Arlington Police Tried To Bargain For Mother’s Video Of Teens’ Arrest, Activists Say

Our daily roundup of Texas headlines.

By Alexandra HartJuly 14, 2017 9:23 pm

The Standard’s news roundup gives you a quick hit of interesting, sometimes irreverent, and breaking news stories from all over the state.

Activists in Dallas claim Arlington police offered to drop charges against two black teens in exchange for a video of their arrest recorded by the boys’ mother, the Dallas Morning News reports.

Anti-police violence organization Next Generation Action Network posted the video of the arrest to Facebook. Arlington police said one of the teens matched a possible description of a suspect in an alleged car burglary.

In the video, the boys’ mother, Latasha Nelson, can be heard asking for the officers information, and where her 14-year-old son Trayvon will be taken.

“What’s your name sir? Officer. May I get your information too?”

“No you cant. I’m the primary investigator that’s all that matters,” an officer says.

“Can you tell me where you’re taking my son before you leave?”

“You’ve become uncooperative so I’m not going to do that,” the officer says.

The officer then radios that he is dealing with a mother who is interfering with an investigation. Later, he can be seen arresting Nelson’s other son, 16-year-old Broderick.

At a press conference with Nelson, her sons and family attorney Kim Cole, Next Generation Founder Dominique Alexander says the family is still looking for answers.

The mother was then asked to give over her phone, and after that she went trying to find her babies cross Tarrant county lines,”Alexander says. ”After that they were released – eight hours – and its been a continuation of patters during these days going back with the Arlington police department on whether these boys will face these charges or whether they will drop these charges.”

The organization has demanded that charges be dropped against the Nelson teens, and the officer be investigated and fired. Arlington police say they have launched a formal investigation into the incident, and that the involved officer will remain on duty.




The son of Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is slated for a U.S. Attorney post, according to the Houston Chronicle.

In an internal email obtained by the newspaper, an acting U.S. Attorney says former state district judge Ryan Patrick has been selected as nominee for the position.

Patrick confirmed to the Chronicle that he did indeed interview for the position with Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz several weeks ago. Both senators declined to comment.

The U.S Attorney post for the Southern District of Texas has been open since March, when Obama-appointed Kenneth Magidson was forced to resign by the Trump administration.




Federal authorities say a north Texas doctor recklessly prescribed powerful, addictive painkillers to patients, contributing to the deaths of seven.

Howard Gregg Diamond of Sherman was arrested on several counts Tuesday.
If convicted, Diamond could face life in federal prison.

Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services shows that Diamond wrote the second- largest number of prescriptions for opioids in Texas in 2014.