High-Ranking FW Police Update Viral Video Arrest Investigation

New details have emerged in the Fort Worth police arrest video that went viral.

NBC 5 learned on Wednesday that the initial investigation against the officer involved is complete and command staff is now reviewing it.

Chief Joel Fitzgerald is set to meet with the officer on Friday to talk about what, if any, punishment he should face.

The information came out in a meeting of the Minority Leaders and Citizens Council, where several high-ranking officers talked through where the investigation stands, two weeks after the controversial arrests.

"It is absolutely almost unheard of for us to move this fast on a case," said Fort Worth Police Assistant Chief Kenneth Dean.

He added that the department did not wait for a complaint to be filed.

They started investigating as soon as they saw the cell phone video that shows an officer arresting Jacqueline Craig and her two teenage daughters.

Craig had called police to report a neighbor choked her 7-year-old son, allegedly because the boy littered in his yard.

In the video, you can hear the officer question why Craig didn't teach her son not to litter and why it didn't give the neighbor a right to touch the son.

"When I saw the video I was not happy, I was frustrated, I was angry," said Deputy Chief Vance Keys.

There are now two separate investigations against the officer and the neighbor accused of inuring a child. While both are moving quickly, commanders say they have to follow certain steps.

"If we don't do it correctly, no matter what the decision of the chief is, it can get overturned in an arbitration," said Dean.

But several people in the crowd questioned why police couldn't take action against the neighbor, while the investigation is ongoing.

"Isn't it 'sometimes I'm arrested and then the investigation follows'? I'm just asking," said Pastor Michael Bell of Greater St. Stephens First Church.

Activists have the same question for dropping the resisting arrest charges against Craig and her daughters.

"As long as there are those charges, there's that cloud of criminality over them,” said Rev. Kyev Tatum. “While the gentleman who alleged choked the guy is still at home with no charges over his head. So, we gotta do better."

Police also said on Wednesday that the neighbor has not confessed to choking the child.

Police have turned over parts of their investigation, though not the full file, to the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office to decide on charges.

The family's attorneys filed a demand letter with the DA's office Wednesday asking for any past disciplinary action against the officer and for his body cam video.

They say the DA is required to hand that over because its evidence in the case still pending against their clients.

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