11 Year Old Calls 911 To Turn In His Mom and Mothers Boyfriend For Selling Drugs

KaylynnCouture

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LAWTON, Oklahoma -- An 11-year-old boy is being praised by Lawton police after he called 911 to report his mom and her boyfriend were dealing drugs from their home.

According to Lawton police, the boy had planned on turning his mom and her boyfriend in for the past few months. The 11-year-old told police he warned his mom numerous times that "drugs are bad," but she just told him to keep quiet, which he did until he'd had enough.

"911, what's your emergency?" said a 911 emergency dispatch operator.

"I live here with my mom and her boyfriend, and her boyfriend sells marijuana," the 11-year-old told the 911 operator.

Lawton police called the boy's actions courageous. The call led police to the house where they found the boy with his 1-year-old brother along with a quarter pound of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.

Police said the drugs all belonged to the boy's mother, 33-year-old Jennifer Lynn Patterson, and her boyfriend, 25-year-old Michael Dewayne French.

"He felt real uneasy about the situation. He said he knew it was wrong and tried to report it a couple other times," said Lawton Police Lt. Todd Palmer.

According to police, the boy had gone to his neighbors and his grandparents hoping someone would do something, but no one did.

"For whatever reason they decided it was inappropriate for them not to get involved," Palmer said.

But finally, out of concerns for not his safety but for that of his two younger brothers, he finally decided to call 911.







http://www.newson6.com/Global/category.asp?C=121535&clipId=4456573&autostart=true
 
Amazing that this boy went to neighbors and grandparents who chose to turn a blind eye. I wonder if he thought to go to a teacher.... I'm glad he had the courage to call 911.
 
I heard about this on HLN a few days ago, I say "good for him!" I hope other kids follow suit. I just pray they don't give him back to his mother after this, there may be retaliation.
 
I'd like not just a follow-up, I'd like to know more about the original story itself.

A quarter-pound of pot is not a meth lab.

What was going-on with this boy and his relationship with his mother?

These cases of children telling on parents are always a concern, harkening to a dark day in history some decades ago...same as with neighbors spying on each other and tattling about any perceived 'suspicious' behavior.

(jmo...may not be a popular opinion, but it's mine)
 
I'd like not just a follow-up, I'd like to know more about the original story itself.

A quarter-pound of pot is not a meth lab.

What was going-on with this boy and his relationship with his mother?

These cases of children telling on parents are always a concern, harkening to a dark day in history some decades ago...same as with neighbors spying on each other and tattling about any perceived 'suspicious' behavior.

(jmo...may not be a popular opinion, but it's mine)
Not sure an 11 year old child knows the difference between pot and meth. LOL
they are told drugs are bad...They are just kids.
When he made the 911 call he was asked who is with you and he said my little brother. That is not ideal either, because you don't leave kids home alone.
It is the relatives whom he alerted that should have told the mom if the kid tell someone in school this can be big trouble.
Little did they know he would call 911.

I don't think she should get arrested over 4 ounces of pot.
But I am not sure what the law in that state is.

Kids are told if you see drugs tell. MOO
 
I heard about this on HLN a few days ago, I say "good for him!" I hope other kids follow suit. I just pray they don't give him back to his mother after this, there may be retaliation.

And where will this boy permanently go after the mother/bf are arrested?
 
And where will this boy permanently go after the mother/bf are arrested?


I don't know a lot about this family or this boy's home life, but it bothers me to no end to think that this boy could be taken from his parent because of 1/4 pound of pot when countless kids grow up in a house with a full bar always at the ready. :rolleyes:
 
I don't know a lot about this family or this boy's home life, but it bothers me to no end to think that this boy could be taken from his parent because of 1/4 pound of pot when countless kids grow up in a house with a full bar always at the ready. :rolleyes:


The difference with this example though, is alcohol is not illegal, and not all people who use alcohol abuse alcohol. So whether they have a stocked bar, if they have not abused, what does it matter? Drugs on the other hand are illegal.

What if the 1 year old got into the drugs? Could be a very dangerous situation. Clearly they were not hiding the fact they were using and dealing in front of the 11 year old.

Perhaps the children have another more capable family member who can raise them in a safe loving environment.

jmo
 
And where will this boy permanently go after the mother/bf are arrested?

Hopefully to a better home. I know that some people don't see pot as a big deal but anytime you allow drugs or drug dealers into your home it opens the door for more problems.
 
Hopefully to a better home. I know that some people don't see pot as a big deal but anytime you allow drugs or drug dealers into your home it opens the door for more problems.


True... not to mention who knows what kind of characters one exposes to their children if they are allowing buyers to come to their home, or even into their lives for that matter. Not at all a good thing.
 
:waitasec: So just how does a responsible parent explain to an 11 year old child that the law is wrong and that pot is ok but other drugs aren't and that selling pot is just like being a toy store owner and the proceeds is just ordinary income, only it is tax free. How is that explanation working for you? What is this little boy suppose to say during school when they are discussing illegal drugs and what to do about them? Great parental example here..........not.
 
The difference with this example though, is alcohol is not illegal, and not all people who use alcohol abuse alcohol. So whether they have a stocked bar, if they have not abused, what does it matter? Drugs on the other hand are illegal.

What if the 1 year old got into the drugs? Could be a very dangerous situation. Clearly they were not hiding the fact they were using and dealing in front of the 11 year old.

