Woman gives birth weeks after KC police officer puts knee on her back, baby in NICU
A Kansas City woman’s newborn is in the neonatal intensive care unit, two weeks after a police officer put his knee on the woman’s back while she was pregnant, the woman’s attorney said Friday.
Deja Stallings had an emergency C-section and gave birth to a girl late Wednesday, her attorney Stacy Shaw said.
The infant, born two weeks early, had an elevated heart rate and was admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit, Shaw said.
Last month, a Kansas City police officer put his knee on Stallings’ back with her belly on the ground. The incident was captured on video.
Shaw said Stallings had to go to the hospital three times.
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing the arrest.
Police alleged that Stallings had interfered with the arrest of a suspect. She was issued a municipal citation.
The incident sparked the creation of “the people’s city.”
On Oct. 2, a group of protesters began occupying the lawn of city hall in response to Stallings’ treatment.
For two weeks, the protesters have called for Police Chief Rick Smith and the officer involved in Stallings’ arrest to be fired. They also want the city to cut the police department’s budget and reinvest the funds in education, health care and housing services.
