Unlikely allies diffuse unrest after police shooting
FREEPORT, Texas — The actions of a the city's police chief and a fiery community activist are being credited with keeping calm as tempers mounted after an officer fatally shot a man Wednesday.
The pair's response is believed to have avoided the violent protests that occurred in Ferguson, Mo., New York and other cities around the country after incidents involving white police officers who killed black men.
In the hours after the shooting of Ronald "Maynard" Sneed in an apartment, crowds led by community activist Quanell X gathered demanding answers.
"I'd be the first one to say let's protest," Quannell X told the crowd. "(I'd say) let's crank this place up. Let's go against these crooked cops if this was the case. But, this is not the case."
Sneed often stayed with his girlfriend and her three children at the woman's apartment. The couple argued over text messages found on the woman's phone Tuesday.
One day later, Sneed was still angry and locked out. Investigators said he kicked open his girlfriend's door. The woman's son called for help, police said.
Officer Christian Flores, a two-year veteran, responded first. He went inside and found Sneed straddling his girlfriend on a bed, investigators said. When warned over and over to raise his hands, Sneed instead aimed a handgun at his girlfriend's face, police said. Flores opened fire, fatally wounding Sneed.
"(Sneed's girlfriend) had her children in harm's way, she was in harm's way and ... she praised the officer for saving her life," said Freeport Police Captain Raymond Garivey.
Sneed's death initially angered family, friends and neighbors. Quanell X raced to Freeport ready for a fight.
"My mind was this is enough of this," he said. "I am sick and tired of these brothers being killed. We need to stand up and fight them the way they fight us by any means necessary. That was my attitude. That was the right crowd for it."
Many followed Quannell X to the police department. Some held up their hands with the words "Don't Shoot" written on their palms.
However, after Quannell X and Sneed's mother met with Freeport's police chief, Daniel Pennington, crowds dispersed.
"Based on my experience with these kinds of cases, I think the brother snapped," Quannell X told protesters.
There were rumors running wild in minutes near the scene of the shooting leaving residents and police on edge in minutes.
Pennington immediately knew the potential for trouble and made the decision to allow Quanell X to examine the shooting scene after the crime scene was cleared.
"Where we can put the truth out some people won't heed that ... won't recognize that," Pennington said. "But coming from a source like him it is acted upon.
"People want a story and they are going to fill the gaps in if they don't have it."
Pennington had never met Quanell X and only knew him by reputation.
It turns out the two men surprised each other.
"To be that open? That quick? I kinda felt, this is strange. This is different," Quanell X remembered.
One thing remains, "It is a tragedy. There is no way around it. Their lives have been changed forever and the officer's life is changed forever," Pennington said.
Quanell X applauded Pennington's approach.
"Had you taken that same police chief's conduct and handling of the Freeport shooting, take that same chief into Ferguson and it never would have happened."