[Peace-discuss] Champaign police

Mon Nov 21 20:24:14 CST 2011

To: Champaign City Manager Steve Carter &
Members of the Champaign City Council:
Don Gerard, Mayor
Will Kyles
Michael La Due
Kyle Harrison
Marci Dodds
Paul Faraci
Thomas Bruno
Deborah Frank Feinen
Karen Foster

It seems that the incidents recounted in the appended letter should  
lead to the dismissal of the officers involved.

Residents of Champaign must no longer pay for abusive behavior by  
those whom we hire to protect the members of the community.

You cannot shirk your responsibility to administer the police in the  
interests of the members of the community. Nor can you allow any  
police organization - local, state, or federal - to exercise your  
responsibility: it is a principle of our government that, as James  
Madison wrote long ago, "No man is allowed to be a judge in his own  
cause, because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and,  
not improbably, corrupt his integrity. With equal, nay with greater  
reason, a body of men are unfit to be both judges and parties at the  
same time" (Federalist #10).

The recent record of the Champaign police is shameful: you must  
correct it.

Sincerely,

Drs. C. G. & L. S. Estabrook

=====================

[Attachment(s) from Fields, A Belden included below]

From: discuss-bounces at lists.communitycourtwatch.org [discuss-bounces at lists.communitycourtwatch.org 
] on behalf of Danielle Chynoweth [chyn at ojctech.com]
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 10:08 AM
To: C-U Citzens for Peace and Justice
Subject: [Discuss] Video of Champaign Police Choking Black Youth while  
in Handcuffs

Video of Champaign Police Choking Black Youth while in Handcuffs

http://www.ucimc.org/content/video-champaign-police-choking-black-youth-while-handcuffs

On June 5, 2011 Champaign police choked a 20 year old African-American  
man in the back seat of a squad car while he was in handcuffs. His  
crime? Asking why he had been stopped, roughed up, and pepper sprayed  
while walking in campus town.

Here is the video from the squad car of the entire 53 minute incident:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP76Oc3-fMw

The choking occurs at 2:31:25 am according to the time stamp, although  
the police begin to profile the man at 2:16:35. At 26:50:00 they pull  
up to several youth, nearly knocking them with their car. They grab  
the one youth who does not resist physically. At 2:27:08 they pepper  
spray him. 2:30:00 the youth continues to ask what he was doing and  
why he is under arrest.  He explains that he was helping his sister  
home. At 2:31:25am you hear him say "Do not touch me sir!" after which  
you can see an officer jump on him, grab him by the throat, and choke  
him.

This video release comes just weeks after 18 year old Calvin Miller  
showed up at City Hall on crutches with a swollen eye and bumps on the  
back of his head. Calvin said police beat him while in handcuffs.

Another Youth, Gary McFarland, showed up at a press conference about  
police abuse a few days later with his jaw wired shut. His statement  
was that police broke his jaw while after they pepper sprayed him,  
threw him to the ground and put him in handcuffs.

Unlike Calvin's case, the City of Champaign has refused to release the  
squad car video in the June 5th incident, but it was been obtained  
anonymously and posted here.

The youth in this video submitted a complaint to the city; it was  
considered unfounded. After escalating pressure about police abuse,  
the City Manager and States Attorney have asked the State Police to  
review if there was misconduct. The State Police do not have a history  
of providing independent investigation that is trusted by the community.

In a recent press conference, the City Manager refused to answer  
questions.