A disturbing video of a McKinney, Texas police officer violently throwing a bikini-clad teenage girl, 14, attending a pool party, on the ground has enraged people all over the globe, including Katy Perry, Shonda Rhimes, and many other celebrities. Click inside to WATCH the video and see reactions.
Katy Perry, 30, is just one of the many high profile names who has taken to social media to sound off on the horrific incident that went down at a children’s pool party on Friday, June 5 in McKinney, Texas. After video went viral of a police officer shoving a young girl onto the ground, dragging her on the grass, and then pulling a gun on a group of teenagers trying to help her, thousands — if not millions — of distraught viewers used social media to express their concern.
When the above video begins, the first thing you see is a uniformed police officer yelling and running before stopping to hit the ground and roll off of a curb. The “drop and roll” seems like an extreme move, but unfortunately for the teenagers and children at the scene it’s only the beginning.
Once the cops are far enough away, you can hear one kid desperately screaming”let’s go” to their friends, as many of the kids begin to run in the opposite direction. This is all after someone at an end of school year pool party called the police to report a disturbance involving a “group of black youths” who were allegedly not invited to the bash, reports THR. When the police arrived to handle the situation it caused a major ruckus, leaving what appears to be dozens of teenagers and children of color to run.
Around the 3:00 mark you can see the officer throw a bikini clad girl with dreadlocks to the ground when she doesn’t listen to him, and when she tries to get up he throws her back down — this time on concrete. The crowd rightfully freaks out as this officer continues to assault the young girl, and when they swarm him he pulls his gun out of the holster and charges at two guys in particular. Terrified screams can be heard and the crowd backs off again as two other officers re-appear. The cop with a gun still in his hand demands the other two go after the young men who charged at him, and the obey without question.
Once the power-hungry cop returns to the girl he’s thrown on the floor, he flattens her out in the grass and uses his knees to hold her there as he handcuffs her. Once she’s been cuffed, he remains on top of her as she cries out for help and begs him to get off of her. It’s a horrific scene to watch unfold.
Here’s another video from the scene, from a different angle.
RT #craigranch #RETWEET pic.twitter.com/DjHf7I7njr
— lohanthony 10/26 (@Xmukexziamx) June 6, 2015
The police officer, who remains unidentified, has reportedly been put on “admin leave” following what even the McKinney Police Department called “disturbing” behavior.
That’s why it makes sense that the now viral video has caught the attention of so many celebrities in Hollywood. Check out what Hollywood is saying about this violent video showing police brutality against teenagers just below.
Katy, Shonda Rhimes & More: What Happened In McKinney Was Wrong
IS ANYONE ELSE DISGUSTED YET?! WAKE UP AMERICA: http://t.co/WGSGpZZG30
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) June 7, 2015
This vid raises SO many questions about…everything right now. https://t.co/x1U5cLtmMw Q1: How hard is it to TO NOT ASSAULT A CHILD?
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 8, 2015
Q2: When will a group of kids of color together stop being seen as a gang/ mob and start being seen as AMERICANS. #TakeYourHandsOffOurKids
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 8, 2015
Q3:My kids didn’t wanna get out of pool today. ANYONE think best way 2 handle is grab ’em by throat, slam em to ground & cuff ’em? Hell no.
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 8, 2015
Q4: There are GREAT cops out there. Who also do not want to work in a world with racially biased/racist violent cops. How do we help them?
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 8, 2015
Q5: And how do we make this stop? What are concrete organized ways to affect change? How to end assaults/murders of our kids?
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 8, 2015
Q5: And how do we make this stop? What are concrete organized ways to affect change? How to end assaults/murders of our kids?
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 8, 2015
And let’s not simplify as being Texas like this is some surprise situation that came to light yesterday. Where have we been living?#McKinney
— Jussie Smollett (@JussieSmollett) June 8, 2015
#McKinney incident makes me sad and angry. I grew up 10 minutes from there and at 14 years old that could have been me.
— Candice Patton (@candicekp) June 8, 2015
In Hollywood the cops are alot cooler with Pool partys.
— Horatio Sanz (@MrHoratioSanz) June 8, 2015
Is seeing the #McKinney pool party a turning point for the public eye? There’s a deep sorrow and rage percolating. I am… floored.
— Penn Badgley (@PennBadgley) June 8, 2015
What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers — Did this police officer overreact? Should he be punished for his actions, or were they justified? Sound off in the comments below.
— Lauren Cox
Follow @Iaurencox
