Police near Dallas admitted on Monday that they had no justification for arresting a black teenager who was returning home in the snow and did not commit any crime.
Plano police officers were called on Feb. 16 to check on the welfare of a man walking in the freezing cold with a short-sleeved shirt at around 10:47 pm local time, the department said.
In the footage of the body camera that the police posted on Facebook, the officers approached the person, later identified as Rodney Reese from his senior year of high school, and asked if he needed a ride while the mercury hovered around 18 degrees.
Reese, 18, explained that he would return home after the Walmart shift and did not need help.
“Nah, I’m fine,” he could be heard saying in the footage. “I do this every night. I am hetero. “
The cops said he was walking down the street and Reese apologized.
Still, the police asked him to stop walking and answer more questions. The teenager was not involved.
“We are doing an investigation,” a male police officer can be heard saying in the footage.
“I don’t care,” replied Reese. “I am going home!”
“You are officially under arrest,” said the policeman.
Moments later, Reese is stopped and handcuffed.
The officers did not have enough evidence to take Reese into custody and keep him overnight on charges of misdemeanor against a pedestrian on the road, Plano police chief Ed Drain said in a statement.
“Our officers were on a welfare call. The arrest was not consistent with the reason the police were there, to provide assistance, “said Drain.” Therefore, we drop the charges. “
During a news conference on Monday, Reese’s mother said her son worked late, attending to customers who needed supplies during last week’s winter storm, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
“He probably went shopping for some of the cops’ wives or families that night,” said Rachel Brown. “He worked late and was rewarded with a night in prison. For me, it eats me up inside.”
Reese said he acted correctly that night. When asked why he didn’t spend more time talking to the police, Reese said, “I wanted to go home. That’s why.”
“Young blacks like me, we are afraid of the police because they kill and arrest us,” he continued. “That’s why I didn’t want to answer a question, I wanted to go home.”
The department said that Chief Drain “initiated an administrative inquiry to assess our policies and procedures.”
But the department’s statement did not make it clear whether the officers involved were punished or transferred. A department spokesman referred these issues to the Plano Police Association, but a union representative was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.
Mayor Harry LaRosiliere said he hoped that “this incident highlights an opportunity for” the police and the black community to “move forward constructively” with “communication and dialogue”.
