A mother in Flint, Mich., was arrested for punishing her son and posting the footage on his Facebook page.
According to NBC News, Demetria Powell, 28, was arrested along with her boyfriend, Stefon Felton and Uteas Taylor.
In the video, Powell yells at her 11-year-old son for writing that he was a “thug” and pretending to be a gangster on his Facebook page. She then beats the boy with a belt as he holds on to the arms of a chair. Powell hit the boy more than 60 times.
After posting the video on the boy’s Facebook page, it went viral and the police were notified. The police responded to complaints and arrested Powell, Felton and Taylor.
The boy and his infant brother were removed from the home and placed in protective custody. But while the beating was excessive, the mother was attempting to steer her child away from the “thug” mentality that has destroyed the lives of so many black males.
Furthermore, if the boys end up in foster care, they will likely have to deal with an entirely different set of issues that can be detrimental to their personal growth.
In Michigan, every form of child abuse is considered a felony. Powell and the others are being charged with third-degree child abuse.
