A Georgia woman has been charged with murder after dropping her 3-month old baby during a fight with another woman, WXTL reports.
26-year-old Karen Harrison can be seen on a surveillance video in the parking lot of a beauty supply store in Moultrie, Georgia. In the video, Harrison approached a woman identified by police as Terra Brown, and berated her while holding her infant son. Brown swung a full shopping bag at Harrison's head and caused her to lose her balance and drop her son while fighting back. The baby remained on the ground until a nearby witness ran in and picked him up.
"It's very disturbing that people would fight in a public place, especially while holding a three-month old child," Moultrie Police Department Lt. Freddie Williams said in a news clip shared by Raleigh's CBS 17.
Harrison took her son to the hospital the next day and claimed that he fell at home while being held by her friend, Carneata Clark. Following the baby's death and police investigators discovering the surveillance video, both Harrison and Clark were arrested. Harrison was charged with felony murder, cruelty to children, simple battery and affray for fighting. Clark was charged with making a false statement and obstruction. Clark is out on bond and defended her friend in an interview with WALB.
“People on the outside looking in, they don’t even know the whole story, you feel me, I feel like, free Karen, all the way,” said Clark. "If y’all know Karen, she takes care of her kids, y’all know how she feel about her kids, y’all know what she’ll do for her kids, y’all know that she is not no bad person.”
The woman who started the fight, Terra Brown, has yet to be charged with any crimes in relation to her role in the fight.
District Attorney Brad Shealy, who charged Harrison with murder, said that the charge was reached based on Harrison's decision to not seek treatment for her son's injuries immediately.
“Preliminary information indicates that the baby died as a result of medical attention not being sought and based upon that, the warrant was issued for felony murder,” he said.
