Brooklyn prosecutors drop charges against mother after cops tore baby from her arms

December 11, 2018 By Christina Carrega Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is among those outraged by the contents of a viral video that shows police officers pulling a baby boy from his mother’s arms. Eagle photo by Todd Maisel

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Charges against a Brooklyn mother, who had her baby boy ripped from her arms by NYPD officers when she refused to leave a government office, were dropped.

During the five days after Jazmine Headley, 23, was remanded to Rikers Island on a warrant hold from Mercer County’s District Attorney’s Office in New Jersey, her arrest went viral on social media and elected officials across the city called for her release.

On Tuesday, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez released a statement that he would be dropping the charges against Headley.

“Continuing to pursue that case will not serve any purpose and I therefore move to dismiss it immediately in the interest of justice,” said Gonzalez in the statement. “Discretion is the better part of valor and we must be thoughtful and compassionate in evaluating the merit of our case.”

However, even with DA Gonzalez dismissing the resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration charges, Headley still faces the indictment in New Jersey.

In March 2017, Headley was indicted for two counts of third-degree credit card theft and fourth-degree trafficking in personal identifying information charges.

She was also arrested in July 2016 along with two others for using counterfeit credit cards in Lawrence Township, New Jersey.

Headley did not show up for her July 2017 arraignment following the indictment, according to Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County District Attorney.

Headley’s attorney, Scott Hechinger with the Brooklyn Defender Services, is expected to file an emergency motion in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Tuesday requesting to release his client.

“If the judge does not grant this application, [Headley] is scheduled to be transferred to New Jersey tomorrow,” wrote Lisa Schreibersdorf, the executive director and founder of BDS, in a statement.

Headley is not expected to appear in Brooklyn Supreme Court for the last-minute hearing.

A GoFundMe that the attorney service launched on Tuesday morning on behalf of Headley’s family has raised over $12,000 of a $15,000 goal for help towards child care.