Fort Bend County Deputies under investigation after wrongful detention of two teenage boys
FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas - A Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office investigation is underway after deputies wrongfully detained a 17-year-old boy, an incident captured on video that has left the teen's family outraged.
Wrongful detention in Sugar Land
What we know:
The incident occurred when deputies responded to an active burglary call with limited information, identifying the suspects only as two Black males. The two teenagers, who live in the area, were meeting up when the encounter with law enforcement took place.
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What they're saying:
Shawnie P., the boy's mother, described the distressing moment she learned of her son's detention. "No, I just froze," she said. "I got here and there were four cop cars, four guys, and a female."
Marie Hanks, the boy's aunt, expressed concern over the impact on the teenagers. "Making the boys feel threatened in their own community and neighborhood is alarming," she said. "Especially in this area that is so culturally diverse."
A week after the incident, the family says the boys remain traumatized. "He’s numb," Shawnie P. said of her son. "It’s a different type of love when we see eye to eye, and he just hugs me."
The other side:
The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office acknowledged the situation, stating, "The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office expects professional demeanor from its employees. This incident will be investigated to determine the basis for taking the person into custody and any subsequent action. As soon as any determination is made, notice will be provided."
Victim's family wants to see changes
Dig deeper:
Marie Hanks criticized the deputies' actions, saying, "For the deputies not to take them into consideration and to treat those boys as criminals, only to apologize an hour later, it’s not acceptable."
The family is calling for the deputies involved to be discharged and for changes within the department. "They speak a lot about sensitivity training and learning how to work with the public, but that’s not enough," Hanks said. "Something definitely needs to be done internally."
The Source: FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with the victim's mother and aunt. The Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office provided FOX 26 a statement.