Dallaspolice said officers acted within department policy during a viral encounter with street preachers outside the American Airlines Center last week, pushing back on online claims that the men were arrested for preaching on a public sidewalk.
The incident occurred Dec. 18 as fans arrived for an NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Detroit Pistons. Video circulating widely on social media shows officers handcuffing two men affiliated with the ministry “Testimonies of God” and seating them outside the arena. In the footage, an officer is heard saying the detention was for “interference with public duties,” while one preacher repeatedly asks why he is being arrested.
The video gained traction after it was shared by the conservative social media account Libs of TikTok on Dec. 23, drawing hundreds of thousands of views and sparking criticism of the police response. Supporters of the preachers argued the men were exercising their First Amendment rights, while others questioned the use of police resources amid concerns about crime in downtown Dallas…