Dajerria Becton, the black teenager slammed to the ground during a 2015 pool party in McKinney, Texas, has filed a federal lawsuit against the officer involved, the city and the McKinney Police Department for $5 million.
A cell phone video that went viral in June 2015 shows Eric Casebolt, the officer responding to disturbance calls at Craig Ranch North Community Pool, yanking 15-year-old Becton to the ground, putting his knee into her back and pulling his service weapon on two other teens.
Casebolt resigned following national backlash to the incident. On July 23, a grand jury failed to indict the former officer for his treatment of Becton.
In the lawsuit, filed on Dec. 19, Becton and her legal guardian allege that Casebolt’s forceful arrest and his decision to hold the teen without probable cause violated her constitutional rights. The plaintiffs also claim that inadequate police training and a policy that “encourages officers to use force first and ask questions later” are to blame for Becton’s injuries.
“The City of McKinney denies the claims alleged against it and the McKinney Police Department, and as such, will vigorously defend the recently filed lawsuit,” reads a statement from the city provided to The Dallas Morning News. “McKinney prides itself in cultivating the highest standards of training and professionalism for our officers, and it strongly believes that its standards and training will withstand legal challenge.”
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