A Facebook video posted by Kendrick Bates appears to show two officers from the Sour Lake Police Department restraining him against a white pickup truck in his residential driveway. Bates, a Black man in Texas, stated in the post’s caption that the officers came into his driveway after claiming he ran two stop signs. He added that they arrived in an unmarked vehicle, did not initially identify themselves, and did not turn on emergency lights.
In the video, a woman who is filming repeatedly questions the officers’ actions and tells them to be gentle with Bates. One officer, wearing a green shirt and brown pants, is seen with an arm around Bates’s neck and shoulder area while another officer in a light purple shirt and khaki pants stands nearby. Bates says in the video that he was already in the driveway when the officers arrived and that they told him to put his hands behind his back.
Bates claimed the officers pinned him against the truck, put their hands around his throat, and searched his pockets without asking for consent. He stated that he tried to tell them they could not do that and that he would contact a judge. According to the caption, one officer responded, “Call mark ames, i am the police chief. Deal with me.”
City officials state officers moved to non-patrol duties during independent review
In the video, the woman filming shouts, “Hey, get your hands off of his neck!” and later says, “Why is your hand on his neck? Why are you throwing him against the truck?” She states she has it on camera. The police chief is heard saying, “I’m the police chief, so deal with me,” and tells her to step back on the porch. Bates mentions an address, 465 West Barkley, and the woman urges him to give the officers his wallet while saying she loves him.
The woman continues to call for more police and states she is also calling 911. Bates explains again that he was already parked in his driveway when the officers rolled up. The video ends with him in handcuffs as the woman asks the officers to let go of him because he is not going to do anything.
The City of Sour Lake released a statement on October 7, 2026, on their Facebook page, saying it is aware of an incident involving the Sour Lake Police Department. Officials stated that the city is taking the matter seriously and looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The statement said the city has reached out to a neighboring law enforcement agency and the Texas Rangers for an independent review.
During the investigation, the officers involved will be assigned to non-patrol duties, according to the city. Officials added that the city has no further comments at this time because it is an ongoing investigation.
Bates later shared the statement on Facebook and wrote that he had made many multiple attempts and left voicemails to the Texas Rangers but had yet to receive any response. He claimed Sour Lake PD was able to get in touch with them with no problem. His case echoes other stories of police encounters going wrong for Black men, including one who was falsely accused of stealing a phone after going to police for help.
Bates also shared a GoFundMe link in a later post. He wrote, “I started a GoFundMe to help afford a lawyer and legal fees. Please donate if you can thank you.” The page, titled “Standing with Kendrick in His Fight for Justice,” showed $7,820 raised of an $11,000 goal from 236 donations.
In the comment section, some viewers questioned whether the officers’ actions matched the alleged traffic violation. One commenter argued that running a stop sign does not give police the authority to handcuff someone and then search them, writing, “Running a stop sign doesn’t give law enforcement authority to hand cuffs you and then search you. It’s a easy win for this guy in court.”
Another viewer focused on the use of an unmarked vehicle. They claimed unmarked law enforcement vehicles are not allowed to make traffic stops for that reason, stating, “Unmarked law enforcement vehicles are not allowed to make traffic stops for that very reason.” Complaints about officers trailing drivers home are not new, as one Illinois woman said an officer followed her home for no apparent reason.
A third commenter suggested the response appeared excessive for the claimed offense. They wrote, “That could’ve been a ticket in the mail, I don’t know why they’re acting like the caught the most wanted. I guess the side effects of the badge.”
Published: Oct 15, 2026 11:45 am