George Zimmerman attorney now representing Fort Worth’s Jacqueline Craig – WFAA

Ryan Osborne, Star-Telegram , WFAA 12:49 PM. CDT May 27, 2017

Defense counsel Mark O'Mara addresses the jury during closing arguments in George Zimmerman's murder trial July 12, 2013 in Sanford, Florida. (Photo: Joe Burbank-Pool/Getty Images), Custom)

FORT WORTH, Texas -- High-profile Florida attorney Mark OMara is now representing Jacqueline Craig, the black Fort Worth woman whose arrest by a white officer in December sparked accusations of racism and led to widespread criticism of the police department.

OMara, who was in Fort Worth on Friday meeting with the Craig family, is best known for representing George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch leader who was acquitted in 2013 in the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin.

In Craigs case, she had called police to report an assault on her son. As tensions rose between her and the responding officer, William Martin, she and her teenage daughter were wrestled to the ground and arrested.

OMara said he wanted to partner with her other attorney, Lee Merritt, to work collaboratively with the city of Fort Worth to address Craigs concerns.

Craig, Merritt and their supporters have called repeatedly for the firing of Martin, who arrested Craig in the viral incident and was later suspended for 10 days. They have also sought harsher charges against her neighbor, Itamar Vardi. He was cited for misdemeanor assault of Craigs son.

More recently, Craig and others in the black community have called for the firing of Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald, who last week demoted high-ranking officers Abdul Pridgen and Vance Keyes for leaking Martins bodycam video of Craigs arrest and his personnel file.

Pridgens and Keyes supporters have argued that they were being targeted in the leak investigation because they are black.

OMara said he was intrigued by Craigs case after watching the video of her arrest. The clip, which went viral on Facebook, showed Martin pointing his Taser at Craig and her daughters and wrestling them to the ground.

It also showed Martin asking Craig, Why dont you teach your son not to litter?

When Craig said littering does not give the neighbor the right to touch her son, Martin responded, Why not?

I was pretty frustrated by the video I saw, OMara said. Nobody can look at that video and say thats the way Martin should have acted.

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George Zimmerman attorney now representing Fort Worth's Jacqueline Craig - WFAA

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