TO:
McKinney Police Department, Internal Affairs
RE:
McKinney Pool Party Incident
Dear
Internal Affairs Officer:
My
name is Eddie Griffin, former political prisoner and peacemaking negotiator
between community and police. I was invited to look into the pool party
incident and find the racism in the police department’s actions against the
black youth attending the party.
I
agree that, superficially, you will not find racism upon the McKinney Police Department,
based solely upon this incident. The pool party organizer was the one having
the problem with uninvited guests. And yes, there was a need to call the police
to sort out the uninvited teens.
What
is missing in cultural awareness is that whenever young people have their
summer break parties, there will always be uninvited teens trying to crash the
party, more so for the free food rather than mischief. However, we know from
our experience that these are the very times when most of our summer violence
occurs, when teens crash other teens’ parties. This is why African-American
parents are especially watchful at such events.
The
racism displayed at the Craig Ranch Community Pool came in when a white resident
attempted to rid the uninvited guest by telling them to “Go back to Section 8
housing.” But saying such a thing to a teen that actually lived there in the neighborhood
was offensive. And, the 14-year old dragged down by Officer Casebolt also lived
in that community. Clearly, there was a misidentification of suspects. And the
innocent wound up being manhandled as if they were the guilty parties.
Is
it just to round up the innocent with the guilty, by prejudging all to be
guilty?
Brandon
Brooks, the young white teen who shot the video which we have now all seen,
told KDFW News that “tensions
rose after a white woman and a black teenager had an altercation”, after
the woman said “to go back to section 8 housing.” And another white teen who appeared
this morning on the news with her father confirmed the remark. For this young
white teen trying to intervene, she was handcuffed and sat on the curb.
The
remark, “Go back to section 8 housing”, is not a harmless statement. It blatantly
says “go back to where you belong.” It suggests that you do not belong here. Go
back to your place. Go back to Africa. We do not want you in our neighborhood.
This is a trend wherever racial intolerance is found.
Whatever
ran through the mind of the young African-American teen with the white resident,
he would have had many reasons to be offended. Who is responsible, the adult
who should know better, or the child who cannot resist such an emotional provocation?
Now
everyone would agree with the need to call the police to restore order, and
sort out who belongs at the party and who were the party crashers. But Officer
Casebolt had no way of knowing who was who. Instead of seeking out the parents
in charge of the party, he chose skin color over innocence and guilt. Thus, he
wound up assailing the very kids for whom this celebration was given. And worse,
Casebolt drew his service weapon and threatened their lives, and those who
tried to intervene. What was not obvious to the officer, as he was demanding
the kids to go home was the fact that they were already home. This was where
they lived, and they had a right to be there. On the other hand, most of the
intruders had probably already scattered by the time the police arrived.
Everything
else is moot. The issue is whether Officer Casebolt used professional judgment
in drawing his service weapon on these kids whose only crime was protesting the
suppression of their rights? Didn’t they have the right to have a summer party?
Didn’t they have the right to expect protection from the local police department
against unwanted intruders? So how then did they wound up being the ones handcuffed
and slammed to the ground?
No
wonder there were no arrests among the juveniles. Officer Casebolt’s judgment
was faulty, insofar as he did not consult the parents who were in charge. These
parents could have positively identified those uninvited guests and worked with
the police to have them discretely escorted off the property.
Secondly,
I believe Officer Casebolt works from his own faulty training program. Inasmuch
as he claims to be a training instructor, his tactic of going in, cursing, demanding
everybody to get on the ground like in an Afghan war zone, is not conducive to community
policing. This is not what we want to see in our local police officers. We do
not need a battlefield mentality and heavy-handed policing over our kids. It is
unacceptable, disgraceful, and hostile.
But
judgment is upon you and the McKinney Police Department. I would only advise: Judge
righteous judgment, and not according to politics or race.
Sincerely,
Eddie
Griffin
At 4:22pm
this afternoon, automated reporting sensors at Dallas Love Field reported a
wind gust of 59 knots (~67mph) from the northeast. A strong thunderstorm
had developed over Dallas at around 4pm, and while it was not strong enough to
warrant a Severe Thunderstorm Warning, a Special Weather Statement had been
issued by the NWS office in Ft. Worth at 4:06pm advising that winds in excess
of 40mph and dime size hail were possible with this storm…
How long will the storm last? Would it impact McKinney 40 miles away?
Would it cause Chief
Greg Conley to delay his press conference? 
