The Fort Worth Police Department in Texas said an officer’s warning to a street evangelism group during a recent LGBT pride event did not accurately reflect the department’s position after video of the encounter spread online.
The city of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department reviewed the incident, which occurred June 27 at Trinity Pride Fest in downtown Fort Worth. Video of the exchange showed an unidentified female officer warning two members of a street preaching team that they could face enforcement action over speech deemed offensive.
The footage shows police preventing Rich Penkoski and David Grisham from entering the sidewalk area when they arrived at the event.
As the group questioned officers while being directed to an area beyond police barricades, the female officer can be heard saying, “If someone is offended by your talking, then we have a problem. ... If they are offended by your speech, OK, I will write you a ticket, and we’ll go from there.”
Grisham later received a citation for “unreasonable noise,” though officials did not provide additional details at the time. Fort Worth’s city website says its “unreasonable noise” ordinance is “intended to apply to, but is not limited to” noise associated with animals or construction activity.
Following widespread attention to the video, Fort Worth Police spokesman Officer Buddy Calzada told The Christian Post that the department had begun reviewing the incident.
In an update Wednesday, Calzada said city and police officials “carefully reviewed the incident” and determined that the encounter began after someone, apparently connected to the street preaching group, “was using a bullhorn to amplify their voice.”
Police said officers responded after receiving noise complaints from nearby business owners. The person using the bullhorn was warned that continued use of the device could result in a citation for “making an unreasonable noise” under the city ordinance.
When the warning was not followed, officers issued a citation and the bullhorn was “seized as evidence.”
Calzada rejected claims that the officer shown in the video violated the First Amendment rights of the street preaching group.
“At no time did officers prevent any individuals from expressing their views,” he said in a statement shared with CP. “Officers told the individuals they could continue exercising their rights without using an amplification device. However, the individuals willingly ceased protesting after the bullhorn was seized as part of the enforcement action.”
Calzada said the viral video “captures only a portion of the interactions between the officer and the individuals involved,” while acknowledging that FWPD “acknowledges that an officer involved in the incident made certain statements that were not accurate.”
He did not elaborate on which statements were inaccurate.
In response to the incident, Calzada said FWPD will provide “refresher training” for officers and new trainees on “First Amendment protections and related legal issues for persons expressing free speech, protesters, and other similar activities.”
The Fort Worth Police Department has faced previous challenges over citations issued to Christian preachers in public areas. In 2024, a resident cited for violating a noise ordinance during a street evangelism outreach at the Fort Worth Stockyards was acquitted by a jury after contesting the citation in court.
