Bob CollinsA few more details about what precipitated the fight at a Dallas pool party are emerging.
The Dallas Morning News reports today a 19-year-old African-American woman says racist comments at her party at the community pool started things rolling.
Tatyana Rhodes, who is black, told a photojournalist that another woman, who is white, told her to return to her public housing before slapping her in the face. Rhodes said she, her mother and sister live in the Craig Ranch subdivision and hosted the party there.
“She was saying things such as, ‘black F-er,’ and ‘That’s why you live in Section 8 homes,’” Rhodes said in a video posted to YouTube.
The teen who filmed the video of police officer Police Cpl. Eric Casebolt attempting to round up the black kids — he’s white and was mostly ignored by Casebolt — confirmed the situation started with a fight between two women.
White residents of the neighborhood disagree, the News says.
Craig Ranch resident Bryan Gestner posted on Facebook: “This was a Twitter party that turned into a mob event. Jumping pool fence. Assaulting 2 security guards, attacking a mother with three little girls. The video doesn’t show everything.” He said that the kids were drinking and “smoking weed” and would not listen to the adults around the pool.
“This isn’t about race,” he said. “This is about outside kids invading our neighborhood, and had no respect for authority or the residents here.”
The police officer has been placed on leave while city officials sort it out.
Meanwhile, the comedians already have.
Related: The only good news about the McKinney pool party is the white kids’ response to racism (Vox)
More Crime & Justice: The Brief and Tragic Life of Kalief Browder (The Atlantic)
From the archive: Remembering a civil rights swim-in.
