[Peace] march against police violence / unarmed 15 year old shot by Champaign Police - Thursday Oct 22 4pm

[Karen Medina]

NO MORE STOLEN LIVES!
We remember Kiwane Carrington, unarmed 15 year old shot by Champaign Police


Thursday, Oct. 22  *  March and Speak Out at Boys and Girls Club
Against Police Violence
as part of a National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality

4pm: Meet at Illinois Terminal for march to Champaign police station.
Wear black to end the violence.
5pm: Speak out at Boys and Girls Club to record personal testimonies
of police misconduct

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Friday October 9, 2009, two unarmed 15-year-olds, Kiwane Carrington
and another youth, were accosted by Champaign officers—including the
Chief of Police—at the place where Kiwane stayed. Kiwane was shot and
killed. The other was arrested, at first for burglary (charges since
dropped), and then for felony aggravated resisting a peace officer,
and was taken to jail.

Something is fundamentally wrong with police procedure where a
mistaken assumption about burglary leads to guns drawn, ransacking of
a home, and killing of a young person — with the Chief of Police
present!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CU Citizens for Peace and Justice are calling for:

Resignation of Champaign Police Chief R. T. Finney
Dropping of all charges against the arrested youth
Rewrite the new Use of Force Policies which allows police to shoot to
kill to "prevent the arrest from being defeated by resistance or
escape"
Independent Citizen Police Review Board with subpoena power.
No Tasers!
Protect our rights of freedom of movement.  Police need to stop racial
profiling, ID checks, forced "consent" searches, jay walking tickets,
and noise violations that have become the common form of harrassment
in North Champaign.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donations to the families, for burial and other expenses, are being accepted at:
Heartland Bank (specifcially for burial expenses)
Busey Bank (for assistance to the family)
The Whip Hair Design 904 N. 4th St., Champaign


CU Citizens calls for Finney's resignation at the City Council meeting
October 20, 2009:
http://www.ucimc.org/content/finney-must-resign-says-cu-citizens-peace-and-justice

Read the police new Use of Force Policy that allows for the police to
shoot to kill someone resisting or fleeing arrest:
www.ucimc.org/files/CPDUseOfForce1009.pdf


Champaign Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed 15 Year-old African American Youth

Champaign police say it will take a month for an investigation into
the “officer-involved shooting” of Kiwane Carrington, an unarmed 15
year-old African American youth. There has been an outpouring of
support for young Kiwane from friends and family who knew him. The
community anxiously awaits an answer to what happened that rainy
afternoon.

On Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, Champaign police responded to a reported
burglary on 906 W. Vine St. The first to arrive on the scene was
Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney who confronted two 15 year olds in
the backyard. Classes in the READY program that Kiwane attended were
cancelled that day for teacher instruction. Kiwane, whose mother
passed away last year from pancreatic cancer, was staying at his
aunt’s home. He had eaten breakfast there that morning. When he
arrived home in the afternoon, the house was locked and he had
forgotten his key. It was raining outside and the two were looking for
shelter.

When Chief Finney arrived at approximately 1:20 p.m., he knew only
that a neighbor had reported a burglary. Soon after, a witness
reportedly heard police yelling out, “Get on the ground. Get on the
ground.” It had been raining for two days and the ground was wet and
muddy. When one of the youth tried to walk away, Finney grabbed him
and a struggle ensued.

Another officer appeared on the scene, Daniel Norbits, a 14 year
veteran of the force. Although neither of the 15 year-old boys had a
weapon, Norbits apparently drew his gun and, according to a press
statement released Friday night by Champaign police, it “was
discharged resulting in the fatal wounding of one of the subjects.” An
autopsy showed that the bullet went through Kiwane’s left elbow and
passed through his heart.

The News-Gazette has reported that Norbits had previously been
involved in the case of Greg Brown, a developmentally disabled man who
died of a heart attack after he was beaten in an alley by Champaign
police back in 2000. Witnesses said they heard Brown calling out for
help that night.

Virtually no other information has been provided by the Champaign
police about Kiwane’s death, saying they do not want to impede the
investigation headed by the Illinois State Police. Yet Chief Finney
was on the scene and saw everything that happened. Did Norbits follow
policy as practiced by the Champaign Police Department? Is it police
policy to pull guns on youth? Or is this just the way that Champaign
police treat black youth? Chief Finney must reveal the truth of what
occurred that day. To remain silent only fuels suspicion. For Kiwane’s
family, it adds insult to injury.

Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice (CUCPJ) held a press
conference on Monday, October 12 at the Independent Media Center.
Present were Kenesha Williams, legal guardian and older sister of
Kiwane, Christine Williams, grandmother, his aunt Rhonda, Deborah
Thomas, owner of the house where the incident occurred, Laura Manning,
mother of the other youth involved, Aaron Ammons, co-founder of CUCPJ,
Terry Townsend, longtime community activist, Seon Williams, owner of
The Whip barbershop, and Dr. Evelyn Underwood, President of the
Ministerial Alliance.

Behind them was a line of Kiwane’s friends holding signs that read,
“We want answers.” One of the youth stepped up to address the cameras:
“All them police are real slick with them badges. Y’all see this on
cameras, but you don’t see what we see every day. Y’all don’t see how
they come harass us every day on the block. I get to the point I get
harassed by my first name. I come outside, they follow me to the gas
station. That’s not cool for nobody to live their life. Every boy
behind me has been harassed by Champaign’s finest.”

The story of Kiwane’s death at ucimc.org was receiving 1,000 hits per
day after the incident. Some of those who knew him left messages. One
of them wrote, “God bless you Kiwane and your mother. May both of you
rest in peace together.”

On Wednesday night, October 14, a large vigil was held at the house
where the shooting occurred. Several hundred youth, neighborhood
residents, and community members came to pay their respects to the
memory of Kiwane. After the vigil, the crowd marched up Prospect Ave.,
many of the youth spilling into the street. Champaign County Sheriff’s
deputies were there to direct traffic (Champaign police were nowhere
to be seen). The crowd was managed by several members of the Nation of
Islam who had come from Chicago and throughout the region to serve as
security for the event.

Many filled the congregation hall at New Hope Church of God to hear
State Senator and Vice-President of Operation Push, Rev. James Meeks
give a rousing speech. Meeks lamented the death of young Kiwane. “This
is what it sounds like,” he preached, “when blood cries.” He insisted
that the community seek answers, “Put the police department on notice
that we aren’t going to accept open season on Negro people.” Meeks
called for an independent police review board, which Urbana has
established but Champaign has refused to accept. “The worst thing in
the world,” Meeks said, “is to have the police police the police.” He
also demanded more black officers be hired on the police force.

The second 15 year old involved has been released from juvenile
detention. The charge of burglary was dropped, but State’s Attorney
Julia Rietz has decided to prosecute him for aggravated resisting a
police officer, a felony which carries a possible three-year sentence.
His next court date is November 12.

For video and audio of the press conference at the IMC, as well as
up-to-date information, go to ucimc.org.