Activists Claim Arlington Police Promised to Drop Teens' Charges in Exchange for Mom's Video of Arrests

Activists claim that an Arlington police officer promised to drop two teenagers' charges in exchange for their mother's video of arrest, which appeared on Facebook overnight. Next Generation Action Network, a Dallas-based organization that lobbies against police violence, posted the video of the incident that they said occurred July 3. They said the 14 year-old was charged with burglary of a habitation and the 16 year-old was charged with interfering with official police duties without any evidence. They were released eight later with pending charges, Next Generation claims. They're asking people to call police to demand that all charges be dropped immediately and the mother's cellphone be returned. Arlington police have not yet responded for comment.It's unclear what's happened before the footage begins, but in the first moments, the teens' mother can be heard asking where the police will be taking her youngest son, who was put in a patrol car. The officer responds that he won't tell her because she's become uncooperative. "I'm not uncooperative," she said. "...All I just said to you is, 'He is a good kid.'" And you said that he's not going to cooperate. You're going to ask him if he's going to cooperate and if he's a tough guy? He's 14 years old." The officer said it's because he's looking for a reason to be able to release him and isn't finding one. "You're not finding it because you want somebody not to cooperate," she said. "What do y'all got to do? Do y'all just constantly have to kill our kids for y'all to just sit here and think that their life is valuable?" The officer starts to walk away and the patrol vehicle pulls out of view. After she follows the officer, he radios that he's got a mother who's interfering with his investigation. Something appears to happen off camera right behind the officer. He whips around and pushes her 16-year-old son to the ground by his the back of his head. He briefly speaks to the mother before he grabs the boy head, pushes him by his face to the ground, points at him and pulls him by the arm to handcuff him. "You just slapped him in his face," the mother said as her son can be heard asking why he's being handcuffed. "He's 16 years old. You didn't have to slap him in his face."  Continue reading...