Dazia Ideah Lee was in unfamiliar territory when Hurricane Florence struck North Carolina. Her 14-month old son, Kaiden, tragically drowned in flood waters. Now, Union County District Attorney Trey Robison has decided to charge Dazia with involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor for driving around barricades. 

Dazia fled an area that had just experienced rapid downfall and was seeking safety. When she reached a road with barricades pushed aside and cars driving through, she continued on. Her car was very suddenly overcome with a rush of flood waters and in an attempt to get free of the car, she felt her 14 month old son slip from her grasp. He was later found to have drowned. Kaiden's death is a tragedy beyond measure and his family should be spending this time grieving-- not fighting charges. 

DA Robison's decision to charge Dazia is just another manifestation of the criminalization of Black motherhood. When deputies in South Carolina drove around a manned barricade and abandoned their detainees, Nicolette Green and Wendy Newton, to drown in their chains during the very same storm-- they were fired but not charged. This is not justice for anyone, this is nothing more than an attempt to punish a grieving Black mother.

Here is the Petition:

Dear District Attorney Trey Robison:

We urge you to drop all charges against Dazia Ideah Lee. Her 14 month old son was killed when their vehicle was overcome with flood waters during Hurricane Florence. Ms. Lee acted with the intention of keeping her son safe and could not have foreseen this outcome. Kaiden's death is a tragedy she will live with for the rest of her life, she doesn't deserve punishment from the state, and your choice to prosecute her is an overreach of the criminal legal system.

Please drop all charges immediately and let Dazia and her family properly grieve their loss.