The Westside Gazette Newspaper is honored to feature these editorial contributions made by local students.
On Friday, attorneys for Michael Jennings, a Black pastor arrested while watering his neighbor’s flowers, filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the three Alabama police officers who arrested him violated his rights under the First and Fourth amendments. He was arrested in May after a neighbor who didn’t recognize him called police. The neighbor believed Jennings was a suspicious person at the home of another neighbor who was out of town. During a press conference on Saturday, Jennings said he felt dehumanized and humiliated during his arrest. He went on to say that despite his verbal identification to responding officers, police did not believe him. Jennings was arrested and booked into Talladega County Jail, where he was released after posting $500 bail. His charges were dismissed with prejudice on June 1. On Saturday, Jennings stated that the mayor of Childersburg had not yet contacted him about his arrest. “I am here today for there to be some accountability,” Jennings said. “Not here for revenge, I’m here for accountability and for justice.”
Submitted by Layla Davidson