A mother-of-four was handcuffed in front of her children and hauled off to jail after she allowed her 11-year-old son to walk less than a mile into a small town.
Brittany Patterson went to drive her eldest son to a medical appointment on October 30, and her youngest, 11-year-old Soren, was supposed to tag along – but was not around when it was time to leave, Reason Magazine reports.
She had figured he was simply playing in the woods or visiting his grandmother, Patterson told the outlet, noting that her father lives with them and her mother and sisters live just two minutes away.
But it turned out Soren decided to walk to downtown Mineral Bluff, a town of just 370 people that is less than a mile from their home.
He was spotted alongside the road by a woman who asked if he was OK, and even though he replied that he was, the woman called police, the magazine reports.
‘She asked me if I knew he was downtown and I said, “no,”‘ the mother said.
She said she was upset that Soren had gone into town without letting anyone know, but did not think there was a reason to worry.
‘I was not panicking as I know the roads and know he is mature enough to walk there without incident,’ Patterson said of the street that has a speed limit of up to 35mph.
The deputy, however, ‘kept mentioning how he could have been run over, or kidnapped or “anything” could have happened,’ Patterson said.
The deputy ultimately drove Soren home and left him with his grandfather.
When Patterson ultimately returned home, she scolded her son for his actions – which she thought was the end of her woes.
But at around 6.30pm that night, the deputy showed up with another officer, handcuffed Patterson and brought her to jail, where she was fingerprinted, had her mugshot taken and was put in prison garb, according to an online fundraiser set up for her legal bills.
She said she did not understand what was happening, as she had grown up in the area with unsupervised time to wander and play, and was raising her children that way as well.
Patterson was ultimately released on a $500 bail – but her troubles did not end there.
The following day, a case manager from the Division of Family and Children’s Services arrived at her house for a home visit and even interviewed Patterson’s oldest son at his school.
The case manager told Patterson everything seemed fine, she told Reason Magazine, but a few days later, the Division of Family and Children’s Services presented her with a ‘safety plan’ for her to sign.
really she didnt let him, he chose to do it on his own
And this story above is the problem, a child walking in a small town…. guess you cant try that in a small town.
h/t Coastie Patriot