Mother of Pawtucket man shot by police pleads to see him in the hospital

"I need to be with my son," said Regina Socree. "He needs to know that he has his mother out there, who cares for him and wants to be with him... Please, I need help to see my son, Sebastian."

Regina Socree (on the microphone) is demanding that she be allowed to see her son.

UPDATE, June 16, 2025: At the request of Representative José Batista, the Rhode Island Attorney General intervened on Saturday, and Regina was able to visit her son and speak to his doctors on Sunday.

One week ago, on a Sunday morning, Pawtucket Police Officer Thomas Letourneau shot Sebastian Yidana after reports that the 28-year-old mentally ill man pointed a toy gun at people. On Friday, after being denied access to her son for five days, the man’s mother, Regina Socree, held a press conference outside the Pawtucket Police Station to demand that she be allowed to see her son.

Here’s the video:

Representative Cherie Cruz: We are here because Pawtucket Police shot another young man, and we need answers and accountability. With that, we will start with the person who needs answers and accountability more than anyone, Regina, the mother of the young man who was shot.

Regina Socree: Hello, everyone. I’m here today because I have not been able to see my son. I have gone to the hospital several times, and I’m not able to see my son. My son is a disabled individual who was shot because he had a toy gun - an orange toy gun - and he was shot because of that. If Sebastian, who is mentally ill, knew that he was going to be shot because of playing with his gun, I’m sure he wouldn’t have been out there that day. And the thing is, the police are already familiar with who he is, and they know that he’s ill. He was shot - and there were other shots besides the one that entered his shoulder. Now he’s in the hospital needing hours of surgery. He needs his mother, and I’m still not able to see him. That’s why I’m here.

I need to be with my son. He needs to know that he has his mother out there, who cares for him and wants to be with him. I have been struggling with him for over 10 years. I haven’t had any help. When I ask for help, I get no help. So this is where I resort to: them shooting and almost killing him. All I want is to be able to see Sebastian. This is not fair. Also, we need to see the [police body-worn] camera [footage] to know what went wrong that day so that we can do better in the future. This cannot continue. Please, I need help to see my son, Sebastian.

Representative Cruz: I think you heard very clearly that we don’t understand. Sebastian has been in the hospital since Sunday. His mom has been going back every day trying to get answers, and was told he’s not in the system. She wasn’t told where he was being held in the hospital. She knows he’s in the hospital, but is being told by the Pawtucket Police, when she has called, that she cannot see him yet.

We found out he wasn’t charged until Wednesday. So why were they blocking family from seeing him, knowing that he has a disability, knowing that someone who’s been traumatized and shot needs to see their family? Knowing that doctors, as we all know, need to hear from the family to do any medical procedure, especially for somebody who has a mental disability? We want to underscore what Mam has shared with us: She needs the Pawtucket police to stop blocking her from seeing her child, paying marshals to make sure she doesn’t get in, and let her see her son.

Also, there needs to be a different response than shooting first and asking questions later. We need to see the body camera [footage]. We need to know what happened. And as mom so beautifully stated, we can do better in the future.

Lex Morales: I’m a resident of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and a program director at Project Weber/RENEW, one of Rhode Island’s largest harm reduction and recovery facilities. First of all, I want to thank Regina for her presence here today. It takes tremendous courage and strength to stand and speak when your child has been harmed.

I’m here not just as a public health advocate, but as a parent. I have a son who is autistic and nonverbal, and I worry about my son and his future. If he’s ever pulled over by law enforcement and they don’t understand - if they don’t have the skills or the knowledge to deal with someone with special needs or disabilities - how will they interact? If he’s overwhelmed by too many lights, too, too many people around, he’s going to move around. They might take that as a threat, and that worries me and every other parent who has a child with special needs. That fear is real, and it’s why I’m standing here today - because there’s absolutely no reason - none.

Why Sebastian? A young Black man known in this community as someone living with mental illness should not have been shot on site by trained police officers simply for carrying a toy, a toy gun. Let’s be clear: Sebastian was known to the Pawtucket Police. They had interacted with him many times in the past before Saturday, when they were called because he pointed a toy gun at someone. Instead of de-escalating the situation, instead of showing care, Sebastian was hunted down and shot the very next morning.

