COMMERCE, Texas – An outside investigation commissioned by an East Texas city reports it found no wrongdoing in the arrest of Miss Black Texas 2016.
Carmen Ponder says Commerce police arrested her after a confrontation with a motorist who made a racist and sexist comment toward her. Ponder identified the driver as Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews. She says officers arrested her as she left a Wal-Mart and told her to apologize to Crews, which she refused.
The Fort Worth law firm Lynn, Ross and Gannaway found no evidence that Crews made any racial statements to Ponder or to anyone else.
Ponder's attorney, Lee Merritt, says the investigation failed to address Ponder's allegation that Crews had her arrested illegally.
Crews has been on administrative leave since the allegations surfaced May 25.
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