A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit filed by a Black Alabama pastor who was arrested while watering his neighbor’s plants, ruling that the police officers involved can be sued for their actions.
Michael Jennings, the pastor in question, is now one step closer to getting justice for the unlawful arrest that went down in Childersburg, AL almost 2 years ago.
As previously reported by BOSSIP, the incident escalated quickly as seen in 20-minute body-cam footage that showed the pastor going from hose to handcuffs.
Back in May 2022, Jennings was cuffed for caretaking a neighbor’s plants while they were out of town. How did this happen? Because an unidentified Karen called the police. Officers in the body camera footage acted as if they didn’t know who called them to the scene but proceeded to demand Jennings’ ID.
According to NewsOne, the altercation seen below went viral.
As seen in the video, Jennings grew frustrated with a white neighbor calling the police, and officers calling him suspicious. Again, he was watering flowers, yet three officers immediately questioned Jennings on the scene, following him around. Although Jennings clearly stated that he was “Pastor Jennings” and lived right across the street, the officers ignored him. They arrested him for allegedly obstructing government operations — and the bodycam footage tells it all. Sources say that the neighbor admitted to making a mistake, yet they took him in any way.
Yeah, sounds about YT.
How Did We Even Get Here? The Backseat of a Cop Car
KOB4 reports that under Alabama law, police officers are allowed to request a person’s name, address, and explanation if they reasonably suspect the person is committing or about to commit a crime. However, the law does not give officers the right to demand physical identification without cause–a key point in Jennings’ case.
Lack of Probable Cause for Arrest: The officers arrested Jennings without sufficient evidence to believe he was committing a crime. Jennings was lawfully watering his neighbor’s plants, and there was no indication of illegal activity
Ignoring Jennings’ Explanation: Despite Jennings identifying himself as “Pastor Jennings” and explaining that he was helping his neighbor, the officers failed to consider or verify his explanation properly [oai_citation:5, Body cam footage of Alabama pastor arrested for watering neighbor’s plants
Demanding Physical ID Without Legal Right: The officers demanded Jennings present a physical ID, even though Alabama law does not require physical identification if there’s no reasonable suspicion of a crime
Disregarding the 911 Caller’s Correction: The woman who called 911 acknowledged to the officers that she had made a mistake, yet the officers proceeded with the arrest
Violation of Jennings’ Constitutional Rights: The officers’ actions were found to have violated Jennings’ Fourth Amendment rights, as determined by the 11th U.S. Court of Appeals, which ruled the arrest unlawful
These missteps highlight why the case is now moving forward in court, as the officers’ actions were not protected by qualified immunity.
For those who may not know, qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that shields cops from being sued while on duty unless they violate clearly established laws or constitutional rights. Fast forward to September 2024 and in Jennings’ case, the judges weren’t buying the officers’ excuses. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that the three officers who arrested Pastor Michael Jennings in Childersburg, Alabama, lacked probable cause and are not protected by qualified immunity.
The officers should have known, and the courts ruled that their actions were out of line with no probable cause. The unanimous decision from the three-judge panel reverses a lower court ruling that had dismissed Jennings’ case.
Court Decision Could Impact Other Cases
Harry Daniels, the attorney leading Jennings’ legal team, wasn’t shy about using his voice after the decision dropped. According to KOB4 News, Daniels is letting it be known that this ruling was a huge win — not just for Jennings but for justice across the board.
“This is a win for Pastor Jennings and a win for justice. The video speaks for itself,” said Daniels.
And that’s not all, Daniels believes the decision could have wider implications for other civil rights cases across Alabama, especially when it comes to people being arrested because they didn’t show ID when they weren’t legally required to.
“This has major implications for anyone who has been subjected to unlawful arrest because they wouldn’t give their ID,” said Daniels.
According to KOB4 News, the officers and the city of Childersburg did not respond to requests for comment.
Pastor to Have His Day in Court
Jennings was initially charged with obstructing government operations, but those charges were dropped within days at the request of the police chief. Realizing the officers were out of line, Jennings filed his lawsuit, claiming that the whole situation left him dealing with emotional distress and anxiety. Now, thanks to the appeals court ruling, Jennings will get his opportunity to prove his case that social media discusses was “watering while black.”
Jennings will argue his case in court and seek damages for the violation of his rights. This is ongoing and represents the concerns about racial profiling and the misuse of police authority. Particularly, cases where Black Americans are disproportionately targeted for minor or non-criminal activities. Thankfully, this situation didn’t have the worst possible outcome.
Moral of the story: as your fight continues, get your lick back.
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