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Title: McKinney chief: Eric Casebolt was 'out of control'
Source:
WFAA
URL Source: http://www.wfaa.com/story/news/loca ... signs-from-the-force/28760035/
Published: Jun 9, 2015
Author: Rebecca Lopez
Post Date: 2015-06-09 19:15:24 by nolu chan
Keywords: None
Views: 18267
Comments: 89
McKinney chief: Eric Casebolt was 'out of control' Rebecca Lopez McKINNEY — The McKinney police officer whose actions at a pool party disturbance last Friday went viral in a YouTube video resigned from the force on Tuesday. "The actions of Eric Casebolt are indefensible," police Chief Greg Conley told reporters at a news conference late Tuesday afternoon, saying the officer was "out of control during the incident." "I had 12 officers on the scene, and 11 of them performed according to their training," Conley added. Casebolt's resignation was confirmed about one hour earlier by attorney Jane Bishkin, who told WFAA that the decision was made after a meeting with the department's internal affairs unit to review possible charges her client could face. Casebolt, a 10-year veteran of the McKinney Police Department, was placed on administrative leave Sunday after a 7-minute video of the incident at a Craig Ranch community pool gained traction on the Internet. That clip has now been viewed almost 9.5 million times. The footage shows Cpl. Casebolt, who is white, aggressively responding to the disturbance call, using profane language with black teenagers, unholstering his service weapon and pointing it toward the unarmed teens, and restraining a 15-year-old girl in a swimsuit by forcing her to the ground and placing his knee on her back. Casebolt has not made any public statements since Friday's incident. His lawyer said he has been in hiding with his wife and family at an undisclosed location after they allegedly received death threats. Chief Conley said he was encouraged by community support in the wake of what happened. "McKinney is a wonderful city," he said. "It is a great place in which to live, work and visit. We are committed to keeping it that way." Casebolt's attorney said she would have more to say about why her client resigned at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
WFAA
5:50 p.m. CDT June 9, 2015
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#7. To: Gatlin (#6)
From another article: "Apparently, the pool was hosting an end-of-the-school- year party for teenagers in the subdivision, when dozens of uninvited guests showed up. The pool is semi- private as it is only open to residents of the subdivision and guests." "But the event was promoted on Twitter and apparently non-residents began crashing the party by climbing the fence. When asked to leave by residents and pool management, they refused. They also refused to refrain from smoking pot and drinking." “This was a Twitter party that turned into a mob event. Jumping pool fence. Assaulting 2 security guards, attacking a mother with three little girls. The video doesn’t show everything.” He continued saying the kids were drinking and “smoking weed” and they would not listen to any of the adults around the pool." Gestner wrapped up his post alleging that these same kids came back into the neighborhood Saturday night. They were “kicking in people’s front door, stole a truck and crashed it into many vehicles. They vandalized dozens of cars and were stealing things.” This wasn't simply a bunch of "rowdy" teens. The cops were called into a fairly nasty situation.
I saw the video of the two women fighting, one definitly was not a "teen." It was this fight that prompted a resident to call the police. So the cops responding to the information were already "pumped" to get into the middle of melees or fights. That is why the cop was obviously running at the beginning of the video....he thought he was goint to break up a fight. The more I read these articles and study the situation, the less respect I have for the police chief and mayor based on actions and statements. Furthermore,when Deckard is not condemning them....the more I have proof positive the cops were right.
"15 year old Tatyana Rhodes and her mother Lashawna ... Both ladies are residents of ‘Craig Ranch,’ a community with McKinney, Texas that has a public pool open to residents." "The party was advertised on social media ... some of the neighbors did not agree with the party and some of its guests, who are not residents of the community, but rather, friends of Tatyana’s." OK. What about these two idiots, inviting non-residents to the pool? Why aren't they liable for the situation THEY caused?
Racist! (/sarc) Seriously, everyone is so scared now....no one will say anything. Except the one lady who told them off and fought with them.
She was at least being detained but I don't think she was arrested at that point. I don't think she ever was actually arrested and then they released her. When the cop had her on the ground and was 'cuffing her, he was saying something about how she refused to disperse when ordered to multiple times. That is why he detained most of the youth sitting on the grass. It does seem poor judgment overall to cuff the only girl he was detaining but we don't see video of all that happened.
Was she the one who told them to go back to their Section 8 housing? I would have loved to have been there to see that.
