Texas Cops Arrest Man for "Suspicious Parking"—Then Beat Him Senseless

Welcome to Baytown, Texas, where Kendrick Crawford lived through this nightmare. And guess what? The officers who brutalized him? Indicted. But let’s rewind and break this down.

The Crime? Parking Like a Regular Human Being

It was a hot summer night when Kendrick Crawford pulled into a parking lot to enter an address into his GPS. That’s it. That’s the crime. But apparently, backing in and out of a parking space was enough to trigger the Baytown Police Department’s “suspicion sensors.”

The officers approached Crawford, grilling him like he was the main suspect in a bank heist.

• “Have you been drinking?”

• “Got any weapons in the car?”

• “Any drugs? Kilos? Birds?” (Yes, they actually asked if he had birds. What kind of cartel nonsense is this?)

Crawford, being a law-abiding citizen, answered truthfully. No booze. No guns. No drugs. No birds. But that wasn’t enough. The cops decided to search his car anyway—and found absolutely nothing.

The “Nervous” Excuse

Now, here’s where things get ridiculous. The officers claimed Crawford was acting nervously during the search.

Oh, you mean like any normal person would when surrounded by armed officers who are treating them like a criminal for literally no reason? Yeah, that tracks.

Crawford, understandably frustrated, started asking questions. “What’s the problem?” he asked. And that’s when things took a violent turn.

The Brutality Begins

Instead of answering his very reasonable question, the officers pinned him to the ground, handcuffed him, and tased him while he screamed, “Please don’t kill me!”

Let that sink in. A man who had committed no crime was begging for his life because police officers decided his parking job was suspicious.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, they charged him with felony assault on a public servant—claiming he had scratched one of the officers during the scuffle.

Oh, please. That’s like punching someone in the face and then suing them because your knuckles hurt.

The Aftermath: Indictments & Lawsuits

Crawford was hospitalized after the attack, his face stitched up, his ribs aching, and his hand partially numb from the injuries. But justice, for once, decided to show up.

In July 2021, a Harris County grand jury indicted three officers—Teddy Sims, Samuel Surette, and Shane Dunlap—for first-degree felony aggravated assault. Their bonds were set between $60,000 and $75,000, and they were slapped with conditions like no contact with Crawford, no drugs or alcohol, and wearing GPS ankle monitors.

Crawford, determined to hold them accountable, filed a lawsuit against the officers and the city for false imprisonment, conspiracy, and fabricating evidence. But in a frustrating twist, the case was dismissed due to procedural issues—his legal team failed to serve the defendants on time.

So, after all that, the officers got indicted, but Crawford’s lawsuit was thrown out. Justice? What's your opinion?

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about Kendrick Crawford. This is about policing in America—where officers can harass, brutalize, and falsely charge someone over absolutely nothing.

• Parking suspiciously? That’s not a crime.

• Being nervous? Not a crime.

• Asking questions? Definitely not a crime.

Yet, Crawford was beaten, tased, and charged—all because a few cops decided they didn’t like the way he pulled into a parking space.

And let’s be real: Would this have happened if Crawford were white? You already know the answer.

The Bottom Line

This case is a textbook example of why people don’t trust the police. People have mixed feelings about movements like Black Lives Matter. It may seem like something that would separate us more. Some of us believe things are not that bad anymore because we've had a black president, and there are many very successful people of all ethnicities. This is a reminder that just because we don't all experience something doesn't mean it's not there. We have got to demand police reform. Because if a man can be brutalized over parking, what does that say about the system?

Kendrick Crawford deserved better. And so does every person who’s been harassed, beaten, or killed by police for no damn reason.

Baytown PD? Do better.