The Final Call

A Texas town plagued by racial poison - welcome to McKinney

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Rosalyn Harrison speaks during a protest, June 8, in response to an incident at a community pool involving McKinney police officers in McKinney, Texas. Photo: AP/Wide World photos

McKinney, Texas became the new hotbed for highlighting injustice and the problem of police abuse when a teenaged Black girl in a bikini was slammed to the ground and a police officer pressed his knee to her neck and back.

McKinney, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, can be found 31 miles north of Dallas, and after the incident a simple question arose: Will justice be served?

Viral video captured the aftermath of a pool party in early June as McKinney Police Corporal Eric Casebolt, a Caucasian male, aggressively subdued Dajerria Becton, a slight, unarmed 15-year-old Black girl. Cpl. Casebolt slammed her on the ground after cursing and demanding young men, who witnesses said were Black and Latino, sit or lay down.

At one point, Cpl. Casebolt drew his weapon at several unarmed Black teens at the scene. He later resigned and apologized for his actions.

The police chief condemned the Casebolt actions after officers responded to a call of a disturbance at a pool in the Craig Ranch North neighborhood.

Hundreds march, June 8, toward a community pool during a protest in response to an incident at the pool involving McKinney police officers in McKinney, Texas.

McKinney is a racially polarized city whose residents are approximately 75 percent White and 10 percent Black, with Latinos, Native Americans, and Asians rounding out the population. 

Several witnesses said race was the predominant factor leading up to a call to the McKinney Police Dept. and the arrival of Cpl. Casebolt.

According to Tatyana Rhodes, the 19-year-old who hosted the pool party celebrating the beginning of summer, there was a racially charged exchange and assault from a White resident of Craig Ranch. “This lady was saying racial slurs to some friends that came to the cookout. She was saying such things as ‘Black effer’ and ‘that’s why you live in Section 8 homes,’ ” said Ms. Rhodes. She said the woman slapped her and a fight ensued. The altercation was filmed, showing the woman calling Ms. Rhodes names, hitting her and grabbing her braids—as well as the women struggling with one another before the fight was broken up by Black teens. Police were then called about a disturbance.

In a statement released by the McKinney Police Dept., officers arrived on the scene and multiple juveniles who “do not live in the area or have permission to be there, are refusing to leave.”

McKinney, Texas, police officer takes down a teenage girl to the ground at a pool party. Photo: MGN Online

The energy of racism was thick and not only felt by Blacks that evening, but by some Whites as well. Brandon Brooks, a 15-year-old resident who was at the pool party, captured the Casebolt incident on video.

He described the atmosphere as racially charged in an interview with local FOX 4 News. He said he saw the exchange between Ms. Rhodes and a White woman. The woman was later identified as Tracey Carver-Allbritton. She was also reportedly suspended by her employer.

The teenage Brooks described derogatory comments he heard. “Like, telling her to go back to Section 8 housing,” he said. He was attending the party with his friend and said and they were some of the few White children there. He also saw a big difference in how he and his friend were treated by the police compared to  Black, Brown and Arab children.

“He’s (Casebolt) just putting random Black kids on the ground,” said teenager Brooks. The corporal acted very aggressive compared to the other officers, he added. “I thought it was out of line compared to the other officers,” he said. “The other officers acted very professional.”

The teen was shocked by the officer taking out his gun. “At that point, my heart did drop and I was scared that someone was going to get shot and possibly killed, so I knew I had to keep on filming like, ‘cause … I got really scared when he pulled out his gun,” he explained.

The view of some other older White residents was quite different. Some heaped praise on Cpl. Casebolt and felt youth needed to be arrested. “I want everyone to know he was not out of line I completely support him drawing his weapon. I think he deserves a medal, those kids have no respect for authority. They were cursing officers and saying bad things to them,” said one White resident. 

“This is a climate that we are beginning to see, it almost seems to be every other week  unarmed Black youth are being abused, shot or killed by police departments across America. We must stand against this,” said Collette Flanagan, founder of Dallas-based Mothers Against Police Brutality.

“Everyone knows that Mc-Kinney has systemic problems in the culture of its police department as it relates to Black people,” she said. Ms. Flanagan lost her son to the gun of a White Dallas police officer. Her son was unarmed.

Community leaders and activists quickly organized protests and called for justice. Among them were MAPB, Jeffrey Muhammad and the Nation of Islam in Dallas, the Dallas Community Organizing for Change and the New Black Panther Party.

Minister Tyrone H. Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque No. 48 in Dallas said, “We are the Nation of Islam; we are a nation of peace. The passion, and the anger you feel today is warranted. All we need to do is channel this energy and not let it wane like it usually does where in two weeks the energy is gone. Our divine, leader, teacher and guide the Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that 100 percent dissatisfaction brings about complete change. Well they see that change in McKinney today!”

He added, “The Honorable Minister Farrakhan has made a call—Justice Or Else. We chant no justice, no peace, but there can be no justice without truth.”

He invited those assembled to come to Washington, D.C. for the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March on October 10, 2015 and join a demand for justice by Min. Farrakhan.

When Cpl. Casebolt resigned, it was reported that he would still receive a pension. 

McKinney Police Chief Greg Conley told the media after the Casebolt resignation, “As the chief of police I want to say to the community that the actions of Casebolt seen on the video at the disturbance of the community pool are indefensible.”

A criminal investigation is reportedly underway, although authorities won’t say how long it will take. 

In an interview with FOX 4 News Dajerria Becton said, Cpl. Casebolt “grabbed me and he twisted my arm on the back of my back and he shoved me in the grass. He started pulling the back of my braids. And I was telling him he could get off me because my back was hurting really bad.”

She wants Cpl. Casebolt held accountable for what he did—and she feels that should mean more than losing a job.