Macgyver
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Just when you thought cops could not get any dumber, See for yourself.
Lots of pictures and video at source of the suspect NOT committing a crime.
www.dailymail.co.uk
Black pastor is set to file a discrimination lawsuit against the police after he was handcuffed for watering his neighbor's flowers while they were out of town - despite a white woman stepping in and coming to his defense.
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.
Police handcuff a black pastor for watering neighbor's flowers
One of the female residents, who also lived on the street, told the officers that the pastor and the homeowner were indeed friends
Laughing in disbelief during the encounter, the pastor tells the officers: 'Y'all racially profiled me.'
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.'
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
At one point during the ordeal, Jennings could be heard speaking about his long-term neighbor: 'He is going to be so p***** when I tell him I got arrested for watering his flowers.'
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 DailyMail.com that the pastor has struggled to move past the 'traumatic' incident.
'He's a pastor, he's a man of faith, but I would be remissive if I didn't tell you that what he's dealing with is very hard.
'A split moment he felt his life could have been taken from him if he showed any resistance, even though he was right in the video.'
The pastor feared leaving to get his ID from his house and thought if he were to take off, the cops might 'put a bullet' in his back, according to Daniels.
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 and was on private property.
Daniels said that the video clearly showed police denying Jennings his rights, and revealed the cops involved as Christopher Smith, J Gable, and Sgt. Jeremy Brooks.
Neighbors call police on black pastor for watering their flowers
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
'If you noticed in the video, when a neighbor, the white lady said he lived [around] there, they took her word as the gospel, and the pastor who is preaching the gospel, they did not take his word at all.'
The attorney added: 'A suit needs to be filled to prevent these things from happening - and put in front of law enforcement a notice that they cannot intimidate or harass, or abuse their powers.'
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.
'He didn't get aggressive or defensive in a sense, and he complied when the officers grabbed him.'
'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.
Meanwhile, Jennings' other attorney, Bethaney Embry Jones, said McClelland may think the situation will be resolved by dropping the charges.
'This was a crime, not a mistake,' Jones said. 'I would hope that the Childersburg Police Department would understand the difference.'
Lots of pictures and video at source of the suspect NOT committing a crime.
Pastor files lawsuit after he was handcuffed for watering flowers
Black pastor from Alabama accused police of racial profiling him in a discrimination lawsuit, after he was unlawfully handcuffed for watering his neighbors flowers while they were out of town.
Black pastor files lawsuit after he was handcuffed for watering his neighbor's flowers
Black pastor is set to file a discrimination lawsuit against the police after he was handcuffed for watering his neighbor's flowers while they were out of town - despite a white woman stepping in and coming to his defense.
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.
Police handcuff a black pastor for watering neighbor's flowers
One of the female residents, who also lived on the street, told the officers that the pastor and the homeowner were indeed friends
Laughing in disbelief during the encounter, the pastor tells the officers: 'Y'all racially profiled me.'
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.'
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
At one point during the ordeal, Jennings could be heard speaking about his long-term neighbor: 'He is going to be so p***** when I tell him I got arrested for watering his flowers.'
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 DailyMail.com that the pastor has struggled to move past the 'traumatic' incident.
'He's a pastor, he's a man of faith, but I would be remissive if I didn't tell you that what he's dealing with is very hard.
'A split moment he felt his life could have been taken from him if he showed any resistance, even though he was right in the video.'
The pastor feared leaving to get his ID from his house and thought if he were to take off, the cops might 'put a bullet' in his back, according to Daniels.
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 and was on private property.
Daniels said that the video clearly showed police denying Jennings his rights, and revealed the cops involved as Christopher Smith, J Gable, and Sgt. Jeremy Brooks.
Neighbors call police on black pastor for watering their flowers
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
'If you noticed in the video, when a neighbor, the white lady said he lived [around] there, they took her word as the gospel, and the pastor who is preaching the gospel, they did not take his word at all.'
The attorney added: 'A suit needs to be filled to prevent these things from happening - and put in front of law enforcement a notice that they cannot intimidate or harass, or abuse their powers.'
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.
'He didn't get aggressive or defensive in a sense, and he complied when the officers grabbed him.'
'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.
Meanwhile, Jennings' other attorney, Bethaney Embry Jones, said McClelland may think the situation will be resolved by dropping the charges.
'This was a crime, not a mistake,' Jones said. 'I would hope that the Childersburg Police Department would understand the difference.'
