Last week, a photo of a man kneeling on a two-year-old white child’s neck went viral. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio identified the man as 20-year-old Isaiah Jackson. They also announced they arrested Jackson for violating parole.
According to 10TV, the sheriff’s office said that the photo’s text suggested that “the image was related to ongoing racially-oriented protests and other activity taking place in various cities around the nation.”
In the photo, Jackson can be seen kneeling on the back of the neck of a toddler who is lying face down. The kneeling action is an assumed reference to the killing of George Floyd, which sparked nationwide protests for the Black Lives Matter movement and against police brutality.
The photo was also captioned with “Blm now mf.” While another person can be seen holding the child’s arms, their face isn’t recognizable in the photo.
10TV reports that deputies determined where the photo was taken and took Jackson into custody on a parole violation. Last year, Jackson pleaded guilty to third-degree felony burglary and first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence. After being released in May, Jackson was placed on parole for a three-year period, according to Snopes.
The child’s mother told police she was unaware of the photo until the police came to her home to investigate. The child was taken to the hospital for evaluation, where no injuries were discovered.
Sadly, it’s not the first time people have been under fire for mocking Floyd’s death. In June, a number of people took part in the “George Floyd Challenge,” where predominantly white men recreated the circumstances of Floyd’s death. In these cases, one person is face down on the ground while the other kneels on their neck — both smiling proudly for the cameras.
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Man Kneels on Child’s Neck — Sources
10TV: Man in photo seen kneeling on child’s neck arrested on probation violation in Clark County
Snopes: Was Isaiah Jackson Arrested After Pic Showed Man Kneeling on Toddler?