Pastor Michael Jennings is suing an Alabama police department after he said he was unlawfully arrested while watering his neighbor’s flowers.
RELATED: Florida sheriff’s deputy resigns after aggressive traffic stop
A Black pastor in Alabama says police unlawfully arrested him in May 2022 while he was watering his neighbor's flowers.
Attorneys for Michael Jennings, a longtime pastor at Vision of Abundant Life Church in Sylacauga, Alabama, have released police body cam video of his arrest and say legal action against the Childersburg Police Department is forthcoming.
“This video makes it clear that these officers decided they were going to arrest Pastor Jennings less than five minutes after pulling up and then tried to rewrite history claiming he hadn’t identified himself when that was the first thing he did,” said Harry Daniels, an Atlanta attorney representing Jennings, in a statement. “This was not only an unlawful arrest. It’s kidnapping.”
Childersburg police arrested Jennings on May 22 and charged him with obstructing government operations, according to a criminal complaint. A municipal judge dismissed the case in June, according to court documents provided to USA TODAY by Jennings' attorneys.
The arrest and charge were “irrational, irresponsible and illegal," Daniels said in the statement.
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Wow. This is getting way out of hand. Now you have to have proper ID to help a friend out while your watering flowers?
Police state soon
@Junksaint More like the United Jails of America…
Depends what color your skin is………
So sad. But it was indeed racial profiling. Why wouldn’t the police try to contact the owner of the property to check his story?
This is so sad .😔We are living in end times, the last end days and very dark times , as religious persecution is becoming more real and settling in , as this never should have hapoened to this nice man minding his own busniess.God blessyou always.🌹💖💖🎉
The police actions were disgraceful and need punished!❤️✝️
Him being involved with a religious group is irrelevant.
The officers making sure he wasn’t trespassing is relevant.
He didn’t want to cooperate. He escalated the situation.
@Diana Hill He didn’t escalate anything. They had zero right to ask him anything. They could clearly see he belong there, he gave a clear answer, and was watering flowers. At that point the officers should have immediately apologized and left. They escalated it. Racist good ol boys. Should be fired.
@A. Z.
Had that been me…. I would have cooperated.
Law enforcement can ask you for your identification, when you are at your residence.
Had they found someone on your property; you’d want to know who and why.
@A. Z.
****belonged.
@A. Z.
No; it wasn’t obvious he belonged there.
That sucks he don’t even fit any type of profile
In America black is the profile
My Dads a retired pastor he goes cuts lawns to waters flowers for elderly members of the church . Not once has anyone questioned why he was there. This is ridiculous a criminal doesn’t go water your lawn…. Except for that one weirdo who cut a man’s lawn as he was stealing the lawn mower that was definitely a first y last for that oddness.
Mike your shouting like a American lol
@EJ Pilot you should go into comedy
@Mike
Unti it’s your property….
It doesn’t matter where he lives.
It doesn’t matter that he is involved with a religious group.
It doesn’t matter that he was black.
If and when an officer has to inquire about someone being on your property…you would want to know who and why.
@Diana Hill They knew all of that he clearly told them in the video, and he had committed no crime. Did you watch this? did you read the comment you commented on?
Cops are out of control
Arrested for a random act of thoughtfulness and kindness. The racism in my opinion has reached embarrassing proportions. 😐
That’s the good Ole usa
WTF
Hey ,that sounds pretty good to me ,thank for your knowledgeable comment you speak with so much wisdom,I would like to know you more ,I am Carl Johan from DENMARK, And You
At least they didn’t pull weapons on him.
Hey ,that sounds pretty good to me ,thank for your knowledgeable comment you speak with so much wisdom,I would like to know you more ,I am Carl Johan from DENMARK, And You
I got arrested for standing at the bus stop one day in 1994. All I did was look over my shoulder as the cops passed and that was all it took.
what the hell is a pasduh?
Racist much 😆
Sad
Hey ,that sounds pretty good to me ,thank for your knowledgeable comment you speak with so much wisdom,I would like to know you more ,I am Carl Johan from DENMARK, And You
The neighbor who called did not give her name or id
How come she was not arrested?
Show me your ID. Sit down. Sit down. The guy is friggen watering the flowers. He had a hose in his hand. He has no tools. The house is secure. He is not running away etc., etc. Cops are so wrong once again! Why is he still he handcuffs after they know he was not guilty? Why are they demanding his social insurance number? Why are they trying to conger up charges when they know they screwed up? This is so outrageous and so embarrassing for law enforcement. This also makes me really sad. And I say this as a former 32 year cop. Oh and BTW…the reason they don’t want to provide ID to cops is because they don’t want their names in your databanks so the information can be used against them in the future. And yes you can un arrest a person. It happens all the time. Now contrast this with the drunk chief of police who was not only not charged, he was given a stern talking to, along with a drive home. Cops that were involved with the black pastor watering flowers should all be fired.
Cops have to do way better than this. Handcuff a older man stick him a squad car for this?
White lady calls cops on Black man and gets him arrested. In related news, the sun rises in the east.
I hope he learns his lesson. No such thing as a act of kindness being black, next time make sure the owners are home or home or don’t help🤷🏾♀️ pray instead their plants stay alive and keep it moving 😭
As a black person in a all white neighborhood I would NEVER think to do this. God made me friendly but not naive.