Texas officer apologizes for aggressiveness at pool party, attorney says

The Dallas-area police officer criticized for aggressively handling teenagers at a pool party, shown in a viral video, has gone into hiding and “apologizes to all who were offended,” his attorney said Wednesday.

McKinney Police Cpl. Eric Casebolt had been emotionally unsettled by two suicide calls he had handled shortly before responding to calls of trespassing and assault at a raucous pool party Friday evening, his police union attorney, Jane Bishkin of Dallas, told reporters in a televised news conference.

“He does recognize that his emotions got the best of him, and the prior suicide calls put him in an emotional place that he would have preferred not to (have) been in when responding to this call,” Bishkin said.

Casebolt resigned Tuesday as McKinney city officials publicly condemned the way that he cursed at teenagers and wrestled some to the ground.

The incident stoked racial tension and prompted protests after a video made by a bystander showed Casebolt, who is white, chasing black teens in pool attire. His representatives said Wednesday that he has received several death threats and decided to resign to help cool anger in the city.

“He hopes his resignation will restore the peace in McKinney that was disturbed by this incident,” Daniel Malenfant, president of the McKinney Fraternal Order of Police, told reporters Wednesday, also denouncing “those set on creating racial tensions in America” and those sending “countless death threat calls and emails.”

“The truth surrounding this incident will be uncovered,” Malenfant said.

Casebolt’s attorney tried to explain his actions through the context of the suicide cases the officer had handled shortly before going to the pool party.

In the first suicide call, a man had shot and killed himself in front of his children and his family, and Casebolt consoled the man’s wife while securing the body and the scene, said Bishkin, who said the dead man was African-American.

In the second suicide call, Casebolt had to calm a teenage girl who was threatening to jump off her parents’ roof, and she was safely taken to a hospital, Bishkin said.

“Eric’s compassion during these two incidents are a testament to his character,” Bishkin said. “The nature of these two suicide calls took an emotional toll on Eric Casebolt.”

Bishkin said Casebolt was “reluctant” to respond to an initial call of trespassing at the pool party but decided to go when he heard a report of an assault.

Casebolt’s actions with the teenagers “were only an attempt to investigate reports of violent assault” and he wanted to interview “as many people as possible,” Bishkin said.

“He believes those who fled were possible suspects,” Bishkin said, adding Casebolt also detained a white female who was not seen on the seven-minute video of the encounter. “He was not targeting minorities.

“He apologizes to all who were offended. That day was not representative of the 10 years service to the community of McKinney.”

On Tuesday, city officials condemned his conduct as they announced the resignation.