In a blatant affront to free speech, Dallas police officers arrested two Christian street preachers for simply sharing their faith on a public sidewalk near a Mavericks game. The incident, captured on video, has ignited outrage and prompted swift action from Texas lawmakers who vow to hold the department accountable.
With the video going viral, State Rep. Harrison is leading the charge, ensuring this violation doesn’t slide in a state that prides itself on freedom.
The footage shows the preachers peacefully evangelizing before officers intervene. One preacher questions the escalating situation: “Twice, you only told me twice?”
A police officer arrests two street preachers for preaching on a public sidewalk during a Mavericks vs Pistons game. pic.twitter.com/yGBwJUW39W
— Don Keith (@RealDonKeith) December 23, 2025
As tensions rise, an officer directs: “Go over there with him.” The preacher presses for clarity: “So what’s the charge officer?”
The response comes quick: “Right now interference in public duties.”
A preacher affirms their location: “We’re on public property right here?”
The officer retorts: “This is not about Public Property.”
State Rep. Harrison blasted the arrests, noting “My office will be demanding answers from Dallas PD. The 1st amendment must not be violated in Texas.”
My office will be demanding answers from @DallasPD.
— Brian Harrison (@brianeharrison) December 24, 2025
The 1st amendment must not be violated in Texas.
Cc: @GregAbbott_TX @DanPatrick @HarmeetKDhillon https://t.co/G9pCjY0Mzi
Harrison is escalating the matter by involving Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General candidate Amandeep Dhillon, signaling a top-level probe into whether Dallas PD trampled on protected speech.
This pushback aligns with broader concerns over selective enforcement. As social media users pointed out, similar gatherings—like Muslim prayers—might receive protection rather than handcuffs. The disparity fuels suspicions of anti-Christian bias in this case.
A report from Vision Christian Media details similar wrongful arrests in Chicago and New York, where preachers faced charges later dropped due to First Amendment violations.
In those cases, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) sued, arguing cities are chilling evangelism through unlawful detentions. ACLJ Associate Counsel Liam Harrell noted: “They weren’t causing disruption. They weren’t blocking traffic. They weren’t threatening anyone… They were simply proclaiming truth… And for that, they were handcuffed and taken into custody.”
This underscores a troubling pattern: big-city cops targeting street preachers under vague pretexts like “interference” or permit requirements, only for cases to crumble under scrutiny.
In Dallas, the preachers were outside American Airlines Center during a Mavericks vs. Pistons game, a public space where free expression should thrive. Yet officers cited “interference with public duties,” a charge that appears flimsy given the video evidence of peaceful activity.
Critics argue this reflects deeper issues in Democrat-run cities, where progressive policies erode traditional freedoms while favoring imported ideologies.
The arrests could lead to lawsuits under Section 1983 for civil rights violations, as suggested by online commentators. Gov. Abbott, a staunch defender of conservative principles, has previously intervened in free speech matters, and Dhillon’s involvement could amplify the legal pressure.
This incident arrives amid national debates over religious liberty, especially as Christmas approaches. The First Amendment isn’t negotiable.
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I am a hard core conservative but, I align with the left on one issue. Fuck the police. I resent any presumed authority over my life and actions. It is ridicules that just because someone filled out an application and took some class that they be given a gun and allowed to tell people what to do. Work in “Law enforcement”, or any employment position that endows one with authority, priests, teachers, doctors and politicians, attracts psychopaths.