Groves Police body cam footage released to KFDM, couple claims racial profiling

The Groves Police Department has released body cam footage to KFDM/Fox 4 after a woman received a ticket for walking on the wrong side of the road, an incident she describes as an "excessive show of power." The altercation, also captured on cellphone video by her husband, went viral online.

The woman was walking along Madison Boulevard on April 2, trying to retrieve her escaped dog, when she was stopped by police. "Two cops stopped me. They walked out with their hands on their guns, and then they asked me to see my ID," she said. She was walking on the right side of the road with traffic, just two doors down from her home.

Her husband recorded the incident on video. A police officer told him, "She was not walking on this side of the road." the husband responded, "What does it matter?" The officer replied, "It's a traffic violation," to which the husband countered, "No it's not."

According to the Texas Transportation Code, pedestrians must walk on the left side of the road facing oncoming traffic if no sidewalk is provided. The situation got a bit heated with a couple of raised voices, and officers called for backup. Four officers were on the scene, which Groves PD explained was due to two officers being in field training.

"It's just very an excessive force of power for me just trying to go and find my dog," the wife said. The couple has hired an attorney to fight the ticket, feeling it was an abuse of power for a minor situation. "You could have easily said 'hey ma'am,' and I could have explained to you what I was trying to do, but then you threatened my husband and threatened me to go to jail," she added.
_______________
Follow KFDM on social media:

KFDM on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KFDMNews/
KFDM on Twitter: twitter.com/kfdmnews

Subscribe to KFDM on YouTube:    / @newsonkfdm  


For all of the day’s top local and national news, visit kfdm.com/
Watch our live newscasts and other live video at kfdm.com/watch


Have a news tip? Send it directly to us:

Email us: news@kfdm.com
Call the Newsroom: 409.892.6622


KFDM is a TX based station and CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. KBTV is a TX based station and Fox Television affiliate owned and operated by Deerfield Media, Inc and receives certain services from an affiliation of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. Sinclair owns and operates, programs or provides sales services to 163 television stations in 77 markets, after pending transactions. Sinclair's television group reaches approximately 38.7% of US television households and includes FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, Univision and Azteca affiliates.

#kfdm #kfdmnews #beaumont #beaumontnews #KFDM #KFDMNews #localnews #breakingnews