[Peace-discuss] More questions/Lori's trial

[jencart]

Having attended Lori's trial and heard evidence from both sides, my questions are --

1. Why didn't any of the officers act as soon as they saw the pro-war couple enter the buffer zone and then the pro-peace zone?  It would seem that they had time to do this.  They could have prevented the woman's sticking the camera in pro-peace faces while making nasty statements, Lori from grabbing the camera, the man from hitting Lori, Lori from stomping the camera.....Aren't police charged w/ keeping the peace?  Their choices re when and how to intervene are extremely troubling to me.....

2. Why on earth did the unusually garbed (shorts and yellow shirt/official police bike uniform) officer tackle (yeah, even the prosecuting attorney used that term!) Lori for what was a minor infraction of the law -- wouldn't it have made sense for him to approach her from the front w/ his pad and pen, id himself as Officer Willis, move between Lori and the camera, tell her to back off? Take down her name, tell her the charge, give her a tcket/summons to appear in court to answer for her behavior? Take down names of witnesses, tell the crowd to disperse..... End of story, Lori would plead guilty to assault or misdemeanor/plea bargain for the lesser charge, pay her fine, court costs, lawyer's fee..... Lori would still apologise to AWARE, and we ALL would've learn a lesson, esp those of us honest enough to admit that we could have reacted as Lori did -- or worse..... BTW, testimony in court did not deal w/ the appropriateness of police actions/reactions 
but w/ whether or not Officer Willis said "Police" before tackling Lori -- 3 officers say he DID plus testified he said she was "under arrest."  Lori and her witnesses say he did NOT id himself before or after he tackled her and never said she was "under arrest.. Lori tho't it was a pro-war guy -- prob assumed an officer wouldn't do anything so totally inappropriate and stupid.... When she saw a reg uniform pants leg to the side of her -- still pinned under Officer Willis -- she realized her "attacker" was actually a policeman, finally got her L arm free, allowed herself to be cuffed and led to the squad car w/o resisting.  BTW, BOTH sides agree to this, the "resisting arrest" charge was whether or not Lori knew the 275 lbs on top of her was an officer AND that she was under arrest, and was trying to keep her L arm under her to avoid being arrested. 

3. What kind of 275 lb yahoo -- supposedly trained to remain impartial, defuse violatile situations, behave calmy, rationally and appropriately -- tackles a woman, knocks her to the ground, pins her w/ his L knee in her back for stomping on a camera, such a minor infraction?  What's he gonna do if he thinks someone is actually dangerous and needs to be restrained -- club or shoot them?  Officer Willis  gives the Champaign Police a bad name and should be removed from the force @ once, he's not man enough for the job, and the officers and department who backed him should be ashamed  of themselves.....
Hope this results in staff training and some serious weeding out....

4. Why was Lori charged w/ resisting arrest?  W/ 275 lb Officer Willis pinning her w/ his L knee in her back (as per his testimony) how was she supposed to free her L arm which was pinned underneath her?  
No one on either side argues that once freed from the officer's tonnage she allowed herself to be handcuffed and went willing into the squad car.

5. And, even afer the tackle and pin, why were the handcuffs and squad car necessary?  Again an op for Officer Willis to get out that ticket book and write her up, etc.

6. Doug, I assume that you were not present @ the actual event or trial?  I think, had you been @ either, you'd have a very different take on all this.  

Jenifer C.