The white policeman in the controversial viral video of a black teenage girl getting toppled to the ground at a pool party in Texas resigned from his job on Tuesday. This came after hundreds marched in protest of what seems to be a racially-motivated incident.
After responding to a disturbance call, Police Cpl. Eric Casebolt appears to be targeting only the black teens in the video that quickly became a YouTube hit. His actions rekindled public concerns about possible racial bias in U.S. policing, according to Reuters.
McKinney Police Chief Greg Conley stated that the police were dispatched due to concerns about a pool party getting out of control. "He came into the call out of control and as the video shows, was out of control during the incident," he said. "I had 12 officers on the scene, and 11 of them performed according to their training. They did an excellent job."
Conley also stated that Casebolt filed his resignation out of his own volition. The resignation was confirmed by his attorney, Dallas lawyer Jane Bishkin, reported Fox News.
Bishkin said that Casebolt received death threats after the incident, and declined to state the whereabouts of her client. She also stated that she would release new information at a news conference that will be held on Wednesday, according to Fox News.
Casebolt's actions split the community's opinions. Advocates of racial bias in U.S. policing believe his aggression towards the black youths was out of line, while others believe he simply acted accordingly in response to how the teenagers reacted to the police presence.
