EDITORIAL | A SHEPHERD IS SHAKEN WHEN THE POLICE CROSS THE CHURCH LINE: A Pastor’s Plea for Justice, Healing, and Compassionate Trauma-Informed Action in Fort Worth’s 76104 — the Zip Code with the Lowest Life Expectancy in Texas.

“You cannot truly protect a people you do not respect.”“You cannot lead who you refuse to love.” Pastor Kyev Tatum

 

EDITORIAL |  A SHEPHERD IS SHAKEN WHEN THE POLICE CROSS THE CHURCH LINE: A Pastor’s Plea for Justice, Healing, and Compassionate Trauma-Informed Action in Fort Worth’s 76104 — the Zip Code with the Lowest Life Expectancy in Texas.

By Rev. Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas

Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas.

When the Shepherd Is Shaken.

On the evening of October 22, 2025, I was heading to Bible Study at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church—a sanctuary of faith and hope in Fort Worth’s 76104 community, the zip code with the lowest life expectancy in the entire state of Texas.

 

When I arrived, I saw multiple Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) vehicles—both marked and unmarked—parked along Lowden Street and on our private church property. As the Senior Pastor, I calmly approached the officers to ask why they were using our sacred grounds.

After identifying myself and asking respectfully for information, one officer appeared irritated. I then went around, parked on the church lot, and again asked to speak directly with him. That is when, in front of witnesses and neighbors, he said the words no public servant should ever utter:

“I’m not going to talk to that nigger. He’s an idiot.”

In that moment, hatred invaded holy ground. I began to sing hymns and pray aloud—not only for my own protection, but for the soul of a city that seems to have forgotten the sacred worth of human dignity.

A Community Crying Out for Healing

Our community is traumatized.

We are weary from years of harassment, intimidation, and racial hostility from those sworn to protect us.

Children flinch when they hear sirens.

Mothers pray their sons will make it home safely.

Elders hold their breath when police cars roll by.

And now, even pastors standing on church property are not immune from hatred and humiliation.

We are not only calling for accountability—we are pleading for treatment, for healing, and for love in action.

The trauma is real, and so must be the response.

When Faith Meets Force

This was not an isolated incident. It is part of a long and painful pattern of violence and disrespect that has haunted Fort Worth for years—one that has taken lives, stolen peace, and scarred families.

Atatiana Jefferson. Michael Jacob Jr. Carolyn Daniels. Noah Lopez. Kelvin Goldstein. Jermaine Darden. JaQuavion Slaton. Amara Malone.

Each name tells a story of grief and injustice that lingers in our streets and sanctuaries.

For more than forty years, we have worked to bridge divides between law enforcement and our community through faith-based reconciliation and civic engagement:

• The Community Peacemakers Program — training residents and officers in conflict resolution.

• The 3E Plan — a framework for Equity and Equality for Everyone.

• The Fun Over Guns Invitational — using sports to promote peace and purpose among youth.

• Partnership with the White House’s National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice.

We have also served on the Fort Worth Police Chief’s Policy Advisory Board, the District Attorney’s Advisory Board, and the Truancy Advisory Board—because I believe relationships, transparency, and dialogue are the foundation of lasting trust.

We have served two governors and four presidents, and I have been honored to represent my community at the highest levels of leadership and service.

Yet despite decades of bridge-building, I was met with disrespect, racism, and resistance—on the very ground where we preach forgiveness, hope, and love.

The Wrong Name, the Faulty Warrant

Adding to the heartbreak, I later learned that the warrant those officers were executing that night had the wrong name.

A family’s home was invaded. Their windows were shattered. Their peace destroyed. Their father—who suffers from dementia—was left terrified. The entire neighborhood remains traumatized.

When the power of the badge is combined with the poison of prejudice, policing no longer protects—it persecutes.

A Call for Compassionate Accountability

This is not just about one officer or one night—it is about the soul of our city and the spiritual sickness that allows injustice to persist unchecked.

We call for:

1. A full Internal Affairs investigation and the public release of all related body-camera footage.

2. Formal disciplinary action and a public apology to my congregation and community.

3. A public town hall meeting in 76104 to restore transparency, accountability, and trust.

4. A citywide review of warrant procedures to protect innocent families from harm.

5. A trauma recovery initiative—including mental health treatment, counseling, and restorative justice programs for communities repeatedly harmed by systemic aggression.

The Path Forward: Love Over Fear

Fort Worth must now decide what kind of city it wants to be.

Will we continue to police through fear and force, or will we lead through love and compassion?

Because the truth is simple and undeniable:

“You cannot truly protect a people you do not respect.”

“You cannot lead who you refuse to love.”

This is a defining moment for Fort Worth—a moment for moral courage, civic integrity, and compassionate action.

Let us transform pain into purpose and wounds into wisdom.

Let us build a city where justice and mercy walk side by side, where churches remain sanctuaries of safety, and where every citizen—regardless of color or income—can live free from fear.

Because when a shepherd is shaken, the flock suffers.

But when a city chooses love, everyone can heal.

 

About Rev. Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

 

Rev. Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and the Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church. A lifelong advocate for justice, education, and community empowerment, Pastor Tatum is the founder and president of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas.

Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has worked with local, state, and national leaders—including two governors and four U.S. presidents—to advance social equity, police reform, and trauma-informed community development.

A graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service, Pastor Tatum has led pioneering initiatives such as the Community Peacemakers Program, the 3E Plan for Equity and Equality for Everyone, Skills City, USA, and the Fun Over Guns Invitational.

He continues to serve as a moral voice for the voiceless—calling Fort Worth and America to live up to their highest ideals of faith, fairness, and freedom for all.