Mother Punched by a Cop With Baby in Hand Takes Legal Action [Update]

Updated as of 7/26/2023 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Yeayo Russell is clapping back in court against the officer who swung at her while her baby was on her lap. According to AP News, she filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department alleging excessive force and wrongful arrest.

The suit alleges not only that the behavior of the deputies was wrong against Russell and the other woman present but toward the Black residents of the city in general. Russell’s attorney, Jamon Hicks, condemned the department for dragging their feet in releasing the footage of the incident.

“It’s unfortunate that it took a year for this video to even come out. This is something that the public should have seen right away. And the fact that it took a year, and again credit Sheriff Luna for exposing it, shows the mentality of the county sheriffs in that area,” said Hicks via AP.

Immediately following the 2022 incident, Hicks said his client was in jail for four days, separated from her newborn with no idea where her child was. Russell also included her older son as a plaintiff, being he was a the scene of the incident.

The suit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages against the 10 deputies involved in both the arrest and her detention at the jail.

Wait, What Happened?

Common sense is not always so common. I understand that police officers have a difficult job, which requires them to make split-second decisions that can affect lives. But punching a woman as she’s holding a newborn baby does not sound like a decision that is helping anyone.

Nearly a year ago, on July 14, 2022, deputies from Palmdale Station conducted a traffic stop after they spotted a car driving without headlights. While speaking to the driver, who was a man, they smelled alcohol and noticed that there were four women and three babies in the car being held by their mothers, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Since there was no sign of child car seats being used, the deputies decided to arrest everyone in the car for child endangerment, while the male driver was also arrested for driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

While attempting to arrest the woman, the deputies forcefully tried to get them to all let go of their children. One of the women was holding a newborn that was three weeks old and as officers tried to arrest her, they punched the Black woman twice in the face while she was still holding the child, according to the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department.

Bodycam footage shows the entire incident unfolding. The woman who was eventually punched by the deputy shows up around the 6:40 minute mark:

In the video, the woman can be heard telling deputies, “You’re not taking my baby” and “You’re breaking his leg.”

I’m not here to try and defend the actions of the people in the car or assume that they weren’t doing anything illegal, but punching a woman as she’s holding a newborn baby sounds like the most illogical way to get your job done.

Not only was the suspect not being accused of committing a violent crime, but the deputies legitimately put the life of the baby in jeopardy. What if she dropped the baby? What if one of the deputies punched the baby? What if the baby’s head slammed against a vehicle? All these are possible outcomes that could have occurred because of the deputy’s actions.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he just heard about the incident over the weekend. He also clarified that the deputy who punched the woman holding the baby has been relieved of field duty.

Sheriff Luna also said the FBI will be investigating the incident and that he referred the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.