On Sunday, March 26, well known civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt McKinney PD arrested all the way through a protest in reminiscence of Marvin Scott III, a black guy who died in custody on the Collin County prison in 2021.
Along with Merritt, McKinney police arrested two others for obstructing U.S. Highway 380: photojournalist Shelby Tauber and Scott’s sister Lachay Batts. In addition to the illegal protest fees, Merritt used to be charged with unlawfully wearing a weapon.
Merritt is a famend civil rights legal professional who represented households of Black Americans killed via legislation enforcement together with the households of Atatiana Jefferson, Botham Jean, Jordan Edwards and Marvin Scott III.
Scott, who used to be 26 years outdated on the time of his demise, used to be a Black guy diagnosed with schizophrenia who used to be arrested in 2021 for possessing a small quantity of marijuana — a misdemeanor.
While in custody, Collin County prison cameras confirmed jailers restraining Scott, the use of pepper spray and masking his head with a hood. That evening Scott become unresponsive and used to be later pronounced useless on the medical institution. Scott’s demise used to be ruled a homicide via the Collin County scientific examiner’s workplace and a lot of protests adopted the development.
According to Merritt, Scott used to be affected by a psychological well being disaster and that during earlier encounters with legislation enforcement, he have been taken to amenities to obtain remedy as a substitute of being arrested.
Merritt promoted Sunday’s demonstration on his social media and inspired other people to turn up for a “March for Mental Health” in Scott’s honor.
According to a press liberate from McKinney PD, officials have been dispatched to a file of round 20 other people blocking off 380. When they arrived, officials gave protestors 10 mins of caution sooner than arresting Merritt, Tauber and Batts for failing to observe orders to go away the roadway.
After being launched on Monday, March 27, Merritt held a brief press conference the place he mentioned he used to be now not blocking off the street and used to be provide on the demonstration as a criminal observer, strolling alongside the sidewalk. Merritt added that the one time he entered the street used to be beneath the permission of one of the most McKinney PD officials to warn protesters that the arrest can be made at which era officials proceeded with the arrest.
Merritt argued that the arrest is in violation of the Sixth Amendment that gives the appropriate to suggest which used to be being criminalized along with his detention on Sunday afternoon.
In a post on his Instagram account, Merrit mentioned he’s going to problem each false price in a courtroom of legislation.