The Baltimore branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People called for an emergency meeting Monday with top city officials in the wake of the arrest of Lakisa Dinkins, the mother of Gerard Mungo Jr., a 7-year-old who was arrested for sitting on dirt bike.
In an e-mail sent Monday by NAACP branch President Marvin “Doc” Cheatham to Mayor Sheila Dixon, Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm and City State?s Attorney Patricia Jessamy, Cheatham cited concerns about the relationship between police department and city residents.
“The issue is police and community relations in general, but also specifically the escalating problem with 7-year-old Gerard Mungo Jr. and mother Lakisa Dinkins,” he wrote. “We all need to talk ? immediately.”
In a story published in Monday?s Examiner, Cheatham called the arrest of the Gerald Mungo Jr. “our Rosa Parks incident.”
Police department spokesman Matt Jablow disagreed.
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“That?s an inappropriate comparison,” he said.
Dinkins was arrested Saturday at her sister?s East Baltimore house after police charged her with interfering with an arrest of a drug suspect. But Dinkins said police broke down the door of her sister?s house without a warrant, then arrested her in retaliation for speaking out about the arrest of her son. Dinkins was held at the city?s Central Booking facility and later released. City state?s attorney spokesman Margaret Burns said the case was “legally insufficient to charge.”
Dinkins? son was arrested two weeks ago for sitting on a dirt bike in front of his East Baltimore row house. Riding dirt bikes is illegal in the city. Dixon and Leonard apologized for the arrest and dropped those charges.
Dixon is willing to discuss Cheatham?s concerns at her previously scheduled meeting today with his organization, said Anthony McCarthy, the mayor?s spokesman.
