[Peace] Black Youth Beaten by Champaign Police

[Brian Dolinar]

Over the weekend, Martel Miller's son was beaten up by a Champaign police
officer. Folks are taking the issue to city council tonight at 7pm. BD


*Black Youth Beaten by Champaign Police*

It has been two years since Kiwane Carrington was killed by a Champaign
police officer, but 18-year-old black youth, Calvin Miller, is still afraid
of the police. So when a Champaign cop attempted to pull him over for no
apparent reason, he panicked. He only wanted to get home that night.

When Calvin appeared in court for arraignment on Monday afternoon, he walked
into the courtroom with crutches. His right ankle was sprained, maybe
fractured. His right eye was swollen shut. He also had bump on the right
side of his forehead. Other people noticeably stared at him.

Called before Judge Richard Klaus, Calvin was told that he was being charged
with resisting a “peace” officer. He had “exited a fleeing vehicle” and
“lunged” toward Champaign police officer Matt Rush. He was also being
charged for criminal damage to property, less than $300, when the vehicle he
was driving ran into the porch steps of a house. The story Calvin told me
after the hearing was significantly different.

According to Calvin, he had dropped of a friend at around 1 a.m. on Monday
morning, October 24, 2011, and was driving home when a Champaign police car
pulled up behind him on Marketview Drive. Calvin says he obeyed all the
traffic laws and drove the speed limit. The officer turned on his lights.
Close to his mother’s house, Calvin kept driving with the hope he could make
it there. After a couple blocks, he turned into a residential driveway on
Arcadia. The police officer rammed him with his squad car, causing the car
to lurch forward into the porch steps. Calvin got out of the car and started
to run toward his house.

Police told him to stop and Calvin says he responded by getting on the
ground. As Calvin tells the story, officer John Lieb approached and hit him
in the face with his baton several times. “When they told me to stop,”
Calvin said. “I stopped. He didn’t need to beat me in my head.” Calvin put
his hands up over his head, but the cop kept beating him, injuring him on
his forehead, eye, and jaw. He rolled over onto his stomach and was placed
in handcuffs. Lieb pepper sprayed Calvin directly in his face while he was
handcuffed. He was then placed under arrest. Calvin was taken to Carle
Hospital which failed to conduct any tests or even wash the pepper spray out
of his eyes. He was bailed out of jail the next morning.

Incidentally, Calvin is also the son of local black activist Martel Miller,
who has consistently appeared at city council meetings reporting on the
brutality of the Champaign police. I saw Calvin at rallies and teach-ins
with his father after the Kiwane Carrington incident. While not as
politically active as his father, he was deeply affected by the killing of
Kiwane, who was only a year younger than Calvin at the time of his death.
Calvin has no criminal background, but remains scared of the police. He is
currently a student at Parkland College.

-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com
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