MIDLAND, Texas — The City of Midland is working to move forward after video of a Midland man's arrest went viral last week.
Tye Anders, his family and civil rights attorney believe the 21-year-old was targeted and ultimately wrongfully arrested. The video has spurred divided conversations in town.
District 2 City Councilman John Norman says enough is enough and it is time we address the elephant in the room, no matter how hard that may be.
In order to do this, the city is hosting a community conversation at the Martin Luther King Community Center Thursday night from 6-8 p.m.
The community conversation is open to the public and is intended to give people a voice and an opportunity for them to be heard.
The District 2 city councilman, who represents the only minority-majority in Tall City, tells NewsWest 9 that the first step to fixing a complicated problem like this is to listen and try to understand.
“The things that have happened this past week I believe have opened the door for us to sit at the table and come together," Norman said. "This first one is for city leaders not just to respond, but listen, and understand.”
That mindset is also why Norman pushed for police to release dash cam and body cam footage.
Moving forward, Norman says it is time to give people in his district a voice, an opportunity where they can look someone in the eye and have a conversation.
He believes not everyone understands the issues minority populations may face in Midland.
“It’s important that a lot of people listen to the residents because a lot of people just don’t know," Norman said.
No matter how awkward or intense the community conversation may be, Norman says it needs to happen.
“Race is a huge issue that a lot of people don’t want to talk about," Norman said. "We need to come to the table and talk like civilized adults and bridge that gap.”
While the video has spurred polarizing conversation, Norman believes this could serve as a learning opportunity for everyone.
“I’m up for the challenge," Norman said. "I knew going into it there would be challenges and hard times ahead but that’s what I signed up for.”
The community conversation will be at the MLK Community Center Thursday from 6 - 8 p.m.
Some of the community leaders that will be there include:
- Midland Mayor, Patrick Payton
- Midland Police Chief, Seth Herman
- City Manager, Courtney Sharp
- District Attorney, Laura Nodolf
NewsWest 9 will be livestreaming the session on our website and on Facebook.