ACCOUNTABILITY

Black Man Arrested for Watering Neighbor’s Flowers Files Federal Lawsuit

Michael Jennings says the arrest violated his constitutional rights.

A Black preacher who was arrested while watering his neighbor’s flowers has filed a federal lawsuit against police. Michael Jennings, who calls himself “Pastor Jennings,” was arrested May 22 after a white neighbor called to complain about a “younger Black male” at a nearby residence while the owners were away, the Associated Press reported. The charge was dropped by the then-police chief shortly after Jennings’ arrest, but Jennings is suing for damages, including emotional distress and anxiety, and for violating his constitutional rights. “I’m here for accountability, and I’m here for justice,” Jennings said at a Saturday news conference. His attorneys were able to retrieve body camera footage of the incident, which they said illustrated poor community policing tactics. “These poor judgment decisions reflect poorly on the type of training the Childersburg police officers receive,” Benard Simelton, president of the Alabama branch of the NAACP, said in a statement.