D.C. police handcuffed her 9-year-old son. Now she’s suing. (Washington Post)
Washington Post | October 23, 2024
Niko Estep’s mother says D.C. police violated her son’s constitutional rights by using excessive force when handcuffing him in 2019, according to a lawsuit.
Niko Estep loved Spider-Man, video games and climbing trees when a D.C. police officer was caught on video knocking the 9-year-old to the ground and handcuffing him on a spring night in 2019.
On April 22, 2019, Niko was leaning against a parked car in Northwest Washington, the suit says. When two D.C. police officers told him to move, he “made a disrespectful comment” and ran, according to the suit. Then, it claims, D.C. officer Joseph Lopez chased him.
"Abuse of police power is unacceptable in any context, but it’s particularly egregious when we’re talking about kids who I think we all feel like we have a duty to protect and not only keep safe, but make them feel safe,” said Katie Ali, an attorney with Ali & Lockwood LLP, a D.C.-based law firm representing Drayton. “We should all want to live in a city, in a community where little kids can hang out with their family and their friends in public spaces without fear of something like this happening.
View the full original article at https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/10/23/dc-police-niko-estep-handcuff-boy-lawsuit/