MCKINNEY, TX – Brandon Brooks, the 15-year-old boy who shot the McKinney pool party video that’s being broadcast around the world, is telling his side of the story to NewsFix.
“The cops showed up and the parents immediately started yelling, ‘you need more cops, there’s too many of them.’ And most of the kids weren’t even involved. It was a fight between a mom and girl, which had nothing to do with all the other kids that she apparently needed more cops for,” Brooks explained.
That’s when Brooks says the officer, reportedly identified as Cpl. Eric Casebolt, arrived on the scene and flipped out.
“He trips and drops his flashlight. He’s going crazy, putting people in handcuffs, tackling people, slinging them on the ground.”
So, why wasn’t Brooks handcuffed?
“I was one of the only white people in the area when that was happening. You can see in part of the video where he tells us to sit down, and he kinda like skips over me and tells all my African-American friends to go sit down.”
Things got really scary for the teen behind the lens as he watched his 14-year-old friend being thrown to the ground.
“I think she was quote unquote running her mouth, and she has freedom of speech and that was very uncalled for him to throw her to the ground,” Brooks said. “When he pulled his gun my heart dropped. As soon as he pulled out his gun, I thought he was going to shoot that kid. That was very scary.”
Parents, activists, and local pastors showed up at McKinney PD Headquarters Monday, demanding that the officer be thrown off the force. Right now, he’s on administrative leave.
“It is our hope and prayer that the Chief of Police and the mayor of this city handle this situation by not only firing this officer but taking his license, because this was simply based on race,” Rev. Ronald Wright said.
“Several concerns about the conduct of one of the officers on the scene has been raised,” McKinney Police Chief Greg Conley said at press conference on Sunday. “The McKinney Police Department is committed to treating all persons fairly under the law. We’re committed to preserving the peace and safety of our community for all of our citizens.”
What actually led up to the chaotic aftermath is still a source of debate. Was the party even cleared with the HOA? Were teens jumping fences to get into the community pool? Was a DJ blaring explicit music at a family venue? And what did the 911 callers say that got cops to the scene in the first place?
In this case, there was no lethal force, but the video could be used to teach cops what not to do when things get out of control.
15-year-old Brandon Brooks says this situation could be a learning tool for everyone, especially the people leaving horrible comments on his YouTube video.
“They’re just going to discriminate against them because they’re black,” Brooks said. “What if that was your kid getting slung to the ground? Would you still be talking about them in the way that you are?”
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