McKinney, Texas – Police Officer Eric Casebolt, after being captured on video throwing teens to the ground, engaging in over the top antics, and eventually pulling his gun while responding to a disturbance call at a teenage pool party, has resigned from the McKinney police force.
Casebolt’s attorney confirmed his resignation today, according to Fox 4.
The video of Casebolt’s out of control behavior in response to a neighborhood pool party went viral over the weekend, with the officer being placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.
The video shows the officer barrel rolling across the ground as he ran around acting completely unhinged and unprofessional, eventually pulling his gun on unarmed teens.
Casebolt can be seen in the video commanding random teens lay down on the ground in what are clearly unlawful commands that the teens have no obligation to follow. The blowback from the public was fast, as social media erupted in disgust after the video quickly became viral.
Casebolt was previously a highway patrol officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety from 2003-2005. According to his now deleted LinkedIn account, the officer started with the McKinney PD in 2005 and was Officer of the Year in 2008.
The social media spotlight thrust this case into the national spotlight, which continues to shine brightly upon the continuing brutalization of citizens at the hands of those entrusted by the state with the ability to use force.
The recent cases of Eric Garner, Freddie Gray and Walter Scott, along with countless others, highlight the stark difference between the levels of force citizens deem acceptable and the level of aggressive force being utilized by police officers in the field.
Do you think Casebolt simply resigned to escape any type of accountability for his action? In spite of his resignation, do you think he should be prosecuted for assault?