HOUSTON – A Houston Black Lives Matter activist said he was unfairly treated after he said he followed a METRO Police officer’s order to leave a Metro Rail platform in downtown Houston Wednesday, where he said he was handing out political fliers.
Activist Greg Chatman said, "I was already off of the premises, so there was no criminal trespassing. I complied. He told us to get off. I got off."
He said the problems began when he spoke to the officer.
Chatman said, "The moment I said something innocent, which was like, 'Can you please stop talking to us?' Basically, 'Stop talking to us,’ and he immediately felt threatened by that and that's a problem. How can a white woman say all of these things to you, and the moment I say something, you immediately feel threatened?"
He claimed there was a double standard because the white activist, who was overheard on a video recorded on a cellphone, also addressed the officer, but was not detained or ticketed.
Chatman said, "I never threatened him. I never touched him. He implied that I did just to silence me at one point. I never said anything threatening to him."
Chatman also said he was handcuffed while the officer had blood on his hands. Then he said he was ticketed for criminal trespass.
METRO Police Chief Vera Bumpers said, “My preliminary review of this matter reveals protest posters were affixed to the rail platform, and that is not allowed. However, certain MPD procedures were not followed when this young man was detained. We are dismissing the citation and I fully expect to take some level of disciplinary action against the officer.”