Groves, Texas – A pregnant Black woman, Akia Townes, says she was unfairly targeted and ticketed by police while walking down her own street to look for her lost dog. The incident, which took place on Wednesday in Groves, has gone viral on social media and sparked outrage over what many are calling racial profiling and excessive use of power by law enforcement.
What Happened on Madison Boulevard?
Akia Townes was walking just two houses away from her home on Madison Boulevard when two police officers stopped her. According to her, the officers approached her with their hands on their guns and asked for her ID.
Townes explained that she was simply trying to find her lost dog. However, police gave her a ticket for walking on the wrong side of the road. According to Texas law, if there is no sidewalk, pedestrians must walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic. Townes was walking on the right side.
Husband Films the Incident
Her husband, Brad Townes, who is white, started recording the encounter on his phone. In the video, he can be heard repeatedly saying: “Can’t walk while Black in Groves.”
Akia can also be heard saying: “They’ve got crackheads and robbers out here, but they’re worried about arresting a pregnant Black woman just for looking for her dog.”
Racial Profiling Allegations
Akia said the way officers treated her felt threatening. “It was just an excessive force of power. You could have just said, ‘Hey ma’am, what are you doing?’ But instead, you threatened to arrest both me and my husband,” she told KFDM.
She later wrote on Facebook, “I felt I was racially profiled while walking down my own street. I will forever be traumatized from this. I no longer feel safe—not from neighbors, but from the police.”
Legal Support and Community Reaction
Akia has hired a lawyer to fight the ticket. Her attorney, Langston Adams, believes the stop and ticket were racially motivated. He pointed out that Brad, who was also walking on the wrong side of the road, was not ticketed.
“This looks like selective enforcement. They used her walking on the wrong side of the road as an excuse to stop her,” he said.
The case has gained national attention and sparked conversations about race, policing, and how laws are applied differently depending on a person’s background.
Police Department Responds
In response to public criticism, Groves City Marshal Chris Robin released a statement saying the department does not tolerate any form of discrimination and that all enforcement actions follow the law.
“Officers must ensure public safety and apply the law fairly—without bias or prejudice,” Robin said. He also added that any allegations of misconduct are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.