The three officers who arrested Michael Jennings in Childersburg, Alabama, in May 2022 lacked probable cause for the arrest, according to a unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Court of Appeals. As a result, they are not protected by qualified immunity.
Qualified immunity shields police officers from civil liability when they are carrying out their duties, as long as their actions do not infringe upon well-defined legal or constitutional rights that they should have been aware of.
Jennings got arrested when a white neighbor called the police on him while he was taking care of his friend’s garden while they were away.
Jennings, a black pastor who was handcuffed while watering his neighbor’s flowers, will be able to move forward with his civil rights lawsuit against the police officers who arrested him, claiming they were racist.
The police were alerted to a report regarding an unidentified man and an unfamiliar vehicle on the premises.
The body camera footage reveals that the man consistently identified himself as ‘Pastor Jennings’ and emphasized that he resided across the street.
Jennings, the person seen in the video watering the flowers with a hose, had recently come back from Sunday service. According to Jennings, his neighbor, whom he has known for a long time, had asked him to take care of his shrubbery while he was away.
Despite his good intentions and the support of other residents, including a white neighbor, Jennings found himself taken to jail. He was later charged with obstruction of government operation and forced to pay $500 bail in order to secure his release.
The police questioned Jennings about his activities in the front yard, expressing doubt and asking, “How can we be sure that you’re telling the truth?”
Jennings informed the police that he resided next door but declined to provide them with any identification. According to a woman who resides on the street, she informed the officers that the pastor and the homeowner had a genuine friendship.
Amanda, who is pictured on the left, came to the aid of the black pastor. Despite informing the police that they were friends, Jennings was still apprehended and eventually faced charges.
The pastor, who lives in the house across the street, was taken aback and exclaimed, “I had the water hose in my hand! I was watering the flowers.”
Jennings discovered that the individual who made the 911 call was someone who knew him. However, she did not recognize him at the time she reported the incident.
The pastor couldn’t help but burst into laughter as he expressed his disbelief to the officers, accusing them of racially profiling him.
As officers confronted Jennings, a white resident stepped in, asserting that Jennings lived next door and was friends with the homeowner who had departed earlier in the day.
The woman pointed at Jennings’ property and told the police, “He lives right there.” The police arrested the pastor from Vision of Abundant Life Ministries in Sylacauga and placed him in the backseat of their car. They also confiscated his mobile phone during the arrest.
The police inquired with the woman if he had permission to water the flowers. Jennings, holding a hosepipe, watered his neighbor’s flowers while they were away.
As he was led away, handcuffed, Jennings maintains that he became a victim of racial profiling. ‘Pastor Jennings will finally have his day in court and demonstrate that wearing a badge does not grant anyone the authority to violate the law.’
According to Daniels, the pastor has had a difficult time getting over the “traumatic” incident. “He is not only a pastor, but also a man of deep faith. However, it would be unfair to overlook the fact that he is currently facing immense challenges.”
In that fleeting moment, he sensed the imminent danger to his life had he dared to resist, fully aware of his presence in the recorded footage.
An Alabama pastor, along with his two sons and wife, were captured in an image taken in May 2022. The pastor, Michael Jennings, was arrested during the act of watering his neighbor’s plants while they were away.
Jennings was arrested after he refused to show his identification to the police, citing that he was on private property at the time.
Jennings, with his background in law enforcement, knew that he was not obligated to prove his identity to the police when asked. This was because he was not committing any crime and was on private property.
According to Daniels, the video provided clear evidence of police officers denying Jennings his rights. The officers involved were identified as Christopher Smith, J Gable, and Sgt. Jeremy Brooks.
In December of last year, Chief District Judge R. David Proctor dismissed the case against the officers, citing qualified immunity.
According to Alabama law, officers are allowed to ask for an individual’s name, address, and explanation if they have a reasonable suspicion that the person is engaged in or about to commit a crime. However, it is important to note that the court decision in the 11th circuit clarified that officers do not have the legal authority to demand physical identification.
Jennings faced arrest for obstructing government operations. Jennings found himself in police custody when authorities responded to a complaint regarding a peculiar individual on the premises.
The police chief quickly requested the dismissal of those charges. A few months later, the pastor took legal action, asserting that the experience had infringed upon his constitutional rights and resulted in lasting repercussions, including emotional distress and anxiety.
Jennings is filing a lawsuit alleging false arrest and seeking an unspecified amount of money. Jennings’ mounting legal fees have been partially covered by a GoFundMe account, which has raised $3,750 so far.
According to Daniels, the attorney representing Jennings, this decision has the potential to impact various civil rights cases currently underway throughout the state.
Jennings came into the world in rural Alabama, a mere three years after George C. Wallace made his infamous commitment to ‘segregation forever’ during his initial term as governor. In a 2022 interview, Jennings confidently stated, “I am familiar with the backdrop.”
After completing high school, Jennings pursued a career in the ministry. Ever since then, he has remained close to his hometown of Sylacauga. In addition to leading Vision of Abundant Life Ministries, a small nondenominational church, Jennings also engages in landscaping work and sells items online.
He explained that was how he gained knowledge of the law.
In Alabama, law enforcement officers have the authority to request the identification of individuals in public areas if they have a valid reason to suspect that the person has engaged in or is planning to engage in criminal activity.
The pastor’s son, Michael (pictured left), initiated a GoFundMe campaign to support his father. Outside his home in Childersburg, Alabama, we see Roy Milam, the man whose flowers were being watered.
Sherrod, a seasoned lawyer with experience in north Alabama, confidently asserts that this particular area of the law is quite clear. He has encountered similar cases in his practice, which adds to his expertise in this matter.
During his interaction with the Alabama police officers, Jennings experienced a mix of emotions, including anger and fear. These emotions were intensified by the weight of past police killings, such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as other lower-profile incidents and shootings in Alabama.
Milam, a white man, expressed remorse for the incident and affirmed that he and the other individual will maintain their tradition of looking after each other’s homes, as they have been doing for a long time.
Milam expressed his unwavering confidence in his neighbor, stating, “He is definitely a good neighbor, no doubt about it.”