Statement on the McKinney, Texas Pool Party Incident
June 9, 2015
Dear Sisters,
On Friday, June 5, 2015 another incident of an egregious misuse of authority occurred in
McKinney, Texas, at the hands of a police officer. A disturbing video posted to YouTube on
Saturday shows patrol supervisor Corporal Eric Casebolt pinning a 15-year-old girl to the ground
by her head and then drawing his weapon when several teens ran to the girl's aid.
Casebolt was one of 12 officers from the McKinney Police Department responding to a reported
disturbance at the Craig Ranch North Community Pool, where the teens were attending a party.
In a statement released by the department, “The initial call came in as a disturbance involving
multiple juveniles at the location, who do not live in the area or have permission to be there,
and refusing to leave. McKinney Police received several additional calls related to this incident
advising that juveniles were now actively fighting.” However, based on media interviews, there
are variations to the story of what actually happened.
The Links, Incorporated is appalled by the actions of Officer Casebolt. From what is seen in the
approximately seven-minute video, his excessive force is inexplicable, especially with it being
directed at teenagers. There appears to be no justification for the treatment of the unarmed
15-year-old girl, who was wearing only a bikini and posed no threat to the officer.
On behalf of the organization, I have penned letter a to McKinney Police Department’s chief of
police, Greg Conley. The same letter has been sent to the mayor of the City of McKinney, Brian
Loughmiller. We applaud the immediate suspension of Casebolt, and press upon the police
department to conduct its investigation of the events that transpired and of the McKinney
Police Department officers’ behavior in a thorough and transparent manner. It is imperative
that Casebolt and any other officer that violated the rights of the teens be held accountable for
their actions. The teenagers, their families and the members of the McKinney community
deserve answers to how and why such brutality occurred. Did race play a factor? Is there a
culture of misconduct within this police force?
In the wake of this troubling confrontation, we, as Links, must respond in a constructive
manner. We must continue the dialogue initiated through our Black Lives Matter webinar series
to increase our knowledge on pressing matters so that we can educate our communities,
especially our children, and rewrite the narrative of our future. We must help our communities
establish trust between police departments and the men, women and children they vow to
serve and protect as well as teach our children the proper protocol for interacting with law
enforcement. By bringing both sides together we can lead them down a path toward
understanding and healing.
Link sisters, on issues impacting our children, The Links, Incorporated will not remain silent. We
must speak up and speak out on injustices against our youth. All of them have bright futures
ahead of them and should not fear the dimming of their light.
In peace and hope,
Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D.
June 9, 2015
Mr. Greg Conley
Chief of Police
McKinney Police Department
2200 Taylor Burk Dr.
McKinney, TX 75071
Dear Chief Conley:
While we note with appreciation the McKinney Police Department’s swift action in suspending
Officer Eric Casebolt, the events that transpired on June 5, 2015 at the Craig Ranch North
Community Pool is yet another painful reminder of the negative forces that exist in our country.
As an organization with a membership of nearly 14,000 professional African-American women
and women of African descent, in existence for nearly 70 years, we join the voices that plead for
justice in this case.
The Links, Incorporated is appalled by the actions of Casebolt. From what is seen in the
approximately seven-minute video posted to YouTube and other media accounts, his excessive
force is inexplicable, especially with it being directed at teenagers. There appears to be no
justification for the treatment of the unarmed 15-year-old girl, who was wearing only a bikini
and posed no threat to the officer. Casebolt’s troubling decision to draw his weapon on two of
the teenagers could have had deadly consequences. The aggression in which he responded to the
teenagers is not reflective of a well-trained officer. Coupled with the lack of sophisticated crowd
control methods, the responding officers seemingly escalated a situation which could have been
handled with tact and diplomacy.
It is unsettling to think that these cases, which demonstrate a disregard of civil rights, are just the
tip of the iceberg and that hundreds of incidences of police brutality, which receive little to no
media coverage, end or harm the lives of blacks each year. Members of the police take an oath to
serve and protect. It is disheartening to see that still in today’s society there is a disparity in the
treatment of whites and blacks at the hands of the police.
We press upon your police department to conduct its investigation of the events that transpired
and of the McKinney Police Department officers’ behavior in a thorough and transparent
manner. It is imperative that Casebolt and any other officer that violated the rights of the teens be
held accountable for their actions. The teenagers, their families and the members of the
McKinney community deserve answers to how and why such brutality occurred.
Furthermore, we call upon the McKinney Police Department to release the entire incident report
and the 911 call recording as well as Officer Casebolt’s disciplinary history. Without
transparency and accountability our communities cannot trust those who have vowed to uphold
our laws.
The Links, Incorporated joins advocates across the country and support President Obama’s Task
Force on 21st Century Policing, calling for systemic reforms of our criminal justice system.
We are hopeful that our calls for justice will be answered.
Sincerely,
Glenda Newell-Harris, M.D.