Officer Terminated After Internal Investigation

A Royse City police officer has been fired after an internal investigation into a viral confrontation with a Black family at a community pool, the department announced Monday.

The officer, who has not been publicly named, had been on administrative leave since the incident. The internal affairs investigation found that the officer "did violate department standards, policies and procedures" and was terminated, according to a department news release.

The actions of three other officers seen in the video were found to be justified, officials said.

Incident at Creekside Community Pool

The incident occurred on Aug. 3 at the Creekside community pool in Royse City, Texas. Video footage showed an officer pulling a woman by the hair, other officers pushing a woman holding a child, and an officer punching a young woman in the face multiple times.

Amaiyah Allen-Smith described the scene at the pool, saying an older couple and music were present. She said the woman in the couple called police after speaking with a pool attendant.

Attorneys for Janiaca Wheeler, one of the women involved, alleged that the officer ripped six braids from her scalp and punched one of her children in the face repeatedly.

Charges and Ongoing Investigation

An 18-year-old who was arrested at the scene will not face charges, Royse City Police said. The department said it will refer the case of a second woman who was taken into custody for interfering to the Collin County District Attorney's Office.

Royse City Police are also investigating an unidentified third suspect who allegedly struck an officer in the face.

The internal investigation has closed, but a criminal investigation into the incident remains open, officials said.

Community and Advocacy Response

The Next Generation Action Network (NGAN), which has been advocating for the family since the incident, released a statement saying: "Today's announcement confirms that serious misconduct occurred and that the family's and community's concerns were warranted. Terminating this officer is an important step, but it cannot be the final step."

NGAN expressed concern over the referral of charges against the 35-year-old woman while acknowledging the officer's termination. The group continued to call for the full public release of body-camera and dash-camera footage.

Janiaca Wheeler and Zoey Manning also spoke publicly, calling for the officers involved to be fired.

Royse City Police released a statement saying they will not condone misconduct by any member of the police department and will take appropriate action when misconduct occurs.

The fired officer's name had not been released as of Monday.