DOJ Launches Investigation After Forth Worth Cops Threaten to Ticket Christian Preacher

A few days ago, an incident between a Christian preacher and several cops in Fort Worth, TX went viral online.

The preacher, Rich Penkoski, was protesting at an LGBTQ ‘Pride’ event last month when he was approached by police who threatened to cite him for “offensive speech.”

Libs of TikTok called attention to this apparent violation of the preacher’s First Amendment rights, sharing some clips from the confrontation on X.

Watch for yourself here:

Female Texas Cop THREATENS to ticket a retired officer and Christian street preacher for "offensive speech"

Cop: "If someone is offended by your talking, then we have a problem…"

Man: "You're going to ticket us for 'offensive' speech?"

Cop: "Yes, I am"

This cop is blatantly… pic.twitter.com/qX0UjnRBSL

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 8, 2026

Ft Worth, Texas, police supervisor threatens to ARREST Christian @wfcpreacher if he attempts to preach in public space occupied by a Pride event, which is also free and open to the public.

Preacher: "So if we preach in here, we are going to be arrested for trespassing if we… https://t.co/1X0tgNE8g2 pic.twitter.com/AWLLE3IQl1

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 9, 2026

Another male cop who approached Penkoski told him that calling a biological male a male is a “gray area” of the law that could wind up with him in trouble.

When Penkoski brought up how problematic it is to try to cite him for this so-called “offensive” speech, but not the men at the event who were literally walking around half-naked in front of kids, the officer said that law enforcement cannot do anything about it.

Rich Penkoski himself uploaded footage of what these cop had to say:

Fort Worth Police officer says calling a biological male a male is a gray area that could be citable at some point and then says he can't do anything about half naked men running around children at pride@libsoftiktok @Carlos__Turcios @SarahisCensored @CJGRISHAM @coulterculture… pic.twitter.com/6Meqr7Xqz3

— Rich Penkoski (@WFCPreacher) July 9, 2026

How ridiculous is that?

Apparently, in Fort Worth, you can prance around in your underwear in front of young children, and police won’t do a thing about it.

But, how dare you call someone by their actual, biological sex?! Now, that’s where the cops draw the line!

In response to this absurdity, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon at the DOJ announced that an investigation has been launched into the matter:

Troubling. ✍🏽 Our @CivilRights team is on it. https://t.co/L78fWxCPam

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) July 10, 2026

In response to this controversial encounter, the Forth Worth Police Department is attempting to do damage control.

In a statement, they acknowledged that their officers made “certain statements that were not accurate” during the incident and claimed that the preacher got into trouble for using a bullhorn, rather than what he was saying.

Fox News shared:

The Fort Worth Police Department acknowledged that an officer made “certain statements that were not accurate” during a viral encounter last month with a Christian street preacher outside a Pride festival, while maintaining that the citation he received stemmed from the use of a bullhorn that allegedly violated the city’s noise ordinance, not the content of the preacher’s speech.

According to the department, officers responded to a June 27 incident at Trinity Pride Fest, after nearby business owners complained that the amplified sound disrupted their operations and drove away customers.

Police said the preacher was warned that continued use of the bullhorn would violate the city’s noise ordinance before ultimately receiving a disorderly conduct citation after continuing to use the device…

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth Police Department said, “The City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Police Department recognize that incidents involving First Amendment activity require thoughtful consideration and understanding of the law.”

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“In response to an incident that took place on Saturday, June 27, at Trinity Pride Fest, the City and FWPD have carefully reviewed the incident, officer response and resulting social media posts,” the spokesperson added.

According to the Fort Worth Police Department, the preacher outside the festival used a bullhorn that nearby business owners said disrupted their operations and drove away customers. Officers warned the individual that continued use of the amplification device would violate the city’s noise ordinance. After the person continued using the bullhorn, police issued a disorderly conduct citation, seized the device as evidence, and said the individual remained free to continue protesting without amplification.

“FWPD remains committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all individuals, regardless of the content or viewpoint of their speech,” the department said in its statement. “A video that has circulated online captures only a portion of the interactions between the officer and the individuals involved. FWPD acknowledges that an officer involved in the incident made certain statements that were not accurate.”

The department continued, “The City of Fort Worth Law Department will provide refresher training to Fort Worth Police Officers and new trainees on First Amendment protections and related legal issues for persons expressing free speech, protesters, and other similar activities. FWPD continuously strives to improve its procedures to ensure both constitutional rights and public safety are protected.”

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