SENATOBIA, Miss. (WREG) — A mother is considering legal action after her 10-year-old son was taken to jail for allegedly urinating in public.

Latonya Eason said she’s weighing whether she’ll take legal action against the Senatobia Police Department.

“Well, I just been kind of thinking, and so at this point I don’t know. I don’t know what kind of action I’m going to take,” she said.

Her son Quantavious was outside in her car with his sister when he needed to go to the bathroom and was spotted by a passing Senatobia police officer. The incident happened when Eason went into a law office seeking legal assistance.

“When the officer drove through, he just he saw the urine running in the pavement, so that’s how he knew he was using the bathroom,” Eason said.

She claims her son never exposed himself to the public.

Eason said the officer located her inside the law office and told her what he witnessed, and she then confronted her son.

“I asked him why did he do that? He was like, ‘Mom, I had to use the bathroom and my sister said they didn’t have a bathroom in there.’ I said, ‘Son, you know better,'” she recalled.

Eason said the officer seemed satisfied with her reprimand and let the 10-year-old get back in his mom’s car until more officers arrived. 

“And one of the officers came over, and he was like, ‘Per my lieutenant, I got to arrest him and take him down to the station.’ And I asked him, ‘Are you serious?'” she said.

Quantavious was transported to jail, reportedly not in handcuffs, and was not charged with indecent exposure but received a “child in need of services” petition.

Photo courtesy: Latonya Eason

Senatobia’s police chief called the matter an “error in judgement.” But Eason said the incident was traumatic to her son.

“When he sees a policeman now, he be like, ‘Mom, are they going to send me to jail?'” she said.

We reached out to the Senatobia police chief for an interview, but he has not returned our call. We also contacted the mayor but were told he has no comment on the matter.

Eason said her son will have to appear in Youth Court in September.