LEAGUE CITY — Activist Quanell X is calling on federal and state law enforcement agencies to investigate the alleged road rage assault of League City Mayor Toni Randall in Clear Lake Shores on Wednesday.
Police charged an African-American high school student with trying to force Randall off the road on her scooter and then shoving her to the ground when they confronted each other in a parking lot.
Quanell said that he is now advising Denshay Benson, 17, and his mother, who claim the mayor forced the confrontation by braking abruptly in front of him, following him into the parking lot, shouting racial slurs at him and pouring a drink on him.
Benson said he pushed Randall, but she didn’t fall to ground, his mother, Candace Ford, said.
Meghan McIntyre, Benson’s girlfriend and a passenger in his car, corroborated his story. Clear Lake Shores Police Chief Paul Shelley said other witnesses did not report hearing the racial slur. Shelley did not know what witnesses said about the drink.
Quanell said he would ask for a meeting next week with Shelley.
Randall has declined to comment on the allegations. Ford did not return messages seeking comment Friday. Benson remained in jail Friday on bonds totaling $10,000.
Quanell said he plans to send a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Public Safety and the Texas Rangers asking them to investigate the case “for the sake of transparency, for the appearance that things are being done fair and above board.”
He questioned why there appeared to be a rush to charge Benson with deadly conduct and assault causing bodily injury when the accounts from the mayor, and Benson and his girlfriend, differed so widely. Quanell said the case should have been presented to a grand jury to decide charges.
Shelley said the police did not give Randall special treatment. He also said Randall’s use of a racial slur would not have justified an assault.
“It’s immaterial to the case,” he said.
While the use of the racial epithet would not be illegal in this case, pouring the drink on Benson could be considered assault, South Texas College of Law Professor Gerald Treece said.
It is considered assault in Texas if someone intentionally causes physical contact that is offensive or provocative.
“It’s assault and battery to pour a drink on someone,” Treece said. “Just as I can’t come up and shake you, I can’t come up and throw a drink on you.”
Benson is accused of shoving Randall to the ground in the parking lot of Discount Tire, 405 FM 2094, about 2:30 p.m. after trying to force Randall off the road several times while she was on her trademark bright red motor scooter, Shelley said.
Police said Randall did follow Benson into the parking lot where the two argued, and Benson shoved her and fled, clipping another truck in the parking lot on his way out.
The other car was not damaged, Shelley said. Randall sustained bruises to her ribs. She was back at work Thursday.
Benson’s mother and his girlfriend said Benson was trying to get away from Randall, who had been braking sharply in front of him, when he pulled into the Discount Tire parking lot. Randall followed Benson into the parking lot, taunted him with racial slurs and poured a drink on him, his mother and girlfriend said. He pushed her because he was afraid, his mother said.
Benson, McIntyre, Randall and other witnesses gave statements to the police Wednesday. Police are withholding those statements because the case remains under investigation.
