The woman who sued the city of Fort Worth after her 2016 arrest by police went viral died Friday, sources confirm. She was 53.
Jacqueline Craig, who settled the lawsuit with the city last year for $150,000, was arrested after she called 911 to report that her 7-year-old son had been attacked by a neighbor, alleging in the suit that the officer who responded used excessive force in the arrest.
The lawsuit described how she and the officer became involved in a heated exchange that ended up with Craig and her 15-year-old daughter being forced to the ground and placed in handcuffs while a Taser was pointed at them.
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 and a Fort Worth jury convicted the neighbor of assault.
The lawsuit also claimed negligence of city leaders including then-Mayor Betsy Price and then-Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald by failing to supervise and discipline officers who used excessive force, then failing to identify those officers. Fitzgerald was later fired by the city.
The responding officer was suspended for 10 days for violating departmental policies.
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In September 2022, Fort Worth settled the lawsuit, without admitting fault.
Attorney Lee Merritt told NBC 5 at the time that positive change had 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.”
According to a Facebook post from Tree of Life Funeral Directors, funeral arrangements are coming soon
