Overview
- Fort Worth police say officers warned street preachers using a bullhorn and then issued a disorderly conduct citation and seized the device after the preacher continued to amplify, the department said about the June 27 incident.
- FWPD acknowledged that one officer made statements in viral video clips that were "not accurate," while stressing the citation was for alleged violation of the city's noise ordinance rather than the content of the speech.
- Video posted online showed officers telling preachers they could be ticketed for "offensive" language and calling certain forms of address a "gray area," which prompted widespread social media attention and replay.
- An outside attorney and coverage questioned whether the ordinance was properly enforced because officers reportedly did not perform a decibel measurement before issuing the citation.
- The City of Fort Worth Law Department will provide First Amendment refresher training to officers and recruits, and the DOJ Civil Rights Division has signaled it is reviewing the case, raising the prospect of federal scrutiny of enforcement practices.