Texas Police Chief Kerry Crews is under investigation for an illegal arrest of 23-year-old Carmen Ponder, who is also Miss Black Texas U.S. Ambassador 2016. He allegedly called her a “black b***h” when he arrested her.

Ponder’s attorney Lee Merritt, recounts the incident on Facebook as he claims that Ponder was stuck behind an erratic driver who turned out to be a 14-year-old girl. Crews, who was off-duty, was illegally giving his daughter driving lessons according to his account. As Ponder signaled and went around the girl and Crews, she parked and entered a nearby Walmart when Crews “berated her with profanity.”

“The psychopath accosting her was police Chief Crews, who was (illegally) giving his 14 y/o driving lessons. Ever dignified and composed, Carmen ignored the tirade and continued into the store. Not use to being ignored, Crews continued, ‘Whatever you Black B****!’” writes Merritt.

He continues by saying that after Ponder walked out of the store, a plain clothed officer approached Ponder and as revealed Crews to be the Chief of Police in Commerce, Texas.

“A plain clothes unidentified officer wielding a badge informed her highness that the man she had pissed off was the chief of police and she had better apologize,” writes Merritt. “She declined and continued graciously toward her vehicle. The cop grabbed her and shouted you're not going anywhere, you're being detained. Carmen complied and used her cell phone to call the police. When they arrived (of course) they spoke with the other officers and was told Carmen was evading arrest (no idea for what) and she was handcuffed and taken into custody.”

Ponder, who is also a Hunt County District Attorney Intern told her side of the story to ABC affiliate WFAA.

"One of them showed me a badge and said, 'This here is my chief and what he says goes, and you’re going to apologize to him,'" Ponder said. "And I told him I was not going to apologize to him, I was going to continue walking to my car and I was going to go home.”

Ponder spent 24 hours in the Hunt County Jail before she was released on Sunday afternoon on a $1,000 bond.

A representative for the City of Commerce gave a statement on Thursday, denying Crew’s alleged involvement in the incident.

"Chief Crews became engaged in the incident after being approached by one of the parties," the representative stated. "Chief Crews made contact with the other party, but she failed to comply with his requests. As a result, she was arrested for evading arrest or detention when the responding officer arrived."

The chief has since been placed on leave as the city waits for results of the investigation.

Merritt is demanding for Crews' resignation and for criminal charges to be filed against him.

On Thursday night, Commerce’s city council unanimously approved the hiring of Lynn, Ross & Gannaway, which is a private Fort Worth-based firm, to hold the internal affairs investigation into the arrest.

Source: vibe.com