Texas Pastors: Jacqueline Craig’s Arrest Was Racist, Not ‘Rude’

A group consisting of dozens of Texas pastors gathered at Beth Eden Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, have characterized the arrest of black woman Jacqueline Craig, 36, and her teenage daughters as racist, in spite of other characterizations from city officials. According to a story by ABC News, the group had gathered to urge the community to remain calm until an internal investigation was completed, but added that the incident was racist, not “rude.”

Several pastors said that they still believe that city officials, including the mayor and the chief of police, want to work with the local black community — but that they have lost faith in the unnamed officer, who has been placed on paid restricted duty.

The story gained attention when a cell phone video of the arrest showed up on Facebook and quickly went viral. According to CBC, the officer responded to a call after Craig contacted 911 on December 21, alleging that her neighbor had confronted and attempted to choke her 7-year-old son for littering.

The entire arrest was broadcast live to Facebook by Porsha Craver, who was on scene at the time, and warned the officer that she was broadcasting.

The video opens with Craig explaining to the white police officer that her neighbor had “grabbed and choked” her son for refusing to pick up litter.

“You could have come to me,” she said to the nearby neighbor. “Don’t put your hands on my son.”

The officer responded, “Well, why don’t you teach your son not to litter?”

Craig turned back to the officer. “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.”

The officer of the law responded with another question. “Why not?”

If, at this point, you find yourself wondering, child abuse is illegal in Texas. Someone outside of the shot took the opportunity to remind the officer that he was being recorded.

Craig, getting frustrated, tells the officer that he doesn’t know what she teaches her son, and that children don’t always follow their parents’ rules.

“You just pissed me off, telling me what I teach my kids and what I don’t.”

“If you keep yelling you’re going to piss me off, and I’m going to take you to jail,” the officer responded.

One of Craig’s daughters, Brea Hymond, 19, stepped in front of her mother and tried to push her away from the officer, who responded by grabbing the teenage girl from behind and pushing her aside, which knocked Craig to the ground. He shoved a taser in her back, and then pointed it at the others nearby.

The officer arrested Craig and both of her daughters; Craig and Brea Hymond for resisting arrest, and Craig’s 15-year-old daughter on charges which remain unavailable, while Craver follows, telling the officer that he is arresting a 15-year-old.

The video has since been viewed over 3 million times.

https://www.facebook.com/Porsha.Craver.26/videos/10211610596565571/

The Texas pastors were responding to remarks made by Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald, who is black, who said in regards to the incident that “I can’t call it racism, but I noticed in the video that the officer was rude. There’s a difference between rude and racism.”

“We do not trust him to carry a gun nor does he have our permission to come in our community and enact deadly force,” said B.R. Daniels, Jr., pastor of First Greater New Hope Baptist Church.

“He has lost credibility in our community.”

Shortly after the incident, the Fort Worth Police posted a response to the video, indicating that they were already investigating (including footage from a body camera worn by the officer) and appealing for calm while the investigation was completed.

Craig’s attorney, S. Lee Merritt, has asked that all charges be dropped against her, and has called for the officer involved to be fired and prosecuted. He also assisted Craig in filing charges against her neighbor.

[Featured Image by Stewart F. House/Getty Images]