*A Black Alabama pastor is reportedly considering legal action against a local police department after he was arrested for watering his neighbor’s garden.
In police bodycam video of the incident, Michael Jennings explains to law enforcement that his neighbors asked him to water their garden while they were out of town. His presence on the property caused someone to call the police to report a suspicious vehicle and person at the home, as reported by Revolt.
As Jennings is watering the plants, he is approached by police and is heard explaining that the SUV did not belong to him. After refusing to present identification to authorities, officials placed him in handcuffs. Jennings was charged with obstructing government operations, as reported by Revolt.
“Ya’ll racially profiled me,” said Jennings in a video of his arrest.
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#Alabama police arrested a Black pastor after he was seen watering his neighbor’s flowers. Pastor Michael Jennings was watering his neighbor’s flowers when someone called 911. When cops asked for his ID, Jennings declined to provide it because he didn’t do anything wrong. pic.twitter.com/koSM9znxAG
— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) August 26, 2022
Jennings is reportedly a pastor for the Vision of Abundant Life Ministries. His Georgia-based civil rights attorney Harry Daniels noted that the video highlights a violation of Jennings’ rights.
“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,” he said.
The charges against Jennings were ultimately dropped and Daniels said they intend to sue the department for racial discrimination.
“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,” Daniels shared. “He didn’t get aggressive or defensive in a sense, and he complied when the officers grabbed him. But it could’ve went a different way. Pastor Jennings could very well not be here today.”
Hear more from the pastor about the incident via the clip below.
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