If they have the one-time $15 pool pass, they can bring two guests to the pool with them. I think it is two guests per household, not per housing resident. So they would be entitled to two guests total, not four. Apparently, the verbal altercation that started this whole mess did occur with multiple persons inside the pool area. The actual advertised party was across a walkway or street from the poolhouse, as I understand the situation. The party itself was never a pool party at all. But it was near the fenced pool area. You would think that with all the hoopla on these stories, we'd get better physical descriptions of the exact locations of the party and the poolhouse fenced area. As we saw in the Zimmerman case where it took months before media sources produced aerial maps of the condos and the street layout and the route of Z and Trayvon, the media does a poor job of explaining the most fundamental facts of a case and exactly what had happened and where that led to a conflict with police. This has been true with Ferguson and Baltimore coverage too. The quality of reporting seems to be hitting an all-time low. These reporters seem to mostly sit on their asses, tweeting each other all day instead of doing any investigative reporting on major stories.
The 7-minute video gives a pretty complete picture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6tTfoifB7Q
So far, it seems most of these kids were from the subdivision or nearby. It was a stupid thing for that woman to say. She should have challenged whether they were one of two allowed guests of a resident who had paid the $15 pool privilege fee.
Maybe not. It was advertised as a cookout with a DJ (who never showed). But the tweet certainly gave the impression it was a pool party with the picture:
You don't see every bit of his interaction with this girl or with the crowd. He was kinda running all over. Like he thought he could corral the whole mob of kids by himself which seems in retrospect kind of a dubious proposition. I think many cops would say he should have waited for some backup before trying to do so much. Still, it raises questions. Maybe a single cop is expected to control a small group like up to five trespassers or people disturbing the peace but who are not armed. At what point is a cop expected to wait for backup to enforce the peace on an unruly group? 5? 15? 25? 50? 200? 1,000? Perhaps we'll find out whether this PD has clear crowd control guidelines to govern police in these situations. Certainly, the chief threw this guy under the bus with his statement that 12 officers were dispatched and 11 followed the PD policy governing a disturbance like this. The chief threw the cop under the bus, saying he overreacted. There was some implication here that the now-resigned cop had also received the training (or been responsible to read the PD policy) and that he didn't follow it and the other 11 cops did. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any reporters to directly ask the chief of police exactly what the policy for crowd control is, whether all his officers (including the resigned cop) had received it, whether there was a written PD policy to govern cops on the street in these situations. The media is awfully indifferent to any actual reporting on facts these days.
The DJ did show and played loud music from nearby the poolhouse fenced area. Apparently, there were some complaints and the irritation to residents toward this party probably played a part in events. Supposedly, it was the DJ who tweeted out "pool party". I don't recall seeing any mention of that on the young woman's ads promoting this party. Also, the party was originally organized to sell tickets for $5-$8 in advance for another party the 20yo woman was planning to throw soon. But there were reports of people showing up for this promotional party and being asked to pay $15 to attend this party. Again, the lazy libmedia never bothers to ask questions or establish the facts.
I think I read 70 teens. I don't know how many were non-residents. But I did read that they were "dropped off by the carload". "It was a stupid thing for that woman to say. She should have challenged whether they were one of two allowed guests of a resident who had paid the $15 pool privilege fee." Yes, it would be a mistake to assume the person wasn't a guest. I'm thinking, however, that she confirmed the person's status before letting loose.
I did a complete time line analysis on the video in one post where I showed that the bikini girl ran towards the "melee" at the beginning of the 7-minute video. And then….judging from her posture and facial expressions, she appeared to be yelling at the cop a couple of times. Later on, she was moving away from the cop and action center….she was moving towards the right side of the picture while he went left for more crowd control. She definitely stopped and "apparently" yelled something back as him. he leaves the scene he is working to the left and heads towards her slowly and then picks up his pace. He apparently grabs her arm off screen and then is seen entering the picture with her. She later said something like: "He must have thought I was being disrespectful." That’s bullshit….she KNEW what she was doing, and saying was disrespectful. On The Five (Fox News)….there was a video on a young lady who was standing nearby but did not want her face shown. She said that the cop took the girl’s arm and was placing it behind her to arrest her and if the girl had just let the cop quietly arrest her, then there would have been no problem at that particular moment. (That is the best I remember from the video) I said it before, and I say it again….the more I look at the video and study the situation, the more I am beginning to think the chief was completely wrong to either force, or to accept, the cop’s resignation. A letter of reprimand to tell him what, if any, departmental procedures were violated and remedial training, if any appropriate or deemed necessary. Of course, all this should wait until after the investigation is completed later this week. The leaderships keep “fracking” with the officers like they have been doing recently, and their poor guidance and assigning blame will not only come back to bit them in the ass….it will continue to destroy communities.
