Lillington Police Caught On Video Choking 12-Year-Old — Father Says Son Also Targeted

A North Carolina father says his teenage son was also slammed and handcuffed during the same Lillington police incident in which a 12-year-old was captured on video being choked while restrained on the ground.

LILLINGTON, N.C. — As disturbing video involving Lillington police continues to circulate online, a North Carolina father is now speaking out after learning his own son was also a victim in the same incident where a Lillington police officer was seen choking a 12-year-old child while he sat handcuffed on the ground.

Rodney Harris told The North Carolina Beat that the incident unfolded while he was at home resting before work. He recalled his boys asking if they could go play basketball.  One of them, 16-year-old Raymone Harris, who would later end up slammed to the ground and handcuffed by police.

“I said, yeah, that’s fine, as long as y’all are back home by a decent time, because I’ve got to work tonight,” Harris said.

Lillington Police Encounter Leaves Father Demanding Answers

Harris said everything changed on Thursday, January 1, when his youngest son called him, saying Raymone had been slammed to the ground and restrained by police. Harris rushed to 14 Crane Way in Vandercroft Farms around 5:45 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. 

When he arrived, Harris said the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office was present, and he attempted to speak with them first.

“They did not want anything to do with the situation,” Harris said. “They said, ‘We don’t have nothing to do with this — you’ll have to talk to Lillington Police. We’re just here to back them up.’”

Harris then went to speak to the Lillington police officer seen in bystander video slamming and restraining his son.

“I asked him why he had my son in handcuffs, and he said, ‘Well, he done nothing wrong,’” Harris recalled.
“I said, ‘So why is he in handcuffs?’ He goes, ‘Well, it was a situation where my partner was trying to contain another individual and he jumped on his back.’”

Harris said the explanation didn’t add up.

“I’m like, that don’t even make sense,” Harris said. “Then he just walked away.”

The officer later returned and claimed the teens had been arguing and fighting — something Harris says his son immediately denied.

“My son was standing right there beside me in handcuffs and said, ‘No, Daddy, he lying.’”

‘They Were Just Playing Basketball,’ Father Says

After finally speaking privately with Raymone, Harris said his son explained what led up to the police encounter.

“He told me they were out there playing basketball and it was a neighbor — a white guy — and he rolled down the hill, sat there, and stared at them. He said they kept playing basketball.”

Harris said his son told him the man later returned.

“He said the guy hopped out of the car and was like, ‘One of y’all got a gun — I seen it,’” Harris said. “They were all like, ‘No, we don’t have a gun. What are you talking about?’ And he said, ‘I’m about to go up the hill and tell the officer you got a gun.’”

According to Harris, the man up the hill was an off-duty police officer, and shortly afterward, Lillington police arrived and began searching everyone on the court.

Officer Andrew Kesick Accused of Antagonizing Teens

Harris said officers searched all of the teens but found no firearms.

“Lillington Police searched everybody,” Harris said. 

The teen in a red shirt reportedly had marijuana inside a grinder in his backpack that officers found.

Lillington Police searched everybody– the other two boys who, I guess, were talking junk to the short, fat officer,” Harris recalled his son telling him, referring to Officer Andrew Kesick. “They searched them and didn’t find anything. The one in the red shirt — they searched his book bag and found some marijuana in a grinder inside it.”

According to Harris, tensions things got heated when Officer Andrew Kesick began antagonizing the teens after searching them.

“Officer Andrew Kesick — they said he started talking sht,” Harris recalled his son telling him.
“Zamauri and Carter were talking sht back to him.”

Harris said his son described Kesick as pounding on his chest and posturing aggressively.

“The Kesick guy started pounding on his chest, saying, ‘Well, I’m right here, big guy. What you wanna do? You big, right?’”

Harris said 17-year-old Zamauri wasn’t even saying anything when things escalated.

“My son said Zamauri was just standing there, and then he just tackled him,” Harris said.

When others tried to intervene, Harris said his own son became a target.

“Everybody ran up to stop it, but my son — and as you can see in the video — he wasn’t even walking toward the situation,” Harris said.
“The other cop came from behind him and slammed him.”

‘They Attacked the Wrong Kids,’ Father Says

Harris said his son repeatedly told him that Lillington police officers on scene antagonized them.

“Why are you doing that?” Harris said.
“You attack a 17-year-old, throw him to the ground, then go attack his little brother — and now my son is laying on the ground. It’s like, WTF?”

Harris also questioned why the individual initially accused of having a gun was never handcuffed.

“They attacked the wrong kids,” Harris said.
“And I want justice for them. I want justice for them. They could’ve handled that a lot better.”

Lillington Police Respond, Officer Placed on Leave

Lillington Police Chief Frank Powers told MyDailyRecord that the department is investigating the incident.

“We are working diligently as we investigate and will leave no leaf unturned until we know exactly what happened,” Powers said Monday.

As of Monday, Officer Andrew Kesick has been placed on administrative leave, according to Chief Powers.

This story remains developing.