MCKINNEY (1080 KRLD) - The McKinney city secretary has certified enough signatures for a recall election for Councilman La'Shadion Shemwell, who proclaimed a "Black State of Emergency" last year.
City Secretary Empress Drane told the McKinney city council she had certified 3,062 signatures on the petition that was turned in, about a thousand more than necessary.
Shemwell made the comments last year after Fort Worth police shot and killed Atatiana Jefferson inside her home.
"The State of Texas and its local governments have declared war on black and brown citizens by conspiring to kill, injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate, and to willfully deprive citizens of their constitutional rights while acting under color of law," Shemwell wrote in a proclamation he posted on Twitter October 15.
After the signatures were certified, Shemwell said he would not resign, saying he had been elected with 58% of the vote in 2017.
"This recall election is not just against me, it is to overturn the democratic will of the people, your democratic will," Shemwell said.
Some who spoke at the meeting say they support Shemwell.
"It's hard not to feel that the fix is in, that there is a coordinated effort to remove Councilmember Shemwell simply for speaking up for the Black citizens of McKinney and himself and sharing the feelings of fear felt by Black people in North Texas in response to police violence," said Alex Tliecki.
Others said Shemwell was bringing negative attention to McKinney, so they support a measure to remove him from office.
"I think you care more about making money with your activism than you do about this city, so I want you to go away and be an activist and let someone who cares about this city lead," said Lisa Perry.
The mayor of McKinney called Shemwell's cause "noble," but he said the city would not advance that cause with "false narratives and lies." Mayor George Fuller said he supports the recall.
"As much as people want to say it's about race, I've been hearing discontent within the community after a long pattern of behavior, long pattern of, quite frankly, lies, untruths and false narratives," Fuller said.
Shemwell said he would not resign. The recall will go before voters in May.
"I'm going to fight with every breath in my body, and I'll see you all in court," Shemwell said.