It had to have been. That was in one article and the video in another. Apparently, the daughter (who threw the party) mouthed off back at her and the lady slapped the shite out of the daughter. The daughter said a friend defended her....so, maybe that is the friend in fighting in the video. No captions were posted. The asshole taking the video could have moved closer....right?
Roger that. I got my (mis)information from this: "According to Twitchy, someone posting from DJ Reign’s account noted that he wasn’t near the event when it took place and that he didn’t make the fliers. In addition, posts noted that he was paid to deejay the event and nothing more." From that I assumed he didn't attend. Maybe they meant he wasn't near the fracas that broke out.
This is vague, so that it FWIW. One article tied the daughter who gave the party in with the "DJ" having his thing on public property next to the pool. It say that this was the second promotion they worked together. I think ODS posted something along this line also. The one article said it was the "DJ" who was charging $15. So many stories floating around....too few facts known.
I don't understand who had to pay whom a $15 fee? Can you help me?
Exactly. If the cops can't count on their superiors backing them up, why suit up in the morning. As I stated earlier, running around and being a one-man crowd control is unprofessional and possibly dangerous. Some might defend that as simply being overzealous. So maybe he deserves a reprimand, maybe some further training, but nothing more than that.
Maybe. The 20yo woman and her mother were allowed 2 guests. If more than that were inside the pool area, they were violating the rules. And we have reports of an unspecified number of teens who jumped the fence to get in. Again, reporting is pretty shabby here. Was it 3 teens or 25 teens who were in the fenced pool area against the rules? It makes a big difference. And several legit residents and members of the poolhouse were being mistreated by the teens, including a mother and her 3 young kids.
Again, information is all over the place on this. He did show, according to a couple of articles. He was on the public proerty next to the pool and the homeowners who were int he pool area and in their homes around the pool area were complainint about the extremely loud "F-Bombs" int he music he was playing. I "think" the daughter made the arrangement for him to show.
Definitely.
Were they INSIDE the pool area? If their "cookout" and DJ were outside the pool area, what were they doing inside? And if they were inside, you can see how their guests would assume they could be inside, too.
The DJ refused to make ANY comment.
Apparently, the homeowner's association (or its equivalent) in this subdivision. I read about their prices and rules elsewhere. The upshot was that you could get free WiFi for $5. WiFi and access to the community center for $10, and WiFi/center/pool access for $15. Apparently, all one-time fees. I was thinking we had these details in one of the articles here at LF but maybe I saw this elsewhere. They were quoting from the homeowners' association website. I recall them bragging about how popular the $5 WiFi access card was. BTW, the pool area gate appeared to also have a magnetic card access too. So it wasn't just wide open to the public. It was gated with controlled access and signs warning off intruders who were not one of two guests of a resident with pool rights. I think the resident has to actually accompany the guest(s), not be at some party hundreds of yards away and outside the fenced pool area entirely. This Craig Ranch subdivision in McKinney is a 400 acre layout with various paid facilities like fitness centers and a beach facility and other stuff, including this poolhouse area. It's a master-planned community from the get-go and is supposedly highly rated as these planned communities go. However, you read stuff that Craig Ranch forces all residents to pay for AT&T cable/internet whether they use it or not. Just part of the HOA agreement. Seems outrageous.
Or why work past your pension date? Pay me WELL for the hardships I had to endure between scheduling, on call, civilian abuse, false complaints and lack of appreciation from admistration and sheep Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy
Here's where we don't get the full picture. Maybe there was a prominent change in policy. Maybe this officer missed his training. Or maybe he had a history of charging in and not observing the written policy guidelines for cops in this PD. There could be and probably is more to this cop's story and his resignation. Normally, a chief won't throw a good cop with a good record under the bus like this. Maybe there were some other incidents or other times when this cop didn't follow policy he was expected to know and implement on the streets. There is always a problem of missing facts in these cases. We read the outline of facts but there are a lot of things we just don't know that would have bearing on understanding the situation and outcome. I kinda think a cop with a very good record wouldn't have gotten dumped like this and dissed by his former chief. The way the cop rushed around, a little hysterical, was a little over the top IMO. He didn't look in control, wasn't really calming the crowd, etc. I still don't really fault him for pulling his gun on that punk though. I think maybe this incident might have been the chief's final straw with this particular cop.
Apparently, one of those who was trying to sanitize his Twitter/Facebook trail. There were many reports of a DJ with loud music and I've seen nothing to contradict those reports.
