Black preacher arrested while watering flowers sues police

Authored by apnews.com and submitted by Vandemonium702
image for Black preacher arrested while watering flowers sues police

This image captured from bodycam video released by the Childersburg (Ala.) Police Department and provided by attorney Harry Daniels shows Michael Jennings, right, in custody in Childersburg, Ala., on Sunday, May 22, 2022. Jennings was helping out a friend by watering flowers when officers showed up and placed him under arrest within moments. (Childersburg Police Department via AP)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A Black pastor who was arrested by white police officers while watering the flowers of a neighbor who was out of town filed a federal lawsuit alleging the ordeal violated his constitutional rights and caused lingering problems including emotional distress and anxiety.

Michael Jennings filed the lawsuit Friday night against three officers and the central Alabama town of Childersburg requesting a jury trial and seeking an unspecified amount of money.

Jennings’ lawyers held a news conference outside the Birmingham federal courthouse on Saturday to discuss the lawsuit, and the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, and other groups planned a rally afterward at a downtown park.

“I’m here for accountability, and I’m here for justice,” Jennings told the news conference.

The suit alleged the actions of Officers Christopher Smith and Justin Gable, Sgt. Jeremy Brooks and the city violated rights protecting against unlawful arrest and guaranteeing free speech. He cited multiple continuing problems including post traumatic stress disorder and humiliation.

Childersburg city attorney Reagan Rumsey didn’t return an email seeking comment.

Jennings, 56, was arrested in May after a white neighbor called 911 and said a “younger Black male” and gold SUV were at a house while the owners — who are friends of Jennings and had asked him to watch their home — were away.

Jennings identified himself as “Pastor Jennings” but refused to provide identification to the officers, who arrested him on a charge of obstructing government operations after a 20-minute confrontation that included raised voices on both sides.

Filed in municipal court, the charge was dismissed within days at the request of the then-police chief. Jennings’ attorneys last month released police body camera video that was obtained following a records request to the city, located 55 miles (88 kilometers) southeast of Birmingham.

Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama branch of the NAACP, said the officers who arrested Jennings did “so many things” that weren’t in line with good community policing tactics.

“These poor judgment decisions reflect poorly on the type of training the Childersburg police officers receive … if they were acting in accordance within police guidelines,” Simelton said in a statement.

While Jennings could have filed a claim against the city seeking damages, attorney Harry Daniels said that wasn’t done because the arrest was well within the time frame allowed by law for a lawsuit.

WVU_Benjisaur on September 10th, 2022 at 18:42 UTC »

It’s disturbing how often officers will charge people with petty minor stuff because they don’t want to admit they were wrong in stopping them. Happens all the time on traffic stops too.

whichwitch9 on September 10th, 2022 at 18:10 UTC »

Best part, this article skimpy on some details. Neighbor knew the preacher and just didn't recognize him from a distance. Told the cops who he was and that he was fine, and they still arrested him

darwinwoodka on September 10th, 2022 at 18:05 UTC »

Watering flowers while black. Wtf.

Those officers should be fired.