Police Harrass Texas Black Woman for Walking on Wrong Side of Road

Police Harrass Texas Black Woman for Walking on Wrong Side of Road, Her White Husband Not Questioned

Nationwide — A now-viral video shows police in Groves, Texas detaining Akia Townes, an African American woman, for walking on the wrong side of the road while her white husband Brad Townes, who was walking beside her, was not stopped or even questioned. The couple is demanding an apology, calling the incident racially motivated.

Brad and Akia Townes were searching for their lost dog near their home in Groves, Texas, on April 2 when two officers approached them. Brad recorded the encounter, which quickly gained attention online. Officers claimed Akia violated a traffic rule by walking on the right side of a road that had no sidewalk. Under Texas law, pedestrians must walk facing traffic on such roads.

In the video, Brad is heard saying, “Can’t walk while Black in Groves,” as Akia is questioned and asked to show her ID. She says both officers approached with their hands on their guns. Moments later, she was told she was being detained. Brad, who wasn’t stopped or ticketed, said, “This is ridiculous.”

As tensions rose, backup arrived. Four officers ended up on the scene, including two still in training. Akia received a ticket for the violation. The couple has since hired an attorney to fight the citation.

“It’s just very an excessive force of power for me just trying to go and find my dog,” Akia told KFDM. “You could have easily said, ‘Hey, ma’am,’ and I could have explained to you what I was trying to do, but then you threatened my husband and threatened me to go to jail.”

“I feel like they looked and saw an easy target, and nobody was going to come and defend and nobody was going to come help,” Akia’s husband Brad added.

The Groves Police Department later shared that eight tickets for the same offense had been issued since January 2023 — five to white individuals, two to Asians, and one to a Black person. City Marshal Chris Robin said the department doesn’t tolerate racism and wants to prevent minor incidents from escalating.

The couple’s attorney, Langston Adams, believes the stop was racially motivated. “It’s not a question of whether she was breaking the law. We believe it’s selective enforcement and racial profiling. Why didn’t the husband get a ticket?” he asked. “I believe they used her walking on the wrong side of the road as a pretext to stop her.”