CRYSTAL CITY, Texas – A parent filed a police report against two Crystal City police officers, just days after officers executed a warrant at a home where multiple kids under the age of 18 say they were pushed to the ground.
The Crystal City Police Department said officers were executing a felony arrest warrant when “multiple individuals fled to the back of the (residence).”
“To secure the safety of everyone involved, officers made contact with civil individuals,” the department’s statement said.
“Officer J, he had his gun pointed directly at me,” one of the teens, Jabbar, said.
14-year-old Audrina and 15-year-old Jaelin were also in the back of the home as officers approached them.
“I’m just waiting and two police officers come behind me asking for my name, and I’m asking them, like why? … Why do I need to give my name?” Audrina told KSAT. “I didn’t even know what was going on. And that’s when J (an officer) tells me, he’s like, ‘If she don’t want to give you it, just take her. I don’t got time for this.’”
She said things escalated quickly.
“All of a sudden I feel cops pulling on my hair, grabbing me,” Audrina said.
Audrina was later released to a guardian, but was taken to the hospital after noticing marks and redness on her arms. Roxanne Padilla said she went to the department following the incident.
“I did speak to the officer … J. Garcia and he said that he didn’t know that they were children, that they were underage,” Padilla said. “He’s been violent with other people. He just, I would say, he’s abusing his authority.”
Crystal City police, however, said the teen resisted arrest.
“The female juvenile failed to identify herself, she resisted and assaulted officers,” CCPD said.
Padilla wants answers about why so many officers were involved.
“I wanted to know why she was being arrested,” Padilla said. “I wanted to know why it took so many to tackle her down just because she was asking why she had to give out her name.”
Padilla has since filed a police report against two of the officers involved.
“For being so aggressive and that they did not want to give me the report and did not tell me why she was being detained,” Padilla said.
Jaelin, one of the kids in the backyard, told KSAT that the officers held a pistol and an AR to the kids’ heads.
The Crystal City Police Department redirected KSAT to the city clerk for all other questions about the report against the two police officers.
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