Texas Police to Pay Black Family $150,000 After Brutally Assaulting Mother and Her Kids
A Texas family filed a lawsuit against the city of Fort Worth after Fort Worth Police Department officers pointed a stun gun at them and wrestled the mother and her daughter to the ground, as well as the other daughter filming the incident. The city has now agreed to a settlement and will pay the family $150,000.
A white police officer named William Martin pointed a stun gun at Jacqueline Craig and one of her daughters and wrestled them to the ground.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the two were charged with assaulting an officer. However, upon review of Martin's bodycam footage, the charges were later dropped.
Meanwhile, the police also arrested Craig's other daughter, who filmed the entire incident and posted it on Facebook. It raised over a million views and accused Fort Worth Police of racism and outcries of police bias against African Americans.
A Spat Between Neighbors Leads to an Act of Police Brutality Against a Black Family
A report by the Associated Press revealed that the incident started with a spat between Jacqueline Craig and one of her neighbors. Craig alleged that the neighbor grabbed and choked her young son for littering. This led both sides to call the police.
However, instead of helping Craig out and settling the dispute, police officers who responded to the scene of the neighborly spat wrestled Craig and her daughter to the ground and arrested them.
Officer Martin's body camera footage showed that he was arguing with Craig before he pointed a stun gun at her and wrestled her to the ground. Footage from her daughter also showed a similar situation, with Martin pointing the stun gun at the other family members who wanted to confront the neighbor.
The incident, which happened in 2016, led to Officer William Martin's suspension in 2017 for violating Fort Worth PD policies. The Craig family then filed a lawsuit against the city for the officer's actions. Officer Martin was only suspended for 10 days, even with the outrage his actions have sparked.
Meanwhile, the neighbor was found guilty of misdemeanor assault for choking Craig's then-7-year-old son.
Pastor Mediates Settlement Between Craigs and Fort Worth
Pastor Michael Bell served as the intermediary between the two parties. He praised the city of Fort Worth for its willingness to work with Craig and the plaintiff for continuing her pursuit of justice with the settlement, despite the trauma she was dealing with and the media scrutiny.
He stated that the settlement acknowledged that she matters, that her family matters, and that despite perceived limitations, everyone can get a "fair shake."
The city itself admitted no other fault as part of the settlement and added that there are no more other requirements. Mayor Mattie Parker released a statement following the settlement and said that they will remain committed to fostering greater communication and understanding with the needs of Fort Worth.
Mayor Pro Tem Gyna Bivens added that she is happy that the Craig family and the city could reach an agreement. The payment for the settlement is now pending approval by the City Council of Fort Worth.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: New Footage Released in the Controversial Police Takedown in Fort Worth - ABC News
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