'He shoved me and started pulling my braids': Bikini-clad girl, 15, tells how veteran cop pulled his gun and slammed her to the ground as he is blasted as racist over pool party raid 

  • A video shows the moment Dajerria Becton was thrown to the ground by Corporal Eric Casebolt in McKinney, Texas on Friday evening
  • He was one of 12 officers called to shut down a pool party after a fight broke out between teens and residents who said they should not be there
  • Footage shows the cop pulling his gun and wrestling the girl to ground 
  • One witness said racist comments sparked the fight between pool-goers 
  • Witnesses said the cops only targeted black or Hispanic guests, saying: 'It was about race because they did nothing about the Caucasian people'
  • Casebolt, who is now on administrative leave, is under investigation

A 15-year-old girl has recounted the terrifying moment a veteran police officer grabbed her and bodyslammed her to the ground as she attended a pool party in Texas with friends.

Dajerria Becton was only wearing a bikini when McKinney Police Corporal Eric Casebolt grabbed her and pinned her down on Friday evening - in a startling incident caught on camera.

Casebolt had arrived at the pool following reports of an argument and the teen, who said she was an invited guest, recalled how he told her and her friends to keep walking.

'I'm guessing he thought we were saying rude stuff to him,' she told Fox4.

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Speaking out: Dajerria Becton, 15, was thrown to the ground by a cop who had arrived on the scene following reports of an argument at a community pool on Friday. She has spoken out about the incident

Speaking out: Dajerria Becton, 15, was thrown to the ground by a cop who had arrived on the scene following reports of an argument at a community pool on Friday. She has spoken out about the incident

'He grabbed me, twisted my arm on my back and shoved me in the grass and started pulling the back of my braids. I was telling him to get off me because my back was hurting bad.'

Named: Eric Casebolt, pictured, has been identified as the McKinney police officer in the video

Named: Eric Casebolt, pictured, has been identified as the McKinney police officer in the video

Her aunt added: 'It wasn't right, I think his force was excessive.'

The teenager, who said she had not been involved in the fight reported to police, said she hopes officials take the incident seriously.

'Him getting fired is not enough,' she said.

Corporal Casebolt, who has served ten years on the force, was named on Sunday as the officer seen in the video. He has now been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is carried out, officials said.

The video, which was posted online shortly after the incident, shows him pushing Dajerria to the ground and pinning her down by leaning on her with both of his knees.

The unarmed teenager is heard on the video screaming: 'Call my momma! Call my momma! Oh God.'

As Casebolt struggles to maintain control, he is also seen pulling out his gun at two boys.

'I felt like he was actually getting ready to hurt someone,' one witness, 13-year-old Jahda Bakari, added to KTVT.

'They were trying to make us leave, but if we ran, they'd chase after us, and if we stayed, then they'd arrest us.'

The fight at the Craig Ranch North Community Pool started when one woman insulted black people who were there and told them to go back to public housing, one witness said.

Shoved: Cell phone footage of the incident shows Casebolt apparently throwing Dajerria to the ground

Shoved: Cell phone footage of the incident shows Casebolt apparently throwing Dajerria to the ground

Forceful: He can then be seen leaning on the young teenager with his knees to pin her to the ground

Forceful: He can then be seen leaning on the young teenager with his knees to pin her to the ground

Hurt: She said that she told him that he was hurting her back, while an aunt called his action 'excessive'

Hurt: She said that she told him that he was hurting her back, while an aunt called his action 'excessive'

Most of the residents in the town, a suburb of Dallas, are white but many of the partygoers were black, CBS noted.

Emma Stone, 14, told BuzzFeed that adults who lived in the neighborhood starting telling the black youngsters to leave and go back to 'Section 8 housing', implying that they rely on the government.

Stone said this sparked a physical fight, which led to a total of 12 police officers, including Casebolt, being dispatched to the area.

The teen who filmed the encounter, which was sparked by the party at McKinney's Craig Ranch North Community Pool, said he felt that Casebolt chose his targets based on race. 

Brandon Brooks, 15, told BuzzFeed: 'Everyone who was getting put on the ground was black, Mexican, Arabic. [The cop] didn't even look at me. It was kind of like I was invisible.'

Bakari, who lives nearby and has a pool pass, added in her interview with KVTV: 'I honestly believe it was about race because mostly they did nothing to the Caucasians... 

Not involved: Dajerria, pictured, said she had been invited to the pool and was not involved in the fight

'They were acting like we were criminals. We were just there for a pool party.'

But not everyone agreed with the teenagers. Homeowners told Fox4 that they believed the officer's actions were justified because the youngsters were not listening to orders.

They were acting like we were criminals. We were just there for a pool party 
Witness Jahda Bakari, 13 

'[Officers] were completely outnumbered and they were just doing the right thing when these kids were fleeing and using profanity,' one local woman said.

Photographs also showed that somebody had put up a sign at the pool over the weekend, saying: 'Thank you McKinney PD for keeping us safe.' 

In a statement released on Sunday, the McKinney Police Department said they had responded to a disturbance involving youngsters 'who do not live in the area or have permission to be there, refusing to leave'.

'McKinney Police received several additional calls related to this incident advising that juveniles were now actively fighting,' it continued.

'First responding officers encountered a large crowd that refused to comply with police commands. Nine additional units responded to the scene. Officers were eventually able to gain control of the situation.' 

Casebolt is seen reaching for his gun during the encounter, which witness say was sparked by racial slurs

Casebolt is seen reaching for his gun during the encounter, which witness say was sparked by racial slurs

Pulling his gun: Casebolt drew his weapon to scare off these two teenagers in the confrontation Friday night

Pulling his gun: Casebolt drew his weapon to scare off these two teenagers in the confrontation Friday night

Stern: The officer can be seen pulling several teens to the ground and handcuffing them

Stern: The officer can be seen pulling several teens to the ground and handcuffing them

Although several people can be seen being detained in the video, only one 14-year-old boy was formally arrested, police said. 

He was charged with interfering with police duties and evading arrest.

Mayor Brian Loughmiller said in a statement that he was 'disturbed and concerned' by the video.

'Our expectation as a City Council is that our police department and other departments will act professionally and with appropriate restraint relative to the situation they are faced with,' he said.

'Our City Management and Police Chief are investigating the situation as required, and I have faith that they will conclude the investigation expeditiously and take appropriate action.

'We will continue to monitor the situation through our City Manager's office and will continue to work with community leaders as we follow this investigative process.' 

 


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