Is this what public safety looks like? Pawtucket Police are supposed to protect and serve. I ask you: Who protected Sebastian? We can’t ignore the facts. You’re more likely to be shot by a Pawtucket police officer than by any other department in Rhode Island. That’s not safety. That’s not justice. That’s a pattern. That’s a system working exactly how it was designed to. We also cannot ignore this truth: Racism is at the core of these shootings. Sebastian was a young Black man with a disability, and in this country, in this city, that alone made him a target.

There is a long and painful history of the Pawtucket Police Department using excessive force, particularly against Black and brown residents. This is not an isolated incident. This is a continuation of that history. Sebastian’s mother, Regina, is his only support and his power of attorney. Still, as she said, she has not been able to see her son. This is unacceptable.

Today, I’m calling on you, our community, and our leaders to stand up, not just for Regina, not just for Sebastian, but for every child in our neighborhoods and every mother and father who worries about whether their child will come home, and for every voice that has gone unheard but still demand justice.

We don’t need more empty promises. We demand the release of Sebastian from police custody and that all charges be dropped. The second demand: Fire Officer Thomas Letourneau and hold the department accountable. Our third demand: End police violence in Pawtucket, and stop criminalizing mental illness and poverty in Black and brown communities. Our fourth demand: Invest in care, not cages. [Invest in] fundamental health resources, affordable housing, and support for people who use drugs.

This isn’t just about what happened to Sebastian; it’s about what keeps happening to all of us. Let’s stand up for each other. Let’s stand up for our children. Let’s stand up for Sebastian because if we don’t, who will?

Representative Cruz: I want to reiterate what Mom has shared. She needs to see her son, and she needs those body cameras released. We need an external investigation to know what happened to her son, why he was shot, and why the response was what it was: shoot first and ask questions later.

Reporter: Have you had any response from the police chief?

Regina Socree: I came here on Tuesday morning because I didn’t hear about this until Monday night, a day and a half after my son was in the hospital. I didn’t know why he was in the hospital. I thought it was for something else, and the doctor said, "Your son needs to have surgery." I didn’t know what the surgery was about. It took a couple of hours to know that he needed to have surgery because of a shooting.

I came here [the police station] on Tuesday early morning, and I met with two detectives and begged them to let me see my son. And they said nothing. I’ve been calling and trying to see my son. Those detectives are the only two people I’ve had the opportunity to talk to in this whole police department.

Reporter: Have you spoken with the Mayor?

Regina Socree: Nobody. Nobody.

Representative Cruz: Communication is a two-way communication, right? Knowing that a Pawtucket resident was shot, possibly almost killed, one would think the chief of police or the Mayor would reach out and check in with the mom.

Regina Socree: Why haven’t they reached out to me to let me know what’s going on? I have no answers, and that’s why I’m here. I need answers, and I need to see my son. He’s disabled. His only crime was holding an orange toy gun. He’s not a suspect. He is a victim. If he knew he was going to be a victim that day, he would not have been out there with that toy gun. He’s a very good kid, very quiet. And he’s not a troublemaker - that I know.

Reporter: Do we have any pictures of that toy gun? Many witnesses mentioned the orange color.

Representative Cruz: I think that’s why it’s important to see the body cameras, right? Police went in and sacked his apartment. They destroyed it. They raided his apartment after the shooting.

Reporter: Can you describe his condition further?

Regina Socree: He has been sick for the last 10 years. He graduated from Paul Cuffee. His last year was a little difficult, but he made it through and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar, and something else. He’s been in and out of the hospital. I can say he’s a big boy. He’s quiet; he keeps to himself. He goes to the library to read. He reads a lot. He goes to the library and he goes to the Y to play basketball. Most of the people around here know Sebastian. He’s a very kind and giving person...

They know he’s ill because they had an encounter with him, and he was sent to the hospital. Why didn’t they try to do it this time? Why didn’t they try to find another way to disarm him without shooting him? They could have killed him. I’m so thankful to God. Standing before you today, I probably would’ve been another person if they had killed my son, because, of course, I love my son and I want the best for him.

I hope they can help him. I hope they can do better than what he’s been getting so far. He needs help. He needs a decent place to stay and the treatment he deserves. He shouldn’t be locked to a bed with cuffs on his hands and feet like a common animal. He’s a disabled person. He’s almost like a child. He needs his mother. Why can’t I see my son? I need to see my son. I need to work with the hospital to create a treatment plan for him, as I’ve always done in the past. I am his advocate, and I will continue to advocate for my child. He’s not just a nobody. He is my son, and he’s a very important person.