Georgia Woman Files Suit Alleging Police Beating Led to Miscarriage
Kenya Harris, who was an expecting mother in 2011, has filed a suit against the Albany Police Department in Georgia, alleging that a physical altercation between her and an officer lead to her miscarriage.
In May 2011, Kenya Harris waited five hours in the Albany Police Department for her son to be released from custody after an arrest. With other children waiting at home, she told Officer Ryan Jenkins that she needed to leave to check on them. The officer stated that he did not like the tone of her voice and threatened to “put [her head] to the floor” if she did not cooperate.
Soon after, Harris asked to leave the station again. Upon that second request and with approval from Officer Richard Brown Jr, Officer Jenkins fulfilled his threat of injury. The lawsuit details the incident:
Defendant Officer Jenkins, without provocation, grabbed plaintiff, who weighs less than one hundred twenty (120) pounds, by her neck and slammed her to the ground. Plaintiff momentarily blacked out and came to with defendant Officer Jenkins sitting on her back, and with his knee on her arm. Plaintiff was pregnant at the time.After being taking into custody and released from jail the next morning, Harris visited Phoebe Convenient Care. There, physicians told her that she had suffered a miscarriage due to her injuries.
Harris is suing for more than $50,000 in addition to punitive damages. According to the Albany Police Department, neither Officer Jenkins nor Officer Brown are still employed at the department.
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