Unity plea in arrest furor

AUSTIN, Texas — A black Texas teacher who was thrown to the ground by a white officer during a traffic stop, then told by another that blacks have “violent tendencies,” said Friday that she was grateful the police chief publicly apologized.

But Breaion King said Austin police must still change their culture and called for national unity after newly released patrol-car video of her June 15, 2015, arrest heightened racial tensions.

Officer Bryan Richter threw King to the ground in a parking lot after pulling her over for going 15 mph over the speed limit.

After a struggle, King was cuffed and driven to jail by Officer Patrick Spradlin, who told her, “I don’t blame” whites for being afraid of blacks.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo has condemned both cops’ actions. Both have been put on desk duty. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into Richter’s actions.

“If something is wrong, everyone needs to be held accountable,” King said. “So for me, I feel we’re starting to take the necessary steps for us to be able to come together as a community and the nation.”

King said Friday that she did not file a complaint because she did not know she could.

“What I did was I waited. I prayed,” she said.

In one of two videos, Spradlin asks King, “Why are so many people afraid of black people?”

“I can give you a really good idea why it might be that way,” he adds. “Violent tendencies.”