Handcuffed and injured playing tennis with police, there's an update on his case

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney's Office is now reviewing the case of a 12-year-old with autism who ended up with a TBI concussion during an interaction with officers from the Richmond Police Athletic League.

The Richmond Police Department said it conducted an internal investigation into what happened on November 3, 2022, and referred the case to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for criminal review.

"[Richmond Police] submitted it for an independent review and an assessment of the conduct of our officers," Richmond Police spokesperson Tracy Walker said.

The child's mother, Sheila Jackson, said she signed her son up for the after-school tennis program at Virginia Commonwealth University, where Richmond Police officers volunteer through the Richmond Police Athletic League.

When she arrived at the tennis courts on November 3, Jackson said her son was on the ground in handcuffs.

"We ended up going to VCU emergency room. They diagnosed him with a TBI concussion," Jackson said.

RELATED: She signed her son up for a tennis program where officers volunteer. He was put in handcuffs.

Jackson said the staff at the tennis program said her son was getting frustrated while serving, and they told him to practice off to the side.

She said she was unclear about what happened next.

Her son said one of the police officers raised her voice at him and he started to walk away from her.

After that, Jackson said her son said the officer grabbed him.

"When I got here my son was handcuffed on the ground," Jackson said. "There was an officer holding his head, there was an officer on his left leg, someone on his right leg, there was an officer on his right side kneeling holding his shoulders down and then there was another officer standing up."

Jackson said Richmond Police told her that her son headbutted an officer while they detained him, and they were worried he was going to run.

But she is still not sure why he was handcuffed, and what exactly happened that caused him to get a concussion.

"That is not how he should be dealt with, not only my son, anyone," Jackson said. "Where is the training? Are you just going to the training and you're not taking it in?"

Jackson said she has spoken to various people with the Richmond Police Department about the incident a number of times, but she still has not gotten answers to her questions.

The police report she paid $5 for does not have an incident description.

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