Apparently, that is what the spat that started the brouhaha was about. That, and some teens were reported to be jumping the pool fence to get in and then harass legit residents.
Possibly. Everything is possible. But the cop was a 10-year veteran on the McKinney Police Force. One would think that he would not have been promoted to corporal or would have been weeded out a long time before the 10-year mark....if he were a marginally performing officer or bad cop. GrandIsland?
GrandIsland? If the promotions are based on civil service exam scores, then yes, administration can be forced to promote a marginal officer. Most times the highest IQ isn't the best officer. Don't tell this to Deckard, his head will pop). In smaller departments, that don't follow civil service type rules, sometimes favortism or nepotism also plays a part. Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy
That's the problem with so much news reporting. All the unknown unknowables. The shabbiness and laziness of the media is partly to blame. They won't even ask the questions, let alone dig out the answers. The coverage is skin-deep and mostly related toward the most inflammatory aspects of the event.
All consistent with what I've read on the background of the incident.
Here we have carloads of non-resident, underage teens, trespassing, getting in fights with the residents, drinking, smoking dope and generally ruining fun for everyone. They were all invited by another teen and her mother to a pool party without clearing it with the HOA. So the story is about ... the cop. We have gutless city officials and a gutless press.
This is also a showpiece developer with a big brand-name franchised subdivision. It wouldn't surprise me if they demand certain "enlightened" policing policies. It's much more than your average HMA or management company. At first, I made the mistake of thinking it was another run-of-the-mill HMA. This is a very big, very modern HMA and it seems big enough (at 400 acres) that it may basically own the entire town and the local pols and PD. Look at the HMA website and promotionals. It is a very ambitious planned community. It is also kind of nasty, as with the forced AT&T cable/internet service and some other franchised sweetheart deals they pulled off as a partnership deal. Look at the private beach club they built. Not your average HMA.
The kid was visibly pushed in the back. The cop perceived a threat that was not actually there. The one kid who fled was the only arrest of the day.
I watched it repeatedly and I saw no shoving. I saw the punk dancing around, trashtalking the cop, and reaching behind him in a move consistent with pulling a concealed knife or gun. You should never get within 10' of an arrest being made. I would say 20' is the safe minimum. Any closer than that and the cop has legit reason to fear you.
I've been kicked in the face, arresting college students, at out if control parties, while wrestling with resistors and out numbered. I'm sure this officer has been assaulted the same way. I don't expect Deckard and his ilk to understand, but I feel him drawing his gun was appropriate. Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy
If I got within 3' of a cop making an arrest, I'd kind of expect the cop to draw on me. You don't interfere with an arrest being carried out under apparent lawful auspices. Which was the case here, even if bystanders didn't agree the girl should be arrested or detained. Once the cop makes his move to arrest, your only venue to contest that is in a court of law. This is not a matter for a cop to debate with a mob. People are going to regret all this mob-coddling that is going on. It will have very real consequences for the general public and almost certainly a rise in further flash-mob violence, mayhem and looting.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/10/us/mckinney-texas-pool-party-video/ Casebolt's lawyer: The Police union:
I agree. Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on. Robert Kennedy
Comments (48 - 89) not displayed.
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#8. To: misterwhite (#7)
(Edited)
This wasn't simply a bunch of "rowdy" teens. The cops were called into a fairly nasty situation.
#9. To: Gatlin (#8)
#10. To: misterwhite (#9)
(Edited)
Why aren't they liable for the situation THEY caused?
#11. To: Gatlin (#6)
I am still not sure the bikini girl was being placed under arrest when the cop laid hands on her off camera and pulled her back on camera. Consequently, I have not formed an opinion on the action by the cop because I don’t know what went, on or what was said, while they were off camera. I don’t know what his intent, or objective, was when he approached the bikini girl for the third time, this time off camera.
#12. To: Gatlin (#10)
"Except the one lady who told them off and fought with them."
#13. To: misterwhite, Gatlin, GrandIsland (#9)
OK. What about these two idiots, inviting non-residents to the pool? Why aren't they liable for the situation THEY caused?
#14. To: TooConservative (#11)
"but we don't see video of all that happened."
#15. To: misterwhite (#12)
Was she the one who told them to go back to their Section 8 housing? I would have loved to have been there to see that.
#16. To: TooConservative (#13)
"The party itself was never a pool party at all."
#17. To: misterwhite, GrandIsland (#14)
The 7-minute video gives a pretty complete picture.
