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Philadelphia to pay $2 million to woman dragged, assaulted by police in front of her toddler
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Philadelphia to pay $2 million to woman dragged, assaulted by police in front of her toddler
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Rickia Young wants the involved officers to be held accountable for their actions.

The city of Philadelphia has reached a settlement with a Black mother who was dragged from her car and beaten in front of her toddler during a Black Lives Matter protest last year. According to NBC News, Rickia Young will receive $2 million following the violent assault.

On Oct. 27, 2020, Young unexpectedly drove into a protest demanding justice for Walter Wallace Jr., who was fatally shot by Philly officers as he experienced a mental health crisis. She attempted to get away from the scene but was violently interrupted by officers, who broke her windows with batons.

Young was reportedly placed in handcuffs and taken away from her teenage nephew and two-year-old son, but she was never charged for any crimes.

Her toddler — whose hearing aids went missing during the incident — was later seen in a now-deleted Facebook post that claimed he was lost and saved by a police officer.

“This child was lost during the violent riots in Philadelphia, wandering around barefoot in an area that was experiencing complete lawlessness,” wrote the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest police labor union. “The only thing this Philadelphia Police Officer cared about in that moment was protecting this child.”

Young was released from police custody after a few hours and allowed to reunite with her son and nephew. The officers involved in the crimes were terminated following their excessive use of force. Their actions were also denounced by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.

“This terrible incident, which should have never happened to anyone, only further strained the relationship between the police and community,” Kenney said in a statement.

“The officers’ inexcusable actions that evening prompted an immediate and thorough investigation of the incident and for personnel to be disciplined and held accountable for their egregious conduct. I hope that the settlement and investigations into the officers’ actions bring some measure of closure to Ms. Young and her family.”

According to WHYY, Young is not satisfied with the settlement. She wants the involved officers to be criminally charged for their treatment of her and her relatives. She also wants unspecified damages from the police union, who she hopes will take accountability for posting the photo with her son as propaganda and a way to paint her as a neglectful mother.