White woman charged with assault after grabbing Black child trying to enter community pool, mother says

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

A white woman who tried to forcibly block a Black child from entering a community pool has been charged with assault, the boy’s mother says.

The mother, Heather J Brown, says the unnamed woman has now been charged with misdemeanor assault on a child under 12 years old, and is due to appear in court again on 20 August.

“So we go back August 20th, and hopefully she is prosecuted and she learns a lesson,” Ms Brown said in a TikTok video.

Ms Brown says she would have had no hope of getting justice if a bystander hadn’t recorded a video of the altercation, which went viral on TikTok.

At the start of the video, an older white woman appears to be arguing with Ms Brown and her three children as they stand outside the gate of the pool. Then the gate opens, and Ms Brown’s young son rushes through. The woman appears to grab him.

“Don’t you put your hands on my son!” Ms Brown screams. “Don’t you ever, ever put your hands on my son!”

Ms Brown then tells the woman she’s calling the police. The woman appears to say something back, but Ms Brown isn’t interested.

“Get out of my face, lady!” she shouts. “I don’t even f***ing know you! Get the f*** out of my face!”

Meanwhile, the boy wanders into the pool.

Ms Brown says that when the police arrived, they initially believed the white woman’s side of the story – which was that Ms Brown had attacked her.

“Of course the police officer was starting to believe her at first, based on just the way we look,” Ms Brown says in her follow-up TikTok video. “She’s an older white lady, and her whole tone changed – she wasn’t talking crazy or outside of her neck. She was talking like a typical old white woman.”

As the officer was beginning to side with the woman, however, the bystander who had filmed the incident came forward and showed him the video. Ms Brown says she believes this is the only reason the white woman was charged instead of her.

On TikTok, viewers praised the concerned person who shot the video.

“When people ask, ‘Why are you recording instead of helping?’ Recording IS helping!” one viewer wrote. “We know police are not likely to believe a POC over a Karen.”

“SO glad it was recorded,” another commented. “You are an incredible mom for your restraint.”