#18. To: misterwhite (#16)
It was advertised as a cookout with a DJ (who never showed).
#19. To: TooConservative (#15)
"So far, it seems most of these kids were from the subdivision or nearby."
#20. To: TooConservative, misterwhite, GrandIsland (#11)
It does seem poor judgment overall to cuff the only girl he was detaining but we don't see video of all that happened.
#21. To: misterwhite (#12)
Was she the one who told them to go back to their Section 8 housing? I would have loved to have been there to see that.
#22. To: TooConservative (#18)
"The DJ did show and played loud music from nearby the poolhouse fenced area."
#23. To: TooConservative, misterwhite, GrandIsland, Out Damned Spot (#13)
The actual advertised party was across a walkway or street from the poolhouse, as I understand the situation. The party itself was never a pool party at all. But it was near the fenced pool area.
#24. To: TooConservative (#15)
...the $15 pool privilege fee.
#25. To: Gatlin (#20)
"The leaderships keep “fracking” with the officers like they have been doing recently, and their poor guidance and assigning blame will not only come back to bit them in the ass….it will continue to destroy communities."
#26. To: misterwhite (#19)
Yes, it would be a mistake to assume the person wasn't a guest.
#27. To: misterwhite, TooConservative (#16)
It was advertised as a cookout with a DJ (who never showed).
#28. To: TooConservative (#17)
#29. To: TooConservative (#26)
"The 20yo woman and her mother were allowed 2 guests."
#30. To: TooConservative, misterwhite (#18)
Again, the lazy libmedia never bothers to ask questions or establish the facts.
#31. To: Gatlin (#24)
I don't understand who had to pay whom a $15 fee?
#32. To: misterwhite (#25)
Exactly. If the cops can't count on their superiors backing them up, why suit up in the morning.
#33. To: Gatlin, GrandIsland, GrandIsland (#20)
I said it before, and I say it again….the more I look at the video and study the situation, the more I am beginning to think the chief was completely wrong to either force, or to accept, the cop’s resignation. A letter of reprimand to tell him what, if any, departmental procedures were violated and remedial training, if any appropriate or deemed necessary. Of course, all this should wait until after the investigation is completed later this week.
#34. To: Gatlin (#30)
The DJ refused to make ANY comment.
#35. To: misterwhite (#29)
Were they INSIDE the pool area? If their "cookout" and DJ were outside the pool area, what were they doing inside?
#36. To: TooConservative, GrandIsland (#33)
(Edited)
I kinda think a cop with a very good record wouldn't have gotten dumped like this and dissed by his former chief. The way the cop rushed around, a little hysterical, was a little over the top IMO. He didn't look in control, wasn't really calming the crowd, etc. I still don't really fault him for pulling his gun on that punk though. I think maybe this incident might have been the chief's final straw with this particular cop.
#37. To: Gatlin (#36)
(Edited)
One would think that he would not have been promoted to corporal or would have been weeded out a long time before the 10-year mark....if he were a marginally performing officer or bad cop.
#38. To: GrandIsland (#37)
In smaller departments, that don't follow civil service type rules, sometimes favortism or nepotism also plays a part.
#39. To: misterwhite (#7)
"Apparently, the pool was hosting an end-of-the-school- year party for teenagers in the subdivision, when dozens of uninvited guests showed up. The pool is semi- private as it is only open to residents of the subdivision and guests."...
#40. To: TooConservative (#35)
#41. To: misterwhite (#40)
#42. To: TooConservative (#3)
I'm glad they arrested the punk and charged him.
#43. To: nolu chan (#42)
(Edited)
The kid was visibly pushed in the back.
#44. To: TooConservative (#43)
(Edited)
You should never get within 10' of an arrest being made. I would say 20' is the safe minimum. Any closer than that and the cop has legit reason to fear you.
#45. To: GrandIsland (#44)
(Edited)
#46. To: TooConservative (#43)
"With all that happened that day, he allowed his emotions to get the better of him," Bishkin said. "Eric regrets that his conduct portrayed him and his department in a negative light. He never intended to mistreat anyone, but was only reacting to a situation and the challenges it presented. He apologizes to all who are offended.
"He was a dedicated and decorated officer who in this instance was placed in a high-stress environment that he was not fully prepared for," Daniel Malenfant of the McKinney Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #107 told reporters, noting that Casebolt had won an "officer of the year" award in the past for his service.
#47. To: TooConservative (#45)
People are going to regret all this mob-coddling that is going on. It will have very real consequences for the general public and almost certainly a rise in further flash-mob violence, mayhem and looting.
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