The lone black member of a city council in suburban Dallas is facing a recall following his attempt to have the municipality declare a “black state of emergency” following a string of violent incidents between police and black residents in the area.
More than 2,500 hundred signatures have been collected for a recall petition against La’Shadion Shemwell, a city councilman in McKinney, Texas.
After his 2018 arrest during a traffic stop, Shemwell has made multiple negative comments publicly about local police, according to the Texas Tribune.
“This is the new Jim Crow,” Shemwell allegedly said during his arrest in 2018.
In October, Shemwell introduced a resolution that would declare a so-called “black state of emergency” in McKinney, which failed.
“WHEREAS, the State of Texas and its local governments have declared war on black and brown citizens by conspiring to kill, injure, oppress, threaten, and intimidate, and to willfully deprive citizens of their constitutional rights while acting under color of law,” the resolution said.
Shemwell claims the recall against him, which is supported by the city’s mayor and other members of the council, is racially motivated.
“The mayor of Mckinney calls activist/ people with a criminal history “Thugs,” I have a criminal history. I am a Realtor, Barber, CDL holder, Father, Mentor and City Councilman . I am plenty of things but a “Thug” isn’t one of them,” Shemwell said in a tweet.
The mayor of Mckinney calls activist/ people with a criminal history “Thugs,” I have a criminal history. I am a Realtor, Barber, CDL holder, Father, Mentor and City Councilman . I am plenty of things but a “Thug” isn’t one of them.
— La’Shadion Anthony (@LaShadion) October 23, 2019
