A Black motorist has settled his federal lawsuit with the city of New Braunfels, Texas, for six figures after alleging his civil rights were violated during a traffic stop in 2020.
Clarence Walter Crawford says he was wrongfully stopped and struck with a Taser by a police officer who detained him because of his race.
The city has settled the case for $175,000 but is not admitting the officer did anything wrong.
In Crawford’s complaint, obtained by Atlanta Black Star, he names the city, former New Braunfels Officer Kaleb Meyer, and former New Braunfels Chief of Police Tom Wibertin as defendants. The suit claimed Meyer violated Crawford’s civil rights by using excessive force and performing unreasonable search and seizure.
Related: ‘Blood Coming from Craig’s Head’: Louisiana Cop Beats Black Man Unconscious After Asking About His White Girlfriend During Routine Traffic Stop; Leaves Driver with Lasting Injuries
Crawford’s claim describes how he was on his way home from work early in the evening of Jan. 15, 2020, when he was “targeted and pursued” by Meyer on Interstate 35 in New Braunfels.
According to his lawsuit, Crawford believes he was not stopped because he “committed a traffic violation,” as suggested by the officer. He says he was stopped because of his gender and race, which were visible to Meyer because the officer had pulled up next to him at a stoplight before the Black man got on the interstate.
Meyer’s report of the incident differs. He says he pulled Crawford over because he had a “dirty” license plate on the white Pontiac he was driving. The then-23-year-old officer said he could not see the plate because of what looked like soot or dirt on it and was using a “guess” when he correctly relayed the plate numbers to dispatch during the pursuit.
He also alleges that Crawford refused to acknowledge his siren and lights and did not pull over on his own.
After being pulled over, according to…
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