Black pastor arrested for watering neighbor’s plants

A black pastor has been arrested for watering his neighbor’s plants while out of town in what he believes is racial profiling.

Pastor Michael Jennings was called to police last spring while gardening in the front yard of his Alabama home.

Newly released police body camera footage shows Jennings handcuffed in a police car during the ordeal.

In the video, officers can be seen questioning Jennings, who continues to shoot water. When officers asked Jennings to identify himself and show his ID, the pastor responded, “I haven’t done anything wrong” and “You don’t need to be identified.”

The officers continue to pursue Jennings, who identifies himself only as the Reverend and seems increasingly upset.

“You want to lock me up, you want to lock me up,” says Jennings. “I don’t care who called. Lock me up and see what happens.”

Another clip shows a woman being questioned by officers at the scene. She admits that she called the police. The woman says that it makes sense to her that Jennings would water her neighbor’s plants.

“He lived there and watered the flowers,” she says. “It’s completely my fault.”

Jennings is later shown released from the police car. He told ABC News’ Good Morning America that he did not commit a crime because he was on private property with a permit.

Being chained and deprived of freedom is another, it is dehumanization. And I thought, do you know why they did that? Jennings said. He gives you nightmares and he gives you nightmares.

Jennings believes she was the victim of racial discrimination.

His attorney, Harry Daniels, told Good Morning America:

Jennings was initially charged with obstructing government operations, but the charges were dropped.

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