Woman arrested for asking to see non-existent warrant to arrest 11-year old

Fox34 in Lubbock reported last week (6/12) on an extraordinary case of a mother in Slaton who was allegedly arrested for asking to see an arrest warrant before she let police cart away her 11-year old son. It turned out, no warrant existed so they arrested her instead. Reporter Bailey Miller's story opened:

Slaton police came to this woman's house, who wishes to remain anonymous, to arrest her son. But by asking one simple question, she found herself behind bars instead.

"I told him, 'I will release my son to you upon viewing those orders.' Those were exactly my words," The complainant said. "He said, 'This is how you want to play?' He took two steps back, turned around to the officer and said, 'Take her.' They turned me around, handcuffed me, and took me in."

The complainant said she was aware police would be coming to apprehend her 11-year-old son based on a criminal complaint, and that she just wanted to see the warrant. As it turns out, that warrant didn't exist. She spent the night in jail while her son was left at home. 

Jonathon Turley adds:

What is most remarkable to this story is that the family’s lawyer told the media that the Slaton Police Department was only willing to apologize if the family waived any right to sue it for the unlawful and abusive arrest. That demand alone, if true, should result in the immediate termination of the police chief as well as the disciplining of any prosecutor who conveyed the demand in my view. Citizens should not have to trade away legal rights to receive an apology for allegedly abusive police conduct.

Quite a tale of tuff-guy decision making gone awry. The Slaton police department is small but has recently suffered a rocky history. An officer was convicted in 2010 of pocketing cash seized in the field as evidence. Another resigned in 2011 amidst a mysterious Homeland Security investigation in which the department's computers were seized. The same year, another Slaton officer was indicted by the feds on child pornography charges and sentenced to 70 months. Earlier this year they arrested a gunshot victim over traffic warrants. It's always something with that crew! This episode may end up costing the town more than an apology.