“What you doing right here, man?” the white police officer requested an African American man quietly watering flowers in a entrance backyard in Childersburg, Alabama.
“Watering flowers,” was the person’s reply.
Two minutes later, the person, the Rev Michael Jennings, 56, a pastor on the native Imaginative and prescient of Considerable Life church, was put into handcuffs. Three minutes after that he was positioned in a police car, underneath arrest for “obstructing governmental operations”.
Footage of the arrest, captured on the police officer’s physique digital camera, was obtained by NPR. The person recognized himself with out being requested as “Pastor Jennings” and stated he lived throughout the highway.
He was informed an nameless neighbour had made a 911 name reporting “suspicious” exercise exterior the home of somebody who had gone out of city.
“They are saying you aren't alleged to be right here,” the officer stated.
“I’m alleged to be right here,” Jennings replied. “I’m taking care of their home whereas they’re gone, taking care of their flowers.”
Requested by the police to point out identification, Jennings, who had already recognized himself, declined. Beneath Alabama legislation, officers are solely allowed to cease an individual in a public place and demand ID if they think a felony or different public offense has been dedicated.
Watering flowers is just not listed underneath Alabama’s prison code.
Jennings, who clearly was accustomed to Alabama legislation, remained calm however agency.
“You haven't any proper to strategy me, I’ve performed nothing incorrect,” he stated. “If you wish to lock me up, lock me up, I’m going to proceed watering these flowers.”
To which the officer stated: “Look man, simply relax.”
The officer could be heard telling a fellow officer by way of his walkie-talkie: “We’ve acquired one which’s not listening to us.”
The ultimate twist got here as Jennings was being ushered into the police cruiser.
“You might be racial profiling,” he informed the officer.
“We're not racial profiling,” the officer stated. “No sir, we’re not about that.”
When Jennings protested that he was simply watering flowers, the officer requested: “How do I do know that’s the reality?”
“As a result of I had a water hose in my hand,” Jennings stated.
Later within the day the nameless neighbour known as the police again and stated it was doable Jennings had been watering the flowers as a favour in spite of everything.
“That is most likely my fault,” she stated.
Childersburg police have dropped all expenses.
Jennings informed the New York Occasions he supposed to file a lawsuit for illegal arrest subsequent week.
“I’m not anti-police, we want our police,” he stated. “We simply want good police.”
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