Jersey Village community activists are calling for a police officer to be fired and face criminal charges after a traffic stop that quickly escalated.
Patrick Royal was pulled by a police officer over for a broken taillight while he was on a break from work. The officer ordered him to get out of the car or he would be pepper-sprayed.
Royal complied, but was threatened by the officer who put a gun to his head and said he would kill him. The officer forced Royal to the ground and handcuffed him before searching his vehicle.
An activist in the community called the officer “trigger happy” and believes he should be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and civil rights violations.
While Royal gave the officer his license, he argued that his taillight was not broken. He turned on his signal to prove it was working. During this disagreement, Royal told the officer that needed to get back to work and asked to speak with a supervisor.
The officer then threatened to pepper spray him if he did not get out of the car. Despite complying with the officer’s order, things escalated very quickly.
The officer’s conduct has been heavily criticized. Quanell X believes that the officer should not be allowed to carry a gun again and could potentially kill somebody if he is not stopped.
The officer and his colleague held Royal for 45 minutes, recklessly searched his car, and threw his groceries on the ground before giving the man a ticket and releasing him.
The Jersey Village Police Department has responded by saying that the video footage does not tell the whole story.
Jersey Village police say that the man dropped his phone when he exited the car. When he moved to reach for it, his sudden movement “startled the officer.”
Community activists and civil rights groups are urging the department to take appropriate action against the officer involved.
As of yet, it remains unclear if the officer will face any consequences for his actions. Royal himself remains shaken by the incident, saying that the officer’s words keep replaying in his head.