Nationwide — Jafari Stewart, a 39-year-old African American man from Huntsville, Texas, was acquitted of felony charges accusing him of assaulting two police officers during a 2025 welfare check. His son’s video of the arrest became a key part of his defense.
The case began on March 28, 2025, when two officers went to Stewart’s home following a reported concern about children. Stewart said a downstairs neighbor had called police about a noise complaint, but he was not home at the time. His three children were also staying with a neighbor.
When Stewart returned, he told the officers that everything was fine but refused to let them inside. He said the officers then entered his home and tried to arrest him. Prosecutors later accused him of spitting in one officer’s face and shoving another during the struggle.
According to Atlanta Black Star, Stewart’s son recorded part of the encounter, allowing jurors to see what happened during the arrest. His attorney, Benjamin Jefferies, said both officers’ body cameras fell during the struggle and failed to capture the alleged assault. The recordings also did not contain audio showing Stewart spitting or shoving an officer.
After spending 16 months fighting the felony charges, Stewart was acquitted last month. He said, “Without that video, I would have been in jail, or I’d have had to take a plea deal for a charge that I didn’t commit and would have ruined any hope that I had to ever be a cop or anything else.”
He still faces misdemeanor charges for resisting arrest and failure to identify. Stewart had hoped to become a police officer himself and said a felony conviction could have ended that goal.