A California woman may face criminal charges for allegedly spraying water on a young boy playing music from a Bluetooth speaker as he walked home from school.
Elijah Harris told KTVU he was walking home from school via his usual route. He says a white woman asked him to turn down the music he was playing from a Bluetooth speaker, and he complied. The 13-year-old claims as he made his way past the woman's home, she sprayed him with a water hose.
Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.
“First I was in shock," he said. "I didn’t know why at first. I just brought out my phone and started filming it."
The unidentified woman can be seen in the footage standing on her porch, using her hose to spray the child. Elijah's shirt is soaked with water.
Immediately afterward, Elijah called both 911 and his mother, according to Yahoo. “The reason why I was so cool in that video, I know that if I did anything, I would be perceived as the threat instead of perceived as the victim," he said.
The middle school student said he's been walking home using the same route for six to seven months with no complaints. He claims to have seen the woman recording him on her phone the previous day.
Harris and his mother, Danielle Harris, filed a report with the Sunnyvale Police Department following the incident. They are currently waiting for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office to review the report and announce whether the woman will be charged.
The Sunnyvale Police Department has suggested the DA's office charge the woman with misdemeanor battery.
“There’s no indication that race was a factor," said Sunnyvale Police Captain Jim Choi. "What we’re being told is that it was over loud music."
The woman in the video has reportedly spoken to authorities but has refused to talk with any news outlets.
Elijah says he will continue to walk the route, but he'll be replacing his Bluetooth speaker with earbuds for now. Danielle Harris hopes the DA will make an example of her son's encounter.
“I would like for an example to be set that you can’t do this to kids," said the mother. "You can’t do this to people, period."
Now, check these out:
