Nationwide — Lashona Johnson, a 25-year-old African American woman from Covington, Tennessee, was arrested after she reportedly left her 2-year-old son alone in a grocery store and later hit him in the checkout line. Security footage captured the entire incident.
According to WLBT, police said Johnson’s arrest came after a report from a shopper who witnessed her abusing the child at a Cash Saver grocery store on Highway 51. Officers responded to the call, reviewed surveillance footage, and spoke with store employees.
A store manager told police that workers found the toddler alone at the service desk and made an announcement over the intercom to locate his guardian. About ten minutes later, Johnson walked up to the desk and told her son, “You know I’m going to beat your a**, right?”
Investigators said Johnson then grabbed the boy “in an aggressive manner,” dragged him to the checkout area, and “repeatedly struck the child on his back.” Witnesses and video evidence confirmed her identity as the boy’s mother.
Police said Johnson later admitted to being the woman in the footage. The child was examined by authorities and later released to his father.
Covington Police Chief Donna Turner commended the bystanders who reported what they saw. She said, “It is a troubling video to watch. It was absolutely the right call to say something and report the incident.”
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services continues to assist police in the investigation.