An Alabama pastor was arrested after watering his neighbor’s flowers.  Michael Jennings is a preacher at Vision of Abundant Life Ministries in Sylacauga and has been in ministry for over 30 years.

“My neighbor goes out of town a lot and they wanted me to watch their house and keep their flowers watered,” Jennings said.

After church services Jennings went over to his neighbor’s house to water the roses. Another neighbor did not recognize who he was and called police to report a suspicious person on the property. Officers came to the scene and made contact with Jennings, who didn’t have his identification with him. Jennings says he did tell the officers who he was and why he was there according to WHNT.

“He said, ‘Give me some ID’, I said ‘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 said.

Jennings continued to water the plants, and he was detained. A third officer, identified as a sergeant, came to the scene, and that’s when the pastor said everything escalated.

“He got out of the car. He’s already fired up. I’m telling them, ‘You’re making a mistake, this is wrong what y’all are doing,’” Jennings said. He said the sergeant yelled back “’Shut up and listen. You talk too much.’ I said ‘You don’t tell me to shut up boy. I’m a grown man,’ ‘You going to jail, that’s it. Lock him up.’”

According to the police incident report, officers claimed Jennings was belligerent and walking away from police and threatened a lawsuit for racial profiling.

“I think it was profiling and because I did not talk to them the way they wanted me to talk to them, it made them angry and they decided we are going to arrest him,” Jennings said.

The neighbor who called police told officers that she made a mistake and asked them not to arrest Jennings once she realized he was her friend and neighbor. The woman’s account is detailed in the incident report, however, Jennings was still charged with obstructing governmental operations.

The pastor was booked into the Talladega County jail and later released.

“Last I checked, watering roses ain’t no crime,” Jennings said.

Childersburg Police Chief Rick McClelland said he was just getting caught up to speed on some of the details. McClelland promised a full investigation into the matter. When asked if there was any reason that Jennings was required to show ID, McClelland said it would have depended on the situation.

Jennings says he’s praying for the officers involved and believes the officers involved need more training.

“You see all the people, blacks being arrested for some of the most silly stuff, but being arrested for watering flowers? It was embarrassing. In the middle of the neighborhood with all the disrespect I got, being handcuffed and took off, neighbors down there was coming out they house,” Jennings said.

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