KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A day at the Kansas City Zoo didn’t go as planned for a mother and two of her kids.
Minnie Davidson took her whole family to the “free day” at the zoo. It’s the first of four free days for residents who live in Clay and Jackson Counties. It’s the zoo’s way of saying thank you to voters who helped pass a bond issue.
The free day led to nearly 29,000 visitors on Sunday. Along with the crowd came a few fights. After seeing some problems inside, the Davidson’s cut their trip short.
“We was fitting to leave and that’s when that other fight was fitting to break out and my babies went up there to see the fight, but they had nothing to do with it,” said Minnie Davidson.
Several officers were already outside the zoo keeping an eye on the crowd and ready to break up any problems. One of the police reports says an officer was told someone might have a gun. At that point, anyone acting suspicous was asked to show their hands.
One of those people was Minnie Davidson’s 15-year-old son.
“He didn’t do nothing… they got the wrong person.” Said Drucilla Davidson, the 15-year-old’s sister.
The police report says the teen hit an officer in the face — his sister disputes that. Minnie Davidson does too, and didn’t like how police handled her son.
“I ran up there and I asked them what are you doing? Get off of him. He’s the wrong person, he’s the wrong person get off of him.”
Minnie was also arrested. She says for no reason. The police report says she was screaming and refusing verbal commands.
All three were taken downtown and released. They were given May court dates. Minnie says she filed a complaint with the police department’s Office of Citizen Complaints.
A KCPD spokesperson says she and any other citizen is welcome and encouraged to file a report if they feel they need too. It will be investigated, but right now the department is standing by the officers’ account of what happened.
