, Jacqueline Jenkins, who is now taking care of the boy.

According to the station, peace officers from the Human Resources Administration were put into service modified. Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks said in a statement on Monday that he was "deeply troubled" by the incident, saying the city's social services offices should be "safe havens for New Brunswickers." Yorkers who must receive benefits to improve their living conditions ".

He indicated that he would put in place a new training on the de-escalation of personnel, security officers and peace officers.

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