Fort Worth protesters continue call for justice for Craig family

It’s been six weeks since the controversial arrests of Jacqueline Craig and her two daughters, but those attending a rally Saturday continued their plea for justice and the firing of the officer involved in the volatile incident that was captured on video.

One speaker told a crowd gathered at the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth that it’s important that people understand what is happening in Fort Worth.

McKenzie Brown alluded to the recent news that said Fort Worth received 8.8 million visitors last year and expects 11 major conventions in 2017.

“We need to make sure that when people look up Fort Worth they know how long justice has been delayed,” Brown said. “Justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

Protesters continued to push for Officer William Martin to be fired for his role in the incident. Craig had called police on the afternoon of Dec. 21 to report that a neighbor had accused her 7-year-old son of littering and assaulted the boy.

Martin arrived at the scene in southwest Fort Worth, where people upset about the alleged assault had gathered, and his handling of the call has been viewed more than 3 million times on Facebook, renewing a national debate on the use of excessive force by police.

An internal investigation concluded that Martin had used excessive force and disrespectful behavior during the call and he received a 10-day suspension from police Chief Joel Fitzgerald.

Martin, who has already served the suspension, has appealed the punishment.

Brown and several others who spoke at the rally stood next to a sign which read: “We need to do more than just what is right. We need to join together and right what is wrong.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2017 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Fort Worth protesters continue call for justice for Craig family."