Outside investigation launched in arrest of Miss Black Texas

COMMERCE, Texas (AP) – An east Texas city has asked a law firm to investigate the arrest of Miss Black Texas 2016 after she and officers gave differing accounts of the incident.

Carmen Ponder says Commerce police arrested her Saturday after a confrontation with a motorist who made a racist and sexist comment toward her. Ponder identified the driver as Police Chief Kerry Crews.

She says officers arrested her as she left a Wal-Mart and told her to apologize to Crews, which she refused.

The city says in a statement issued Thursday that Crews was shopping off-duty and responded to the incident, but wasn’t driving the truck. The chief has been placed on leave during the investigation.

Ponder’s attorney says she may have misidentified the driver, but she was still wrongfully arrested.

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5/26/2017 9:44:54 AM (GMT -6:00)