A black mother told police a white man assaulted her child. They arrested her instead.
A Fort Worth police officer has been placed on “restricted duty status” after a viral video emerged Wednesday showing the officer arresting a mother who called authorities to report that her 7-year-old son has been assaulted.
Craig, 46, and her relatives are black, and the officer — who has not been named by police — is white.
The nearly 6-minute video — which shows the officer pointing his stun gun at teenagers during the controversial arrests — has been shared more than 65,000 times and racked up nearly 1 million views.
Lee Merritt, an attorney for the woman, told the Star-Telegram that he wants the charges against his clients “dropped immediately,” calling them “completely manufactured.”
On Wednesday morning, Merritt tweeted that he was working to secure the release of both women. By Wednesday afternoon, that release had occurred, according to the lawyer’s Twitter feed.
The FWPD never took original report of assault on Jacquelin Craig's son. After bond is posted completing this report will be our 1st step— S. Lee Merritt (@MeritLaw) December 22, 2016
The filmed officer was not the only 1 to interact with my clients during arrest. No reporting officer objected to this repulsive actions.— S. Lee Merritt (@MeritLaw) December 22, 2016
We can't keep excusing this as the rogue actions of a bad apple ... the bunch has been spoiled ... we need to fix the barrel— S. Lee Merritt (@MeritLaw) December 22, 2016
Still working hard to secure release of Jacqueline Craig & Brea Hymond. They are in good spirits & appreciate all the support. @ShaunKing pic.twitter.com/NBC2RKL3iD— S. Lee Merritt (@MeritLaw) December 22, 2016
The police statement said investigators “worked throughout the night” interviewing witnesses and reviewing video evidence, including footage from the officer’s body camera.
Statement regarding Facebook Video: pic.twitter.com/omjlHFnXxy— Fort Worth Police (@fortworthpd) December 22, 2016
The video begins with Craig explaining to the officer that her children told her that a man in her Fort Worth neighborhood grabbed her son by the neck after the child refused to pick up litter.
Craig then replied, “He can’t prove to me that my son littered, but it doesn’t matter if he did or didn’t, it doesn’t give him the right to put his hands on him.”
As the incident unfolds a woman can be heard telling the officer that he is “on live.”
Source: The Washington Post
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