Protesters issue a call to “charge him” at McKinney rally against police brutality

By Tezlyn Figaro, NDG Special Contributor 

‘Charge him!’ was the chant heard throughout of the crowd of diverse attendees at the march for justice against police brutality rally held on June 8 at Comstock Elementary School.

The passionate chant was in response to a pool party that was held on Friday, June 5 at Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. During the pool party a dozen officers responded to the disturbance call when a group of about 100 teens, many of them black, were celebrating the last day of school at an admission-restricted pool in the majority-white Craig Ranch neighborhood.

Allegedly, the disturbance erupted after a fight resulted from a white resident who allegedly swore at a black resident and told her to return to public housing.

Teenager, Brandon Brooks courageously filmed the video that went viral all over America. The video has now pricked America’s conscious with public debate. Several different accounts have surfaced concerning what led to Police Cpl. Eric Casebolt to pull a gun out on unarmed teenagers in addition to dragging a black teenage girl to her knees, forcing her head in the grass, and then placing his knees on her back.

Brandon Brooks reported to local Fox 4 TV News that while he was largely left alone, Casebolt was “just putting random black kids on the ground.”

“I was like one of the few Caucasian people at the party,” he says, “so I think it might have had something to do with racism.”

On Friday, June 5 Officer Casebolt was placed on administrative leave. In response, the Next Generation Action Network immediately began organizing along with other community leaders a rally that garnered support from not only McKinney but from all over Texas.

In an exclusive interview with Next Generation Action Network Founder, Dominique R. Alexander, Alexander provides a clear list of demands to the McKinney Police Department

• Officer Casebolt should be fired from the McKinney Police Department 
• Officer Casebolt should be charged with assault to a minor
• The non-officer in the video who assisted Officer Casebolt should also be charged with assault to a minor 
• All charges should be dropped against 18 year male Adrian Martin, who ran away due to the fact that Casebolt pulled a gun on him and he was in fear of his life; and finally
• The adult female who is seen hitting a black teenage while trying to break up a fight should also be charged with assault to a minor.

As a result of the speedy response rally from National Generation Action Network in addition to the support of various community activist, parents and concerned citizens as of June 10 two of the list of demands have been met. All charges against the 18 year old male have been dropped and Officer Casebolt has resigned. Although, Casebolt did not get fired Chief Greg Conley reported to the local media that the incident was “out of control” and “indefensible,”

In 2008, Officer Casebolt and other McKinney officers were sued in federal court for use of excessive force and racial profiling in a case that was dismissed in 2009, reportedly because the plaintiff did not have the means to pursue the case. Now in 2015 after this alarming incident Casebolt issued a two line statement that simply said ‘I resign’ which means that Officer Casebolt will maintain his benefits and pension.

Now the question is, will organizers be satisfied with a resignation, instead of him being terminated or will they see it as just another way for the boys in blue to protect their own?

In the meantime, the remaining list of demands are still on the table and organizers have been very clear that all items on the list of demands are expected to be addressed.

Police brutality against Black females finally gaining attention 

Once again, America witnesses a video that has exposed yet another ugly picture regarding police brutality. However, this time it paints a slightly different picture that is rarely seen in the media which is ‘the black female.’

Recently in downtown San Francisco topless protesters rallied for female victims of police brutality carrying signs that read #SayHerName which refereed to a title of a report released Wednesday by the African American Policy Forum highlighting the violence black women face at the hands of the police.

“Although black women are routinely killed, raped, and beaten by the police, their experiences are rarely foregrounded in popular understandings of police brutality,” said Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, co-author of the report of the African American Policy Forum highlighting the violence black women face at the hands of the police, which details the experiences of black women who have faced gender-specific violence and been killed by the police.

The stories that make the news have been mostly about black men. Now America has witnessed this type of police brutality to even a young black girl. Perhaps, this video is needed to spark the conversation that has been long overdue. Perhaps America will take a second look at cases such as the Oklahoma City Officer Daniel Holtzclaw who was charged with raping black women while on duty.

Perhaps as we watch the young black teenager in McKinney — who did nothing physically to resist yet was thrown to the ground by a grown man who then placed his knees on her backbone — perhaps America will remember how many black women as slaves were raped, thrown to the ground and beaten until their backbones were exposed.

Black women as slaves used their backbones to physically to build America, while their babies were taken. Black women as slaves helped build this country as their men were hung while being forced to do as Officer Casebolt expected the teenager to do which was shut up, get down to the ground, be humiliated and say nothing at all including a plea to call her mother.

The young girl did not even have the right to say her mother’s name, so now the question is will you #SayHerName by seeking justice for her or remain silent?

Tezlyn Figaro Communications Group a consultancy firm based in Orlando, Florida specializes in quantitative data research, political strategy, and public outreach within various print, television, and radio platforms. Founding principal Tezlyn Figaro was named 2009 Cadillac Community Influencer, 2010 Orlando Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” winner, and honored in 2012 as a top 15 finalist for Orlando Business Journal’s “Women to Watch” award. For more information please visit www.TezlynFigaro.com