Perhaps the children have another more capable family member who can raise them in a safe loving environment.

jmo

It bothers me to the end of my wits that marijuana is illegal but alcohol is not. That's why the thought of him being removed gives me a headache.

Obviously, I hope a 1-year-old doesn't get into any drugs. At 11, I was fully aware of my family's using (alcohol) habits, so I am not surprised this 11 year old had such knowledge of his family's using habits.

But schools these days really teach the kids a lot about drugs and alcohol from the time they are very young. I'm only surprised this doesn't happen more often - especially when a tween gets angry at his/her parents!
 
:waitasec: So just how does a responsible parent explain to an 11 year old child that the law is wrong and that pot is ok but other drugs aren't and that selling pot is just like being a toy store owner and the proceeds is just ordinary income, only it is tax free. How is that explanation working for you? What is this little boy suppose to say during school when they are discussing illegal drugs and what to do about them? Great parental example here..........not.

UBM

The same thing my kids say when they discuss evil tobacco and I'm a smoker.....or whatever the kids of the drinkers say when they discuss that old devil rum and their parents have cocktails every night......the reality is that we are a hypocritical society when it comes to the drug issue - the drug that we deem okay and make gobs of money on (alcohol) causes an unbelievable amount of trouble in our world.

My experience is that by the end of elementary school and all those drug counseling classes, many (if not most) kids have figured out that we grown-ups try to teach them one thing while doing another. They're not stupid.
 
I would say the best understanding for these kids would be an early education of what adults do, and how they effect you and your body. My only concern would be because of the Quarter Pound being not a larger amount (IMO) it must have been constant and in front of the children for them to be so readily aware, i think you could conceal something that size from children.
 
UBM

The same thing my kids say when they discuss evil tobacco and I'm a smoker.....or whatever the kids of the drinkers say when they discuss that old devil rum and their parents have cocktails every night......the reality is that we are a hypocritical society when it comes to the drug issue - the drug that we deem okay and make gobs of money on (alcohol) causes an unbelievable amount of trouble in our world.

My experience is that by the end of elementary school and all those drug counseling classes, many (if not most) kids have figured out that we grown-ups try to teach them one thing while doing another. They're not stupid.

The point is: pot is illegal and alcohol and cigarettes are not. I truly despise smoking, lost two parents to it, but hate it as much as I do, it is still legal and people who decide to smoke in a legal area are not breaking the law. The same with alcohol: it is legal to buy it and drink it. It is sold in a lot of restaurants and in stores to take home and consume. Unless you do something illegal under the influence of alcohol, you are not breaking the law. I support the legalization of pot but as of right now it is illegal to smoke it in most states and definitely illegal to sell it. That's just the way it is. You can argue against smoking and alcohol all you want, pot is still illegal. This boy's parent and her boyfriend were not only smoking it, they were selling it. It is still illegal. There are also people who argue that prostitution should be legal. What if the mother was a prostitute and bringing johns home. What would you think about that scenario? Prostitution is legal in some states, same as pot. Interested in your opinon. Really.
 
It bothers me to the end of my wits that marijuana is illegal but alcohol is not. That's why the thought of him being removed gives me a headache.

Obviously, I hope a 1-year-old doesn't get into any drugs. At 11, I was fully aware of my family's using (alcohol) habits, so I am not surprised this 11 year old had such knowledge of his family's using habits.

But schools these days really teach the kids a lot about drugs and alcohol from the time they are very young. I'm only surprised this doesn't happen more often - especially when a tween gets angry at his/her parents!

Believe me I do understand where you are coming from. I think the mother did not use common sense in this situation. She should have thought about the children, first and foremost. She should have been a bit more discrete about it and never, ever allow any selling of an illegal sustance to go on. I remember drinking moonshine FGS. It has never been legal. LOL.
 
I hear you, lonetraveler. And I admit that I can be blinded by the pot issue because I hate that it is illegal. I also think it's ridiculous that prostitution is illegal. That said, you are right that drug use or prostitution aren't "child friendly" activities! And responsible parents should at least try to obey the law - I do agree with that.

As you said, some discretion should have taken place regarding use - and selling is even riskier with kids in the home.
 
Well, I am sure that these boys will be back in the care of there mother fairly soon... The goal of the foster care system is almost always reunification... I just hope that this mother doesn't do something to this poor child to "get even" with him for turning her in to the police.
 
I don't know a lot about this family or this boy's home life, but it bothers me to no end to think that this boy could be taken from his parent because of 1/4 pound of pot when countless kids grow up in a house with a full bar always at the ready. :rolleyes:

I really agree about the pot vs alcohol issue. I, personally, think alcohol is more dangerous than pot, even if it is legal.

My thought on this situation though, is that mom is not losing her children because of the pot, per se, but because she failed to listen to her son when he voiced his concerns. Whatever was happening, the 11 year old was not comfortable with it and the article says he warned his mother on several occasions, as well as trying to get family to intervene. If this mother had her child's best interests at heart, she would have, at a minimum, stopped dealing drugs in front of her kid. Not that hard to do. Don't let weird people come to your house, keep the drugs hidden, and at least try to shield the kids from your illegal behavior.

Hopefully this is a wake up call for mom. At best, the kids will not be out of the house for longer than 6 months. At worst..... maybe the problem is more than pot.

Salem

PS - southcitymom - I wasn't directing this post at you specifically, except the part about alcohol vs pot and my agreement :)
 

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