In this special episode of A Heavy Weight, we stay close to home in Indiana to examine the federal conviction of former Kokomo police officer Sinmi Asomuyide, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a fourteen-year-old girl while on duty.
This case is devastating on its own. But it also raises much larger questions about power, trust, vulnerable youth, and police accountability.
The girl at the center of this case was fourteen. According to reporting and federal prosecutors, she had been running away and was in a vulnerable position when she came into contact with law enforcement. Too often, children in crisis are treated as difficult, defiant, or responsible for their own circumstances. But vulnerability does not make a child less deserving of protection. It makes that protection even more urgent.
In this episode, we look at what happened in Kokomo and why the phrase “under color of law” matters. When a police officer abuses someone while using the authority of their position, the harm is not only personal. It is institutional. The badge, the uniform, the patrol car, and the power to detain all become part of the story.
This episode is not about sensationalizing harm. It is about asking harder questions. Who protects vulnerable children before predators identify them? What happens when the person expected to help becomes the danger? And how do communities respond when trust has been broken in the deepest possible way?
A child got into a police car.
She should have been safe there.
That is the heart of this story.
Listen to the special episode of A Heavy Weight wherever you get podcasts.
Content warning: This episode discusses sexual violence against a minor.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, confidential support is available through RAINN at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
