Commerce ISD trustee resigns due to Miss Black Texas arrest fallout

A trustee on the Commerce ISD school board is the second person to resign due to the fallout over the arrest of Miss Black Texas last month.

Trustee Michael Beane informed the Commerce ISD board of his resignation at a special meeting on Tuesday morning.

"Now it's a social media attack on myself, my family, my kids, by people that don't know us," Beane said. "Don't have anything to do with Commerce, don't have anything to do with my family."

In his first interview since the May 20 incident, Beane claimed it was Carmen Ponder who ran him off the road. He said he followed her to the Walmart parking lot to let her know.

Beane said he had some choice words with the former Miss Black Texas, but it never turned into anything about race.

Beane also said he called 911 and not Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews. He said Crews just happened to be at the store.

Ponder was arrested and charged with evading arrest, but that charge was later dropped.

Crews submitted his resignation to the Commerce City Council on Monday night. He will take a job with the City of Commerce under the city manager.