Cincinnati News, Glenn Hartong
It’s going to be a longggg summer.
Another pool–related incident involving minors and police officers is making headlines, but this time, relatives say that one preteen girl suffered more than just emotional scars from the traumatic incident.
According Bishop Bobby Hilton, a pastor who has been advocating for the family involved in this incident, the altercation occurred after Krystal Dixon took her children, nieces and nephews (8 children in total) to the Fairfield Aquatic Center. Krystal, who is six months pregnant, paid $50 for them to get in and left to go pick up her sister, Maya Dixon. The pair planned to return to the pool to spend the rest of the day with the children. Before the women returned, Krystal’s daughter called and informed her that one of her nephews was not allowed to swim and that they had to leave the premises because he didn’t have on the proper attire. She told them that she would be there momentarily and that she had the boy’s swim trunks with her.
After arriving at the pool, Krystal spoke with a staff member who reportedly told her that the group still had to leave because of how the children behaved when they were told that one of them wasn’t dressed properly.
In footage from the incident obtained by Cincinnati News, the expectant mother can be overheard agreeing to leave and requesting a refund since the children were at the pool for less than an hour. The staff member denies her request and Krystal walks away to round up the children who were still in the pool so that they can leave. By this time, multiple officers have gotten involved and some of the children exchange words with them, including one child who asked the officer what he intended to do with a pair of handcuffs that he held in his hands.
While getting the children out of the pool, the footage shows Krystal, who was in swim attire, being approached by an officer and asked for identification. She informs him that she didn’t have it on her person and from there things quickly escalate. She is grabbed by an officer and handcuffed as her children scream for the cop to get off their mother. Some of them try to intervene. Footage shows multiple children being handcuffed, including a hysterical 12-year-old who is thrown against a police cruiser. Another teen girl is placed in a chokehold. Some of the relatives were also pepper-sprayed by officers.
After reviewing footage of the incident, Fairfield Police Chief Michael J. Dickey told reporters that he believes his officers acted appropriately and demonstrated restraint in a tight a situation.
“All they are trying to do is calm everyone down,” Dickey told The Enquirer. “It’s just business.”
Fairfield Mayor Steve Miller echoed Dickey’s sentiments after witnessing surveillance footage from the aquatic center.
“This is an unfortunate situation and our officers had a tough situation there. But I think they did a good job in showing restraint,” Miller said before seeing the two-minute video captured by a relative of Dixon.
“Give us some time to review this and give a response,” Miller continued. “I’ve talked to the police chief, the city manager and the parks and recreation director. We have to complete our investigation. But if anyone else has more information about this, we’d like them to provide that to us.”
Facebook, Bishop Bobby Hilton
According to Hilton, a 12-year-old suffered a broken jaw and broken ribs due to an officer’s use of excessive force. Five relatives, including a pregnant Krystal, were taken to a nearby hospital after the incident. In an incident report, emergency medical technicians documented that the children were treated for pepper spray-related side effects. No mention is made of the preteen’s broken bones. Krystal and Maya are facing charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
Facebook, Bishop Bobby Hilton Teen being treated for pepper spay-related side effects
