COLOR OF CHANGE (U.S) : MCKINNEY POLICE VIOLENCE.

McKinney Police Officer Eric Casebolt violently arrested and assaulted Dajerria Becton and other Black teens for attending a pool party. Urge local officials to immediately fire and charge Officer Casebolt with assault and battery: "Stop running your mouth and get your a**** out of here."1 This past Friday, McKinney law enforcement responded to a call from white residents that a group of Black teens, 13-16 years old, attending a pool party “did not have permission to be there.” One of the residents is reported in having told the kids to go back to “Section 8 housing.” 2 Upon arrival Officer Eric Casebolt violently arrested, verbally assaulted and physically attacked a number of teens, including 15-year-old Dajerria Becton who was body slammed, pinned to the ground and put in handcuffs while unarmed and wearing a bikini.Casebolt then drew his gun at the teens who came to Dajerria’s rescue. A 14-year-old boy, is also unjustly facing charges for "interfering with police duty and evading arrest."3 No person who treats another human being — let alone children — in such an abusive, life-threatening manner can be a police officer. Urge local officials to fire Officer Casebolt and charge him with battery and assault immediately. Last week's police violence was caught on tape. In the graphic video, Officer Casebolt [who is vice president of the local police union] can be seen aggressively chasing after a number of Black teens, cursing and screaming at them to get down on the ground for no reason, while the white bystanders faced no police aggression.4 Speaking to a group of Black teens leaving the pool party, Officer Casebolt exploded, "Y'all make me f**king run around here with 30 pounds of goddamn gear on in the sun, because you want to screw around out here!" 5 McKinney law enforcement and Officer Casebolt's violence against these teens highlight the systemic abuse, injustice and criminalization that Black girls and women face at the hands of law enforcement every day.6 Police treated all of the Black teens unjustly, but the gender and racial stereotypes underlying their behavior are highlighted when Officer Casebolt spoke to the group of Black girls. "Stop running your mouth" and "get your a***** out of here," he shouted to the group of teenage girls in bathing suits before violently grabbing Dajerria by the hair, slamming her head into the pavement, and digging his knee into her back while she laid face down in the grass. In addition to Officer Casebolt, the other 11 police officers who stood by and allowed this violence to continue must be held accountable and Attorney General Lynch should launch a full investigation into the discriminatory policing practices of the McKinney Police Department. The police violence at Craig Ranch Pool should convince anyone who still believes in a post-racial America that racial discrimination is alive and well. McKinney law enforcement were called to the pool after white residents decided the children were unwelcome, and this is not the first time an individual's racial prejudice has led to tragic police violence targeting a Black person. John Crawford, Tamir Rice, and Yuvette Henderson were all killed in recent months after 911 calls from people racially profiling them as a threat.It's a systemic problem — dehumanizing racial stereotypes about Black girls and boys as “inherently wrong” "criminal" and “out of place” in white spaces continue to rule the daily lives of Black people. McKinney, Texas is no different. Join us in demanding Mayor Loughmiller and District Attorney Greg Willis fire and charge Officer Casebolt with assault and battery for his brutal and discriminatory actions. Thanks and peace, — Arisha, Rashad Shani, Lyla, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team. References 1. "'He shoved me and started pulling my braids': Bikini-clad girl, 15, tells how veteran cop pulled his gun and slammed her to the ground as he is blasted as racist over pool party raid,'" Daily Mail 6-08-2015, http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4850?t=6&akid=4418.1942551.mcDgdU 2. See reference 1. 3. "WATCH: McKinney, Texas Cop Pulls Gun on Unarmed Black Teens at Pool Party," Heavy 06-07-2015 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4851?t=8&akid=4418.1942551.mcDgdU 4. "Longtime McKinney Officer Blasts Police Conduct At Pool Party, Says Department Has A Race Problem," ThinkProgress 06-08-2015 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4852?t=10&akid=4418.1942551.mcDgdU 5. "Girl at Texas pool party: "It was about race," CBS news 06-08-2015 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4853?t=12&akid=4418.1942551.mcDgdU 6. "Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, OverPoliced and Underprotected," African American Policy Forum, 2015 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4854?t=14&akid=4418.1942551.mcDgdU