The police officer whose aggressive response to an unruly teenage pool party ignited a national controversy resigned Tuesday, leaving critics relieved and supporters disappointed that an officer they considered a hero had been forced out.
McKinney police Cpl. David Eric Casebolt, a 10-year veteran of the department, voluntarily stepped down amid an internal police investigation and surging public pressure, including death threats.
The officer's two-word resignation did not include an apology or acknowledgment of wrongdoing, said Police Chief Greg Conley, who on Tuesday condemned Casebolt's actions as "indefensible" and "out of control."
The chief distanced himself from his former employee on the same day his department dropped charges against the sole person arrested at the scene, signaling a swift shift in the police's handling of the encounter recorded on video that went viral.
The incident thrust McKinney into a heated national conversation about police conduct and racial tensions, but local leaders on Tuesday fought to hold onto the city's image as a successful and diverse suburb that has been ranked the No. 1 place to live in America.
"I don't think any one incident can define a community," Mayor Brian Loughmiller said. "We all have to learn from what occurred."
Charges possible
Tuesday's developments came four days after Casebolt, who is white, was captured on video cursing, pulling out his weapon and slamming a 15-year-old black girl to the ground. Casebolt, 41, will keep his pension and benefits but could face criminal charges pending an investigation, the chief said Tuesday.Casebolt was among a dozen officers who responded to a Friday night disturbance call about a party where a group of about 100 teens, many of them black, were celebrating the last day of school at an admission-restricted pool in the majority-white Craig Ranch neighborhood.
A fight broke out when a white resident allegedly swore at a black resident and told her to return to public housing. A group of uninvited guests also jumped the fence and confronted a security guard, who called police.
Conley emphasized that 11 out of 12 officers on scene "performed according to their training." He decried those who violated community rules and disrespected authorities during the incident but also made clear that Casebolt, as a police officer, is held to a higher standard.
"Our policies, our training and our practice do not support his actions," Conley said during a news conference Tuesday evening.
He also announced that his department had dropped the case against 18-year-old Adrian Martin. In the video, Martin is one of two teens who appear to approach Casebolt and then run away when he pulls out his gun.
Police had charged him with misdemeanor crimes of evading arrest and interfering with police. A police report dated Friday says Martin ran from police for two to three minutes before he was caught. Authorities did not charge the other teen or the girl Casebolt pinned to the ground for disobeying him
In an interview before Casebolt's resignation Tuesday, Martin said he only wanted to reassure the girl, who goes to school with his brother, that he would call her mother. He said he didn't mean to infringe on the officer's space, but his friend bumped into him, knocking him toward Casebolt.
When Casebolt whipped out his weapon, Martin said he feared for his life. "Am I going to get shot?" he thought.
Martin's defense attorney, Heath Harris, said Martin responded as "any reasonable adult would" and had called for the charges to be dismissed.
"It's ridiculous," he said.
Harris did not respond to a request for comment late Tuesday after the announcements from police.
Controversy continues
Many McKinney residents responded to Casebolt's resignation with relief, but controversy continued to swirl as some supporters on social media defended the officer's actions.Pastor Derrick Golden of the Amazing Church in McKinney, who spent Tuesday regularly patrolling the Craig Ranch pool to make sure his community remained stable, said he was pleased that Casebolt resigned.
"I actually feel good," he said, adding that he's keeping Casebolt and his family in his prayers.
Teens who were at the pool party said they were happy Casebolt was off the force. But some worried he might join another department.
"What he did was wrong, and he shouldn't be able to do it to someone else," said Ladariene McKever, 15.
She said Casebolt's simple resignation -- "I resign" -- seemed insensitive.
"He should apologize to the girl he manhandled," McKever said. "He should apologize to my friend he pushed in the face. He should apologize to the boys he handcuffed for no reason. We didn't do anything wrong."
But some people took to Twitter to express their support for the officer: "Very disappointed" and "You are an American hero. God bless you and your family" were among some of the supportive comments.
Jahi Bakari, whose 13-year-old daughter is seen on the video being pushed by Casebolt, said those feelings worry him. "I'm more concerned with the atmosphere of racism that permeated after the incident with the ensuing support the officer will be sure to get for losing his job," he said in a text message.
Casebolt had been on administrative leave since Sunday.
The woman who is accused of starting the fight that led to the pool party confrontation had also been placed on administrative leave at her job at a data analysis and technology support company.
"CoreLogic does not condone violence, discrimination or harassment and takes conduct that is inconsistent with our values and expectations very seriously," her employer, CoreLogic, said in a statement Tuesday. "As a result of these pending allegations, we have placed the employee in question on administrative leave while further investigations take place."
While hundreds took to the streets to protest Monday, the gatherings took a quieter tone Tuesday night when a racially diverse group of about two dozen people met at the Craig Ranch pool for a prayer vigil.
"In four days we did what other communities couldn't do in four weeks," Golden said. "We won. This is a victory of the kingdom."
Staff writer Jeffrey Weiss contributed to this report
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