A Tarrant County police officer is receiving backlash for his aggressive behavior towards three Black teenage girls on Monday (Aug. 8). In the video below, the unnamed girls were asked to leave the indoor adventure park Urban Air in Texas for allegedly vaping in the ball pit. Things escalated when one of the detainees seemingly attempted to hand her cell phone over to a witness. The officer grabbed the phones and slammed the girls on the table. The trio was detained for criminal trespassing.
The girls’ family members took to social media to express their frustration about the incident. One of the young ladies’ sister wrote on Twitter, “The manager working said she has them on video and refuses to show the evidence. She lied to the police to get my little sister and her friends trespassed.” She continued, “He threw one of them against the wall as she’s handcuffed. Grabbed my little sister and slamming her down and ripping her phone from her possession before proceeding to grab my little cousin for absolutely no reason, and slamming her and gripping her neck.”
According to the older sister, the officer claimed he felt threatened after one of the girls who was recording stepped toward him. The Shade Room Teens reached out to the trampoline park regarding the incident and confirmed that the girls were asked to leave, but the officer was unnecessarily “handsy.” The venue said they’ve had issues with this same officer using excessive force in the past.
One of the girls needed medical attention following the incident. The older sister added, “He broke my sisters nail off in the process, broke the skin on her friend elbow and put the handcuffs too tight and sprang my cousins shoulder for absolutely no reason!” Watch the altercation below and check out some reactions from social media users: