Charges against a Fort Worth, Texas mother who was arrested last month have now been dropped.
Jacqueline Craig, who called police on Dec. 21, 2016, was requesting help after she said her neighbor choked her 7-year-old son. However, instead of responding to her concerns, the officer threw Craig to the ground, resulting in her arrest along with the arrest of her teenage daughters. The encounter was streamed via Facebook and went viral.
Authorities stated this week that neither Craig nor her daughters will face criminal charges. Itamar Vardi, the neighbor who she claims choked her son, will face a misdemeanor assault charge.
Reports reveal that the charges against Craig and her daughters included interference with public duty, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and failing to provide identification, stated by the family’s attorney, Lee Merritt.
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According to reports, body cam footage was recently leaked of the exchange between Craig and Officer William Martin of the Fort Worth Police Department. The footage was posted online shortly before the department planned to provide an update on the case.
#JacquelineCraig's @fortworthpd attacker's bodycam video has leaked w/ docs on his history of excessive force: https://t.co/nia904Epjj pic.twitter.com/Q8XqE8djXC
— The Root (@TheRoot) January 26, 2017
“My decision to pull back these charges was something that I thought was right, something that we owed the community and the Craig family in particular,” Chief Joel Fitzgerald told WFAA.
He told reporters that he found Officer Martin “guilty of excessive force;” he was punished with a 10-day suspension, which he’s appealing. Martin was previously investigated for use of force a few years ago after allegedly tasing a suspect.
Fitzgerald also noted that Martin is currently on desk duty. However, once he returns to patrol, he won’t remain in the same neighborhood in which the incident occurred.