COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A small protest broke out at Cumberland Mall, the same mall where police restrained a 12-year-old rising rap star for allegedly selling CDs.
“Corey J.” said he was at the Cumberland Mall with family over the weekend of Oct. 13 when a Cobb County Police officer stopped him and grabbed the young teen's arm. Cell phone video caught the encounter as it happened.
In the video, the officer can be heard saying, "You’re going to the youth detention center if you don’t stop.” The 12-year-old responded saying, "What you can do is let me go because I know my Amendments."
Cobb County Police held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon and said that video doesn't show the whole story or give context.
Earlier in the month on Oct. 6, police said an officer issued the child a criminal trespass warning because the was selling CDs without permission. Officers warned him if he is caught back on the premises, he could be arrested.
The video picks up while the officer was in the process of confirming the previous criminal trespass warning.
Police said the 12-year-old tried to walk away and that's when the officer grabbed his arm to detain him.
"What you see on social media -- people say it's manhandling. All he was doing was holding the young man by the arm," said Cobb County Police Chief Michael Register.
Cobb County Police said the child's aunt also physically attacked the officer instead of deescalating and was taken to the ground.
The 12-year-old is now facing felony charges.
After video of the encounter went viral, community organizers posted that they would be organizing a "Justice For Corey J." protest at the mall's food court.
Live video posted to Facebook showed a group holding a "sit-in" at the mall.
Cobb County Police said their officer did nothing wrong, but Corey J.'s family retained an attorney who demanded the charges against the 12-year-old should be dropped.
