Nationwide — Jessie Lopez Jr., an African American teen from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was handcuffed and detained by an officer who questioned why he was wearing a hooded jacket on a warm day. His father shared videos of the encounter and said his son wore the jacket because of a medical condition.
Jessie Lopez Sr. posted videos on Instagram showing an officer approaching his son. The officer questioned Jessie Jr. about his jacket before explaining that he stopped him after the teen crossed in front of a vehicle.
In another video, Jessie Jr. could be seen sitting in the back of a police vehicle with his hands cuffed. His father said the teen was detained after refusing to stop and answer the officer’s questions, according to Black Information Network.
Lopez Sr. explained that his son wears a hooded jacket because he has eczema, a skin condition that can become worse with exposure to direct sunlight. He explained that the clothing was not about hiding his identity but was worn for medical reasons.
“Although it was warm outside, there was a legitimate medical reason for him wearing his hood,” Lopez Sr. said in an Instagram post. He also said his son was not causing trouble and that he wanted to protect and guide him through difficult situations.
The father later shared how difficult it was to see his son sitting inside the vehicle in handcuffs. “Just looking at my son’s face sitting in the back of that car hurts my heart, man,” he wrote. “As a father, that’s a moment I never wanted him to experience. You spend your life trying to protect your kids, teach them right, and keep them safe. Seeing him go through something like that is a feeling I wouldn’t wish on any parent.”
After the videos gained attention online, the Williamsport Bureau of Police later clarified that the officer involved was not part of its department. The agency said the officer worked for the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office and directed questions about the incident to that office.
The Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office has not released a public statement about the encounter.