Fort Worth's mayor and police chief got an earful at a community meeting Thursday night about the officer whose arrests of a mother and her two daughters were captured in a viral video.
The mother, Jacqueline Craig, also attended the meeting.
"Racism is alive and well in Fort Worth," one man said.
Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald stood by his decision to suspend Officer William Martin for 10 days and then send him back into the same south Fort Worth neighborhood where the incident happened.
Many at Thursday's meeting said they don't want Martin back on patrol in their community.
"We can agree to disagree on some things," the chief told the crowd at Christ Church Assembly of God.
Martin responded to a call from Jacqueline Craig and her neighbor.
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The neighbor called 911 to complain that Craig's family was in his yard and wouldn't leave. Craig accused the neighbor of choking her seven-year-old son for littering in his yard.
The officer arrested Craig after suggesting the neighbor had the right to touch her son, and did not arrest the neighbor.
Fitzgerald said for the first time Thursday that the investigation found the boy was not choked but was grabbed by the back of the neck.
Mayor Betsy Price stood by Fitzgerald, saying the chief has done a "Yeoman's job" handling the controversy.
Craig was emotional as she left the meeting.
"I think it's jacked up," she said. "That's what I think. It was jacked up."
Price had a different view of the meeting.
"I think it was a great starting spot," she said. "The idea was to open a dialogue with the community."
Fitzgerald also revealed that the chain of command had recommended the officer be suspended five days and he decided to double it.
