Michael Jennings has served as pastor of the Vision of Abundant Life Ministries for more than 30 years about 45 miles southeast of Birmingham in Sylacauga, Alabama. He's well-known in his community, and he's friends with his neighbors, CBS-affiliated WIAT reported. He's such a good friend that his neighbor asked him to water his flowers while the family was out of town, Jennings told the news station.
He agreed, not knowing that the decision would land him in jail. Jennings is a Black man.
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“You see all the people, Blacks being arrested for some of the most silly stuff, but being arrested for watering flowers? It was embarrassing,” he told WIAT.
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The incident stated when Jennings returned home from church on Sunday and went to water his neighbor's roses, the news station reported. Another neighbor called the police, reporting a suspicious person.
Jennings later learned that the neighbor who called police actually knew him, but she said she didn’t recognize him when she called, WIAT reported.
When officers from the Childersburg Police Department arrived, Jennings explained what he was doing and told officers he lived across the street. They still asked him for identification.
“’No, I don’t have to give no ID because there ain’t no crime been committed,' I said, ‘but what I will do is I’ll tell you I am Pastor Jennings and I live right across the street right there and I said you can go ask my wife,’” Jennings told WIAT, recounting his conversation with the officers.
He then continued watering the flowers, and a sergeant was called to the scene. That's when the situation began to spiral.
“He came up screaming at me,” Jennings told ABC-affiliated WVTM. “’You need to shut up. Shut your mouth.’ Like, you don’t tell me to shut up, boy.”
Jennings said he didn’t want to get his ID because he probably would’ve ended up with bullets in his back.
He was arrested even though the woman who called police told officers she had made a mistake and pleaded with them not to detain Jennings, WVTM reported.
Jennings was charged with obstructing governmental operations, booked at the Talladega County Jail, and later released. Described as belligerent in the police report, Jennings admitted he wasn't happy about the encounter because he feels he was arrested without cause.
“Last I checked, watering roses ain’t no crime,” Jennings told WIAT.
Childersburg Police Chief Rick McClelland told WVTM a full investigation would be conducted. Jennings plans on fighting the charge against him.
He started to tear up when he thought about talking to his son about the encounter. Jennings said even with an education, “it don’t matter.”
