MACOMB, ILLINOIS - From a news release:
This is a link to the Monday, April 19 Zoom press conference by the Racial Justice Coalition of the Democratic Women of McDonough County. It reveals the story of two recent victims of racial profiling, police brutality, 911 dispatcher misconduct, in a false arrest following a traffic stop for what would be considered a minor offense - an air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror and alleged failure to make a full and complete stop at a privately-owned stop sign before entering a public roadway.
After being racially profiled, hunted by MPD, then pulled over (for a pretext of a minor traffic violation), a two-time decorated war veteran and his wife are traumatized from being targeted to justify a stop with wavering pretext, then arrested. He was held for over 3 hours until he was able to post bail, and his wife was held without charges before being released over 20 hours later the next day.
They were given no apology or acknowledgment that they had been forcefully, unnecessarily, and illegally deprived of their freedom and subjected to humiliation, violence and lasting trauma at the hands of police.
It is difficult not to see this story within the light of the conversations regarding racial justice ongoing in the country. Several elements match several stories of Black persons recently killed by police in other communities.
FOIA’d video/audio evidence confirms this law-abiding veteran and his wife were racially profiled, and hunted by at least three Macomb Police Officers as the couple were shopping for the Veteran’s birthday celebration. They were stopped for an alleged minor violation, retaliated on for questioning the treatment they were receiving, taken into custody, threatened with brutality, and held in jail in violation of their rights, all the while fearing for their own lives, and given not even an acknowledgement of wrongdoing. That this couple is Black is not a minor detail, but the pretext upon which this series of civil, human, and constitutional rights were violated.
We believe the video evidence alone is sufficiently compelling as to be very traumatizing for Black folx and other people of color. We urge all media to issue appropriate content warnings when discussing the facts and evidence of this case.
This is far from the only case of police harassment, intimidation, and violence in McDonough County in recent years. These incidents must be investigated by the press, so the silent terror by which many People of Color live their lives under the shadow of police violence can be given a voice.
We call for these officers and 911 Dispatchers to be suspended IMMEDIATELY pending an investigation by federal or state authorities outside of McDonough County.
Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/765678847649742/
Slideshow:
Further questions can be sent to: [email protected]
Signed,
Heather McMeekan, President
The Democratic Women of McDonough County
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