New York, NY — This past weekend, 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.” Upon arrival, Officer Eric Casebolt violently arrested, verbally assaulted and physically attacked a number of the teens, including Dajerria Becton who was body slammed, stepped on and put in handcuffs while unarmed and wearing a bikini as Casebolt drew his gun at teens who came to Dajerria’s rescue. One of the teens is facing charges for interfering with police duty and evading arrest.

ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson issued the following statement:

“There are few words to describe the inhumanity of McKinney law enforcement and Officer Casebolt’s brutal, unprofessional and discriminatory violence this past weekend. Our hearts go out to all the teens who experienced the terror and pain of unjust treatment at the hands of police, a trauma all too familiar to Black people across the country.

“We strongly urge local officials and Collin County District Attorney to fire Officer Casebolt and charge him with assault and battery. No person who treats another human being, let alone children, in such an abusive, life-threatening manner can be a police officer. All of the officers present at the Craig Ranch pool, who stood by and allowed this police violence to take place must be held accountable the Department of Justice should be launched into the McKinney PD. True change begins with accountability.

“In America, pools have long been a place where the boundaries of racial segregation are enforced and what happened in McKinney demonstrates that. The fact that white residents thought the teens, who had guest passes, “didn’t have permission to be there” highlights the racism that kicked off the ensuing police violence. Dehumanizing racial stereotypes about Black girls and boys as “inherently wrong” and “out of place” in white spaces continues to rule the daily lives of Black people. McKinney, Texas is no different.

###

With more than 1 million members, ColorOfChange is the nation’s largest online civil rights group