Prominent civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump has joined Syesha Mercado’s legal team in the efforts to get their kids back. Crump has become the voice for the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
Crump criticized the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for ‘publicly dehumanizing’ a Black family with their actions. Mercado had her newborn daughter taken away by sheriff deputies in Florida on Wednesday during a traffic stop, five months after her one-year-old son, Amen’Ra was taken for neglect and placed in foster care. Police and CPS said they were ordered by family court to take the newborn after they failed to report that they had welcomed the child, as they continue their legal battle for their son. Officials callously took a 10-day old breastfed baby while the mother cried out in pain refusing to let her ride with her baby.
Mercado’s son was removed from her custody and put into foster care as he would not accept fluids after his mother’s breast milk ran dry because of her pregnancy. In a statement to NBC News, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office revealed they received information that the boy was ‘severely malnourished,’ which Mercado disputes.
‘Amen’Ra was forcefully and legally kidnapped from us by CPS, who claim we refused a B12 shot that was a matter of life and death, which is an absolute lie. We never refused a B12 shot, and at no point was he on the verge of death,’
‘If this can happen to us, it can happen to you,’ Deener said. ‘We have no criminal background. We have no history with DCF. We have done nothing wrong. I am a first-time mom and I’ve been deprived of holding my babies, and feeding my babies. I didn’t get to see Ra say, “Mama” for the first time. I didn’t get to see my babies meet for the first time. I didn’t get to see that and I can’t go back and redo that moment, I will never be able to go back and redo that moment.’
‘If you are a parent, if you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, just know that we have agencies in place that have the ability to remove children without you breaking the law or abusing your niece, nephew, son.’
Mercado’s 19-day daughter remains in state protection following an August 12 court hearing.
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