Fort Worth has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Jacqueline Craig, a Black mother wrestled to the ground and arrested by a white police officer following a dispute with a neighbor.
The City of Fort Worth has agreed to settle a lawsuit with a Fort Worth mother who was arrested nearly six years ago after calling the police for help during a dispute with a neighbor.
The Fort Worth City Council will have to approve the plan to pay Jacqueline Craig $150,000 to settle the suit.
A Fort Worth police officer tackled and arrested Craig and her teenage daughters after they'd called 911 to report that a neighbor had grabbed Craig's 7-year-old son by the neck.
The video of the 2016 arrest posted on social media went viral and led to protests and rallies over police brutality.
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The charges against Craig and her daughters were dropped. A Fort Worth jury convicted the neighbor of assault, but after paying a fine and six months of deferred adjudication he has no conviction on his record.
The officer was suspended for 10 days for violating departmental policies.
Police and city leaders worked to address race relations in the years since and formed a task force, hired a diversity and inclusion director, and promised more transparency in use of force cases.
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Attorney Lee Merritt told NBC-5 on Friday that positive change has come to Fort Worth since Craig's story garnered national attention in 2016.
“What started off as a very personal thing between Jacqueline and her neighbor and the city she lived in became part of a greater national discussion about addressing qualified immunity and police accountability,” Merritt said. "I think it’s undeniable that the city of Fort Worth has changed for the better because of the fight that Jacqueline Craig has put up over the last 6 years.”
The City of Fort Worth admits no fault as part of the settlement and there are no other requirements. The settlement will go before the city council in October for approval.
