A simple drive to Walmart led to a Black woman being harassed, jailed and called a “Black b—.” The incident involved Miss Black Texas U.S. Ambassador Carmen S. Ponder who was driving in Commerce, Texas on May 20.
According to the Miami Herald, Ponder encountered an inexperienced driver who happened to be the 14-year-old daughter of the city’s police chief Kerry Crews. Crews was allowing his 14-year old daughter, who doesn’t have a learner’s permit, to drive illegally. While on the road, Crews’ daughter drifted in and out of the lane, and abruptly smashed on the breaks and gas several times.
Ponder decided to drive around the car because she figured the driver was drunk. However, when she pulled into the Walmart parking lot, she realized the car was following her. When Ponder parked, Crews got out of his car and began yelling at her. He told Ponder that he was teaching his daughter how to drive and that she should not have passed the vehicle. Ponder told Crews that it was illegal to allow a 14-year-old to drive before attempting to walk away. Crews then called Ponders a “Black b—.” Ponder decided to ignore Crews’ racist remark and walked into the store.
When she returned to her car with purchased items in hand, Crews grabbed her by her arm and attempted to arrest her. Ponder called 911 to report the harassment. But when the police arrived, they arrested her for evading an arrest. She was sent to jail and had to spend 24 hours behind bars.
Ponder did not break any law by passing an inexperienced driver and Crews never had a right to detain her without probable cause. Crews broke the law by allowing his inexperienced 14-year-old daughter to drive and he also called her a racial slur.
It’s another example of an unqualified person who is allowed to serve as an officer to the public. His racist and illegal actions should cause him to be terminated.
Along with being Miss Black Texas U.S. Ambassador, Ponder is currently a Dean’s List student at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Authorities claim that a special investigator is looking into the incident, but they have yet to reveal the person’s name who would head the investigation.
