Texas police admit officer made inaccurate First Amendment remarks after preacher cited at Pride event
The Fort Worth Police Department acknowledged that an officer made "certain statements that were not accurate" during a viral encounter last month with a Christian street preacher outside a Pride festival, while maintaining that the citation he received stemmed from the use of a bullhorn that allegedly violated the city's noise ordinance, not the content of the preacher's speech.
According to the department, officers responded to a June 27 incident at Trinity Pride Fest, after nearby business owners complained that the amplified sound disrupted their operations and drove away customers.
Police said the preacher was warned that continued use of the bullhorn would violate the city's noise ordinance before ultimately receiving a disorderly conduct citation after continuing to use the device.
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A video posted on X on July 8 by Rich Penkoski, who identifies himself on his social media as a Christian street preacher, said, "Fort Worth Police officer says calling a biological male a male is a gray area that could be citable at some point and then says he can't do anything about half naked men running around children at pride."
In the video, a male Fort Worth police officer said calling a biological male a "sir" is a "gray area" and that he would potentially ticket people for "offensive" language.
Penkoski appeared in another July 8 video he reposted on X from Libs of TikTok where a female officer said, "If someone is offended by your talking, then we have a problem."
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"You're going to ticket us for 'offensive' speech?" a man asked the female officer in the video.
"Yes, absolutely," the female cop responded, saying it was called disorderly conduct.
In another video posted on X on July 9 by the male Fort Worth Police Department officer, Penkoski wrote, "Did the Fort Worth Police set us up for a citation? Sure looks like it."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department said, "The City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department recognize that incidents involving First Amendment activity require thoughtful consideration and understanding of the law."
"In response to an incident that took place on Saturday, June 27, at Trinity Pride Fest, the City and FWPD have carefully reviewed the incident, officer response and resulting social media posts," the spokesperson added.
According to the Fort Worth Police Department, the preacher outside the festival used a bullhorn that nearby business owners said disrupted their operations and drove away customers. Officers warned the individual that continued use of the amplification device would violate the city's noise ordinance. After the person continued using the bullhorn, police issued a disorderly conduct citation, seized the device as evidence, and said the individual remained free to continue protesting without amplification.
"FWPD remains committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all individuals, regardless of the content or viewpoint of their speech," the department said in its statement. "A video that has circulated online captures only a portion of the interactions between the officer and the individuals involved. FWPD acknowledges that an officer involved in the incident made certain statements that were not accurate."
The department continued, "The City of Fort Worth Law Department will provide refresher training to Fort Worth Police Officers and new trainees on First Amendment protections and related legal issues for persons expressing free speech, protesters, and other similar activities. FWPD continuously strives to improve its procedures to ensure both constitutional rights and public safety are protected."
In a Thursday post on X, Penkoski wrote, "Police officers have been violating preachers' 1st amendment rights for years. This isn't new, we just got it on video, and they can't walk it back or deny it," with a stop emoji and a film emoji.
"As a street preacher, it is not my job to coddle anyone or go soft on sin," Penkoski continued. "People are dying and going to hell everyday and we have to warn them. The Bible tells us on some have compassion and others win with fear. The Bible also says God will send a cruel messenger to those in rebellion. ???????? Please support street preachers."
In a Friday X post, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon reposted one of the videos about the incident and wrote, "Troubling. Our @CivilRights team is on it."
Fox News Digital reached out to Penkoski for comment but did not immediately receive a response.