CLARK COUNTY, Ohio — An Ohio woman wants justice for her 2-year-old grandson, who was pictured in a Facebook post with a man’s knee on his neck.
“I don’t understand how he could have done that to a 2-year-old,” Chasity Sowers told WHIO on Wednesday night. “Like he has no remorse whatsoever. Like he didn’t care what he was doing or what he was getting himself into.”
Sowers, who saw the picture while scrolling on Facebook, didn’t initially realize the boy in the post was her grandson. She said she hates images of child abuse and, at first, scrolled right past the photo. Her daughter later told her the child was her grandson.
The photo shows a man with his knee on the toddler’s neck as someone else, who couldn’t be seen in the photo, held the boy’s arms pinned behind him. The toddler, who was facedown on the floor, appeared to be crying, WHIO reported.
“I hope they all get what they deserve,” Sowers said. “That little boy didn’t deserve none of that.”
Sowers said the suspect, identified as 20-year-old Isaiah Jackson, is the new boyfriend of her son’s former girlfriend.
On Wednesday night, Jackson remained in jail on a probation violation. The Sheriff’s Office said it is “awaiting the Office of the County Prosecutor to provide a determination on the scope and breadth of the felony charges” that could be brought against him.
The photo resembles the action taken against George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day. Floyd was face down in the street when a police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement: “Appended to the photo was a “banner” containing language that indicated that the image was related to ongoing racially-oriented protests and other activity taking place in various cities around the nation.”
Sowers said her grandson is with his father and is in good spirits after the incident.
“He’s in safe hands,” she said.
