In the summer of 2015, a pool party at an upscale Dallas neighborhood led to police brutality. According to The Dallas Morning News, the incident occurred after a Black resident at Craig Ranch threw a pool party.
Several of the White neighbors called the police and claimed that the Black teens were out of control. When the police arrived, they began to harass the Black teens. A cell phone video revealed that several Black teens were handcuffed although White teens attended the party too.
The police began to yell at the Black teens and officer Eric Casebolt approached a group of girls. After yelling at the Black teenage girls to leave, Casebolt grabbed Dajerria Becton by her hair and slammed her to the ground. He then pushed her head into the concrete and forced her hands behind her back. Becton began to cry as Casebolt continued to hold her on the ground and pin his knee to her back for several minutes. Becton was 15-years-old at the time.
The video eventually went viral and gave the nation another glimpse at police violence against Blacks. It also revealed how Blacks are still racially profiled while living in upscale communities. Casebolt admitted that his emotions got the best of him because of situation that occurred early in the shift. But his personal feelings should not have given him the right to abuse a teenage girl who had not broken the law. Casebolt eventually resigned from his position with the police department, but he was never charged with a crime after a grand jury refused to places charges against him.
Casebolt admitted that his emotions got the best of him because of situation that occurred early in the shift. But his personal feelings should not have given him the right to abuse a teenage girl who had not broken the law. Casebolt eventually resigned from his position with the police department, but he was never charged with a crime after a grand jury refused to places charges against him.
Becton said that the abuse by Casebolt caused her “physical injuries and psychological distress.” She is suing the officer for $5 million and wants all of McKinney police officers to be trained on racial sensitivity, excessive force, and how to deal with juveniles.
