Ala. pastor files lawsuit against police who arrested him while watering his neighbors’ flowers

Michael Jennings, the pastor arrested while watering his neighbor’s flowers, has filed a federal lawsuit against the police officers involved and the city of Childersburg.

Michael Jennings files lawsuit

Jennings, pastor at Vision of Abundant Life Church in Sylacauga, Ala., has retained civil rights attorney, Harry Daniels, and attorneys Bethaney Embry Jones, Joi Travis and Roderick Van Daniels. They held a news conference Saturday with the Alabama NAACP to discuss the case.

“I’m here for accountability, and I’m here for justice,” Jennings said.

The lawsuit says Jennings is suffering from emotional distress and “significant PTSD type symptoms” that include nightmares and flashbacks.

According to reports, Jennings is asking for a jury to hear the case and to determine compensatory and punitive damages as well as money to cover the costs of the lawsuit, including attorneys’ fees.

Body camera video

Jennings said he was watering his out-of-town neighbor’s flowers, per their request, on May 22 when a Childersburg police officer showed up.

“I’m supposed to be here. I’m Pastor Jennings. I live across the street,” Jennings told the officer.

“I’m looking out for their house while they’re gone, watering their flowers,” he said.

Following their arrival, police arrested Jennings and placed him in the back of a police cruiser — later charging him with obstructing government operations, according to a criminal complaint.

In the 20-minute video, a Childersburg police officer approaches Jennings as he is seen on camera watering plants in a yard. Once the officer approaches Jennings and asks him what he is doing, he replies: “Watering flowers.”

The unidentified officer then asks Jennings if a car parked in the neighbor’s driveway belongs to him. Jennings responds to the officer saying the car belongs to his neighbor.

Later in the video, the officer asks the pastor if he lives at the home, and he says to the officer that he does not.

The exchange between Jennings and the officer leads to shouting as Jennings explains to the officers that he has done nothing wrong. He tells the officers: “I told him I’m a pastor. … You want to lock me up, lock me up. … Lock me up and see what happens. I want you to.”

Jennings, a former police officer himself, is seen on video placed in handcuffs for not providing the officers with his identification.

Charges against Jennings were later dismissed by a judge in June.