ROYSE CITY, Texas - Royse City Police have not released officer body camera footage from last week's public pool incident, but the family involved says the arresting officer failed to de-escalate the situation and used excessive force.
Royse City public pool arrests
What's New:
Two women arrested by the Royse City Police Department last week viewed officer body camera and dash camera footage of the incident on Thursday.
At a press conference Thursday, lawyers representing Janiaca Wheeler and her daughter Amaiyah Allen-Smith said the officer involved in the arrest is Royse City PD's training officer.
The officer is on paid administrative leave following viral video of the incident, which shows the arresting officer pulling Wheeler's hair and pushing other women while making the arrests.
The family's attorneys said police were called after an argument between the family and an older man at the pool. After police arrived and told the family to leave, they say police followed them to their car and told them to stay off the road.
When Allen-Smith stepped off the sidewalk and onto the road, the family says the officer charged at them and began the altercation. The family claims excessive force in the incident, saying the arresting officer failed to de-escalate the situation.
Royse City PD has not released the body camera footage from the incident to the public.
What they're saying:
"If the police, the department, feels anything I said is misstated, release that entire tape," Sean Daredia, an attorney representing the family, said at a Thursday press conference.
The public deserves to see this video," Dominque Alexander of the Next Generation Action Network said. "An officer like this should not be employed."
Dominique Alexander
The backstory:
On Tuesday, August 4, Royse City Police responded to a disturbance call at a community pool in the Creekside neighborhood.
Police arrested Janiaca Wheeler and her daughter, Amaiyah Allen-Smith, after responding to the call. Viral video of the incident shows a Royse City police officer throwing Wheeler to the ground by their hair.
Wheeler says six of her dreadlocks were pulled out during the incident. Allen-Smith said the disturbance call was made by an older couple at the pool who said something to her before the call.
Both women were charged following their arrest, but the charges were dropped by Royse City PD the following morning.
What's next:
Royse City Police is still investigating the incident while the arresting officer is on administrative leave.
They had no update for the public after meeting with the family.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a press conference and the Royse City Police Department.