Fox News Flash top headlines for March 28
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.
A prominent civil rights attorney was among a group of people arrested in a Dallas suburb during a demonstration in memory of a Black man who died in a struggle with guards at an area jail.
McKinney police arrested lawyer Lee Merritt and two others on charges of obstructing a roadway during the Sunday protest over Marvin Scott III's 2021 death in the Collin County jail. Merritt, 40, was also charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon, police said.
Merritt, who's forged a national profile representing the families of people killed by law enforcement officers, told The Associated Press that he was "unlawfully arrested" while he attended the protests as the Scott family's lawyer. The attorney said he had been legally carrying a firearm at the time of his arrest, which led to the weapons charge.
Merritt was released from jail Monday. The Collin County district attorney's office did not respond to a phone message about whether prosecutors would pursue the charges.
Lee Merritt testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine issues involving race and policing practices in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd on Capitol Hill, on June 16, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)
The demonstration came two years after Scott, 26, died during a struggle with jail guards following his arrest on a marijuana possession charge. Scott’s family said he was likely in a mental health crisis at the time of his death and a medical examiner found he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
EVERYTHING'S BIGGER IN TEXAS, INCLUDING SCHOOL CHOICE
Seven detention officers were fired and another resigned over Scott’s death, which was ruled a homicide, but did not result in criminal charges.
Scott's 30-year-old sister, Lachay Batts, was also among those arrested in the protest. Merritt said being held in the same facility where her brother died was "a really traumatic experience" for Batts.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
A McKinney police spokesperson said in a statement that officers made the arrests after giving "approximately 10 minutes of warnings" to the demonstrators, who included children, to clear the roadway. Protesters told officers they wanted to be arrested, according to the statement.
Merritt, who and made a failed run for the Democratic nomination for Texas attorney general during the last election, said the third person taken into custody was a photojournalist. He called the arrests "really bad form."
True Crime
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
