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Three black students waiting for bus arrested after cops order them to ‘disperse’
Monday, December 2, 2013 10:59 EST
Three African-American students who were waiting for a school bus in Rochester, New York were arrested on Wednesday morning when police officer told them to “disperse,” even though witnesses said they did nothing wrong.
According to WROC, basketball coach Jacob Scott had arranged for a school bus to pick up the boys to take them to a scrimmage on a day when school was closed. A police report claimed that the boys were blocking “pedestrian traffic while standing on a public sidewalk…preventing free passage of citizens walking by and attempting to enter and exit a store…Your complainant gave several lawful clear and concise orders for the group to disperse and leave the area without complaince [sic].”
But the students and the coach dispute the police version of events. "We didn’t do nothing,” student Raliek Redd explained. “We was just trying to go to our scrimmage.”“We was just waiting for our bus and he started arrested us,” student Wan’Tauhjs Weathers added. Daequon Carelock, who was also arrested, lamented that anyone could be “just downtown, minding your own business, and next thing you know, anything can happen.” Coach Scott arrived just as the boys were being handcuffed and was also threatened with arrest.
Oh, allow me....I'll simply post my response to the "arrested for going to school" thread:
Arrested for going to school? That's even worse than our lib paper's take that these kids were arrested for "waiting for the bus."
Here are the facts in this local story:
First of all, they weren't going to school; they were part of a large group headed to a sports event. A few proprietors called the police, as the group was blocking ingress/egress to a few stores. The cops came and, oh BTW, a sergeant was even summoned, so these were no rogue cops. The group was ordered to disperse and these three were the only ones who refused repeated orders to do so.
The D.A. dropped the charges, after which a number of community activists griped that the police department has a "customer service problem." The D.A. apparently bought into that crock. When citizens are viewed as "customers" and the cops as the enemy, we're in trouble, indeed.
Thankfully, the outgoing Chief of Police (there's a new mayor-elect) stood by the police department, drawing kudos from many.
As a resident of the City of Rochester, I cannot even begin to tell you the amount of racism I come across in this city. Considering the fact that this was the home of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, I'd say with great sadness that we've regressed dramatically. My experiences down south in the heart of Dixie have been FAR more accepting. This is one of the most segregated areas I've ever stepped foot in, which should be embarrassing for us. Racial tensions should not be this high in a progressive, northeast city in almost 2014.
Perhaps it is because I am a WHITE resident, but the police have been comfortable enough to spew their ignorant, racist, bigoted comments to me multiple times within the last year. Just the other day, a white cop chose to tell me what he thought about the "Hip Hop crowd" in the city. The officer chose to stop me outside of the Blue Cross Arena to inform me that an event was going on sponsored by WDKX (urban station) and that "in about 10 minutes over 3,000 members of the Hip Hop crowd will be coming out of these doors."
Caught off guard, I asked him "what is that was supposed to mean?" He responded condescendingly "You know. Young, African American crowds." He then looked at the digital camera I had in my hand at the time and proceeded to tell me "They like cameras, man. I'd be careful." After reassuring him that I would be fine he felt the need to add that "when you're getting jumped by 30 guys they're going to be taking that camera pretty quick." Sickening.
It's so disgusting that even though I'm not the target of their prejudice, I was PERSONALLY offended as a member of the community by their comments. I happen to be a young Caucasian-American who listens to Hip Hop music. I live in the city and I sometimes frequent Hip Hop shows and events at this indoor stadium with large groups of my friends. Why was he so open to tell me about how dangerous he felt these young African Americans were?
But the police don't profile African Americans, right?
I think the dynamics are different when comparing Southern and Northern areas in regards to integration/segregation, but given the controversies involving the RPD in recent years, this isn't a good look.
585, your post goes to show how ignorant you are, not the police. Are you forgetting that you are talking about people who see the community day in and day out up close and personal, and see the worst of the worst? You're acting like he's just making up false generalizations without having any fact to back up his statements. The guy actually tries to HELP you and ensure your safety and that you don't have your personal property stolen. But he's the dick here? Really?
I'm sure that you also think the closing of black nightclub in the city is was completely unfounded, right? And whatever violence happened there were just isolated, one-off incidents?
As a resident of the City of Rochester, I cannot even begin to tell you the amount of racism I come across in this city. Considering the fact that this was the home of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, I'd say with great sadness that we've regressed dramatically. My experiences down south in the heart of Dixie have been FAR more accepting. This is one of the most segregated areas I've ever stepped foot in, which should be embarrassing for us. Racial tensions should not be this high in a progressive, northeast city in almost 2014.
Perhaps it is because I am a WHITE resident, but the police have been comfortable enough to spew their ignorant, racist, bigoted comments to me multiple times within the last year. Just the other day, a white cop chose to tell me what he thought about the "Hip Hop crowd" in the city. The officer chose to stop me outside of the Blue Cross Arena to inform me that an event was going on sponsored by WDKX (urban station) and that "in about 10 minutes over 3,000 members of the Hip Hop crowd will be coming out of these doors."
Caught off guard, I asked him "what is that was supposed to mean?" He responded condescendingly "You know. Young, African American crowds." He then looked at the digital camera I had in my hand at the time and proceeded to tell me "They like cameras, man. I'd be careful." After reassuring him that I would be fine he felt the need to add that "when you're getting jumped by 30 guys they're going to be taking that camera pretty quick." Sickening.
It's so disgusting that even though I'm not the target of their prejudice, I was PERSONALLY offended as a member of the community by their comments. I happen to be a young Caucasian-American who listens to Hip Hop music. I live in the city and I sometimes frequent Hip Hop shows and events at this indoor stadium with large groups of my friends. Why was he so open to tell me about how dangerous he felt these young African Americans were?
But the police don't profile African Americans, right?
Hmm...
Wow. With all of the supposed "altercations," how interesting that the officer had the time (forget the inclination) to stop a stranger and unload about people right in the middle of what's supposed to be his assigned duty. And twice! Sounds as if he just didn't want to stop talking trash about blacks!
What day last week do you think we were born?
Interesting, too, how you conveniently ignored the facts of the matter regarding the three kids who were the only ones who ignored the officers' (yes, there was more than one) and the police sergeant's order to move. How typical.
I don't think Rochester is much different from other cities in the Northeast. Most of the city police departments have I thought gone out of their way to hire minorities including police chiefs.
Rochester was however the site of one of the first major race riots in the USA in the 60's before Watts & Harlem & Detroit. This riot in 1964 brought Kodak to change it's hiring policies along with other corporations though very slow to act.
Sooner or later, people are going to realize that attitudes are not totally unfounded.
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