McKinney, Texas, police officer who pulled gun on unarmed teenagers at 'pool party' placed on leave
Video of incident stirs outrage, prompts charges of racial bias
Warning: The video above contains obscene language. Viewer discretion is advised.
A Texas police officer who drew his gun on unarmed teenagers while responding to a disturbance at a pool and threw a bikini-clad teen girl to the ground has been placed on administrative leave, officials said Sunday.
The incident occurred Friday night in McKinney, Texas, about 30 miles north of Dallas, when police were called to a private community pool where a large crowd had gathered.
In a video taken by a teenage bystander and posted to YouTube, the white officer, later identified by local media as Eric Casebolt, can be seen shouting obscenities and ordering some black teens to lie on the ground while telling others to disperse. Casebolt is then seen grabbing the back of the girl's head, throwing her to the ground and pushing her face down, then pulling his gun on a pair of black teenagers who appeared to be coming to her aid.
"This video has raised concerns that are being investigated," the McKinney Police Department said in a statement.
According to police, a total of 12 officers responded to the call:
Pool Party Incident:
On June 5, 2015 at approximately 7:15 p.m., officers from the McKinney Police Department responded to a disturbance at the Craig Ranch North Community Pool. The initial call came in as a disturbance involving multiple juveniles at the location, who do not live in the area or have permission to be there, refusing to leave. McKinney Police received several additional calls related to this incident advising that juveniles were now actively fighting.
First responding officers encountered a large crowd that refused to comply with police commands. Nine additional units responded to the scene. Officers were eventually able to gain control of the situation.
Police said they later learned of the footage, which prompted the investigation.
The girl, 15-year-old Dajerria Becton, was not charged and released to her parents, McKinney Police Chief Greg Conley said at a press conference Sunday afternoon.
“He grabbed me, twisted my arm on my back and shoved me in the grass and started pulling the back of my braids,” Becton told KDFW-TV. “I was telling him to get off me because my back was hurting bad."
She added: “Him getting fired is not enough."
Brandon Brooks, the 15-year-old who shot the video, told BuzzFeed that the party was an "end-of-school celebration" that some students had crashed.
“I think a bunch of white parents were angry that a bunch of black kids who don’t live in the neighborhood were in the pool,” Brooks, who is white, told the website.
The video quickly sparked outrage on social media, as many drew comparisons to recent high-profile cases of police bias in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore.
This is disgusting... #McKinney pic.twitter.com/Z9IFUlz2lf
— Juan Gutierrez (@juangutiez) June 7, 2015
The official #McKinney police report says that neighbors called the cops because "juveniles did not have permission to be there."
— Justin Giuliano (@NewJusticeDept) June 7, 2015
Blackness in stereotypically white spaces is always seen as a threat. First Trayvon Martin & now #McKinney. Nothing new.
— Justin Giuliano (@NewJusticeDept) June 7, 2015
#McKinney All that's missing are the police dogs and fire hoses http://t.co/w2wcrmRLpb
— Harold Itzkowitz (@HaroldItz) June 7, 2015
Things black people can't do1. Talk2. Stand3. Walk4. Breathe5. Sleep6. Be children#McKinney
— Jailyn (@jaiglad) June 7, 2015
you're threatened by teens at a pool party? please turn in your badges. #McKinney
— BROTHA NATURE. (@RASHVISION) June 7, 2015
What threat did a teenage girl in a bikini represent? How can you justify that use of force? #McKinney
— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) June 7, 2015
Is seeing the #McKinney pool party a turning point for the public eye? There's a deep sorrow and rage percolating. I am... floored.
— Penn Badgley (@PennBadgley) June 8, 2015
Others compared how police responded to last month's deadly biker gang shootout at Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas.
How cops treat a murderous biker gang vs unarmed black teens Welcome to Amerikkka #McKinney #McKinneyPolice pic.twitter.com/MSf2QX5UyY
— Black Girls (@melaninist) June 7, 2015
Apparently unarmed children at a pool party are more dangerous than a murderous biker gang. #McKinney pic.twitter.com/93C0Gy7I8e
— eSHEIKH (@eBama) June 7, 2015
Unarmed Black 13yr old teen, Biker Gang armed w/ handguns & shotguns who just committed Murders. #McKinney pic.twitter.com/gunyMe1VbA
— D.TALL ™ (@DTALLMUSIC) June 7, 2015
Armed biker gang murders people - untouched.Black teens at a pool party - harassed, pinned to the ground, threatened with guns.#McKinney
— Theo James (@THEDlVERGENT) June 7, 2015
There was one arrest — of an adult male — for interfering with the duties of a police officer and evading arrest, Conley said. There were no reports of injuries.
"The McKinney Police Department is committed to treating all persons fairly under the law," Conley said. "We are committed to preserving the peace and safety of our community for all of our citizens."
He added: "As the chief of police, I am committed a complete and thorough investigation into this incident."
Watch Conley's full press conference below:
