Black pastor is handcuffed for watering his neighbor's flowers while they were out of town and CHARGED despite neighbor stepping in and telling cops 'he lives right there'
- Pastor Michael Jennings of Vision of Abundant Life Ministries in Sylacauga is filing a discrimination lawsuit against police after they 'racially profiled' and arrested him while he was watering his neighbors flowers
- Jennings of Childersburg, Alabama, was arrested when police received a call about a suspicious man in a yard
- The pastor was handcuffed and arrested despite telling police that he lived next door
- Despite his good neighborly intentions and other residents vouching for him, Jennings was taken to jail and later charged with obstruction of government operation
- Following the ordeal, Jennings said that the 'emotional toll' will take him time to recover from
Pastor Michael Jennings was arrested in May outside his neighbor's yard in Childersburg, Alabama, after police received a complaint about a strange man and vehicle on the property.
Jennings, who was seen in the clip watering the flowers with a hose, had just returned from Sunday service. He told police his long-term neighbor asked him to look after his shrubbery while he was out of town.
But despite his good intentions and other residents vouching for him, Jennings was taken to jail and later charged with obstruction of government operation.
After insisting that he was just calmly gardening in the front yard, police asked Jennings: 'How do we know that's the truth?'
The baffled pastor, who lives in the house across the street, responded: 'I had the water hose in my hand! I was watering the flowers.'
Body camera footage showed three officers from Childersburg Police Department screaming at Jennings as he refused to provide identification - before he was ushered away in handcuffs.
Jennings later learned the person who called 911 knew him but didn't recognize him when she called in the report.
- Alabama Pastor Michael Jennings accused police of racial profiling him in a discrimination lawsuit after he was unlawfully handcuffed for watering his neighbor's flowers
- Jennings was arrested in May after police received a complaint about a 'strange' man on a property
- Jennings told police that he lived next door, but refused to provide them identification
- Body camera footage showed three officers in a screaming match with Jennings as he refused to provide identification
- One of the female residents, who also lived on the street, told the officers that the pastor and the homeowner were indeed friends
An unidentified officer then says: 'We're not racially profiling you,' before Jennings rebukes: 'Yes, you did.'
The officer continues: 'No sir, no sir. We're not about that okay?'
A white resident then intervened and told officers that Jennings lived next door - insisting that he was friends with the homeowner who had left earlier that day.
'He lives right there,' the woman told police while pointing at Jennings' property.
The pastor, from Vision of Abundant Life Ministries in Sylacauga, was arrested and placed in the backseat of the cop car, despite the woman vouching for him. His mobile phone was also taken from him during the arrest.
'Does he have permission to be watering flowers?' police asked the woman.
To which the neighbor responded: 'He may because they are friends, and they went out of town today and he may be watering their flowers. It would be completely normal.'
She later added: 'This is probably my fault.'
- Jennings was watering the flowers in his neighbor's yard when he was arrested. He told the cops that he was being racially profiled
- The pastor, from Vision of Abundant Life Ministries in Sylacauga, was arrested and placed in the backseat of the cop car, despite the woman vouching for him
- One local, who also lived on the street, came to aid the black pastor - but despite telling cops that they were friends, Jennings was still arrested and later charged
Police later received notice the 'suspicious' car belonged to another man. Jennings' wife and daughter later arrived to the scene to identify him, but he was later charged with obstruction of government operation.
The charges were dropped one month later - but now the pastor is set to file a discrimination lawsuit against the officers.
'Last I checked, watering roses ain’t no crime,' Jennings told WIAT.
Following the ordeal, Jennings said that the 'emotional toll' will take him some time to recover from.
Jennings' attorney, Harry Daniels told WBRC: 'These cases put law enforcement on notice and the country on notice that these types of interactions - thank God that Pastor Jennings had a cool head.
- Jennings, with a hosepipe in hand, was generously watering his neighbor's flowers while they were out of town
- He was ushered away in handcuffs. Jennings says that he was the victim of racial profiling
- Multiple neighbors stood around in shock as the local pastor was taken away in the cop car. Jennings was charged, but a month later it was dropped
When police asked Jennings to prove his identity, he refused since he knew - having a background in law enforcement - that he was not obliged to because he was not committing a crime.
Daniels claims that the video clearly showed police denying Jennings his rights.
The attorney added: 'It represents an abuse of police powers.
'It represents racial profiling and it represents law-enforcement officers intimidating a person who actually understands and knows their rights.'
After viewing the clip on social media, one person quipped: 'If anyone wants to maliciously water my plants then I would appreciate it!'
The lawsuit against the Childersburg Police Department hasn't been filed. The department did not respond to requests for comment by DailyMail.com.
Rick McClelland, Childersburg Police Chief, told WVTM an investigation would be conducted.
Source:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...it-handcuffed-watering-neighbors-flowers.html
