Case dismissed against boyfriend of Fort Worth mom in viral video
The Tarrant County district attorney's office dismissed a misdemeanor theft case against a man said to be the boyfriend of Jacqueline Craig, the woman suing Fort Worth alleging police brutality in her family's arrest.
Lawrence Lane Jr. , 53, of Fort Worth, has previous burglary, theft, robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle and misdemeanor assault convictions dating to 1986, according to Tarrant County court records.
On Nov. 7, police found several GPS-enabled items inside a 2012 Dodge Journey registered to Craig at a residence in the 5100 block of Brook Meadow Lane, where Craig and Lane were together. Police said Lane admitted to stealing the items.
Craig handed the car keys over to police who said at the time that she was not a suspect and was not questioned. After arresting Lane, police returned Craig's car keys.
Rod Smith, Craig's cousin and family spokesman, said some police officers are bothering Craig's family for no reason.
"I've said from day one he is innocent," Smith said of Lane's arrest.
Lane's attorney, Michael Campbell, said that he is pleased justice prevailed.
"We were able to provide credible evidence that Mr. Lane did not commit this crime," Campbell said in an emailed statement. "We would like to thank the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office for carefully examining the information we provided them and coming to a just decision in recommending dismissal of this case."
This was a case of mistaken identity and the guilty party provided a sworn affidavit admitting to the theft, Campbell said during an interview with the Star-Telegram on Thursday. Campbell said he would not disclose the man's identity. The district attorney's office will make a decision on whether the man will be subject to arrest, Campbell said.
"I think this is definitely an attack against Jackie and her family by the police," Campbell said. "Instead of pursuing the actual perpetrator they were interested in Lane because of his relationship to Craig."
Craig became a central figure in a police incident in December 2016, after she had called 911 to report that a neighbor had assaulted her son for littering.
An officer, William Martin, arrived at the scene and asked Craig: “Why don’t you teach your son not to litter?” With a crowd gathering, the situation escalated and Craig and her two daughters were eventually arrested.
Martin was later suspended 10 days for his inappropriate behavior and handling of the situation. The incident led to protests and increased racial tension. Some members of the community called for Martin and Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald to be fired, and the city established a task force on race and culture in the wake of the incident.
In January, Itamar Vardi, the neighbor found guilty of assaulting Craig's elementary school-aged son, was ordered to pay $569 in court costs plus a fine, do 100 hours of community service, and as part of a plea bargain arrangement, was ordered to complete a six-month deferred-disposition probation sentence. If Vardi successfully completes his probation, the court will not enter a conviction on his record.
Officials with the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to request for a comment.
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Mitch Mitchell: 817-390-7752, @mitchmitchel3
This story was originally published February 15, 2018 at 8:20 PM with the headline "Case dismissed against boyfriend of Fort Worth mom in viral video."