The town of Forth Price, Texas, settled a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by a Black girl after she and her daughter had been wrestled to the bottom in a violent 2016 arrest.
Metropolis officers agreed to pay $150,000 to Jacqueline Craig. The settlement will go earlier than Metropolis Council in October for approval.
“Reaching a settlement with Ms. Craig was the suitable determination on this case to offer closure for the Craig household and our group,” Mayor Mattie Parker mentioned in a press release. “As a metropolis, we’ll stay dedicated to fostering larger communication and understanding and persevering with the progress we’ve made in addressing the wants of Fort Price.”
As a part of the settlement, town admits no different fault and there aren’t any different necessities, a Fort Price spokesperson mentioned.
An lawyer for Craig didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Saturday.
Craig referred to as Fort Price police to report {that a} white neighbor had choked her 7-year-old son, NBC Dallas-Fort Price reported on the time of the December 2016 incident.
Cellphone video confirmed the responding officer speaking to the neighbor, who claimed that Craig’s son littered on his property and refused to choose it up, in keeping with the station.
The officer then turned to Craig and requested, “Why do not you educate your son to not litter?”
Craig advised the officer that the neighbor couldn’t show that it was her son who littered and mentioned even when the kid did, it doesn’t give the neighbor the suitable to choke him.
The officer responded, “Why not?” He then advised Craig that if she stored yelling, “you are gonna piss me off and I am gonna take you to jail.”
The scenario escalated and when Craig’s daughter, Brea Hymond, stepped in between the officer and her mom, the officer tackled her.
At one level within the footage, the officer was seen pulling out his Taser as he wrestled Craig and Hymond.
Each ladies had been arrested. Craig was charged with resisting arrest and for having excellent site visitors warrants, police mentioned. Hymond, then 19, was charged with resisting arrest and interfering with public obligation. The fees had been later dropped.
The officer, William Martin, served a 10-day suspension for violating departmental insurance policies.
Corky Siemaszko and The Related Press contributed.
