Student who filmed forceful classroom arrest gives her account
An amateur video showing a Milwaukee university student being wrestled to the ground from her desk by armed police officers has sparked claims of police brutality online. The student who filmed the video on her mobile gives us her account of the story.
The incident took place during an anthropology class at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) on 15 March. The arrested student, identified as Robyn Foster, was charged with disorderly conduct by the police. The university is investigating the incident; it has not been said whether Foster will be expelled.
The video, which Foster was not aware of until it went viral, has provoked accusations online that Foster was treated brutally because she's African American.
Foster: “I’m not going anywhere so you gonna have to carry my ass out”
The arrest happens at 03’00.
“Allegations of her being treated badly because she's black are absolutely sickening”
Anna Bassett is a part-time forensic science student at UWM. She filmed the video and posted it on YouTube on 17 March.
The girl went on for 30 minutes; I only recorded the end. She was nothing but rude and she did nothing but swear at us. A student asked her to sit down and she turned round and threw a water bottle. That's when the teacher said she would call the police and report an assault. That's when I started filming.
The police arrived within five minutes. When they came in they were only going to pull out the girl's chair. That's when she lashed out.
I don't think the police took it too far, and I think the charges are fair too. She got off lightly in my opinion. I don't know what the school will do with her though, which worries me. I don't want a repeat of last Monday and I don't want to have to deal with her in general. I've had warnings on my YouTube account about how she's looking for me. If she's in that class, I'm walking out.
I find allegations of her being treated badly because she's black absolutely sickening. I know for a fact that the police would have done the same to any other student, of any race.
Milwaukee is a school of 23,000 students; we need police, not just security guards. The campus police unit [which comprises 43 full-time sworn police officers] is just an extension of the city police, so they have guns like the rest of the department. I don't know of any incident when they've used the guns on campus. They mainly patrol the campus looking for minor offences; underage drinking, smoking marijuana etc.
There was a march a few weeks ago and 16 students were arrested(incidentally, most of them were white). Some people are saying that the police used excessive force. I think that's why the same people are so angry about the arrest of this girl. However, in general people are leaning more towards the teacher; they think the girl got what she deserved. I've also had people congratulate me for recording the incident."
Comments
Class Room Manegment
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 01/04/2010 - 18:27.The police should have used a Taser and pneumatic bean bag cannon. These kind of women can become excited when captivity is eminent. In there indigenous enclave, they are known as buffalo. Another effective device is the Loop-Collar Pole: The police can maintain a safe distance and suspect compliance is seldom an issue.
"lashed out"? When?
Submitted by Arcassia (not verified) on Wed, 31/03/2010 - 22:08.I did not see the student lash out in any way in the film, and although her verbal pronouncements were certainly inappropriate, it is quite clear that she did not in any way resist arrest. The legal definition for resisting arrest reads as follows: "Common law offense involving physical efforts to oppose a lawful arrest", since she did not resist the arrest physically, she does not meet this definition. It's not my OPINION that she was not resisting arrest, it is a legal fact. As such, the treatment the police gave her was highly inappropriate and indeed constitutes police brutality. Police academies train their recruits to give several verbal warnings to an agitated suspect who is not acting in a violent manner before taking physical action. I heard no such request in the video. One officer did speak in the suspects ear too softly for us to hear what he was saying, this while standing directly behind the student and thus invading her space. An explanation such as "because of the situation, we do need to ask you to leave the classroom at this time. When we get outside we can discuss the situation" would probably have resolved the issue. The student in question was clearly ready to go since she was already packing her bag in the video. The actions of the police were not only uncalled for, but downright illegal. I did not see a water bottle being thrown, however if this did occur multiple witnesses could testify to it. That has no real bearing on the arrest situation, however, since she was not acting in a violent manner at the time. She was sitting. Thats about as nonviolent as it gets. I realize her manner and words were rude, and that she may have thrown a water bottle, but that doesn't mean that we should suspend justice. Compromising our values is hardly justified, in this, or any, situation.
Despite the undoubted verbal
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Mon, 29/03/2010 - 00:27.Despite the undoubted verbal outburst by this student, the conduct of the "police" was unnecessarily violent and of itself constituted an assault and battery. In a supposedly academic institution this behaviour is reprehensible in the extreme. Quite clearly, America is a police state of the worst kind. In any event it is highly questionable whether an academic institution should have a police force, and in particular an armed police force, on the premises.
Student arrested for disorderly conduct
Submitted by Alejandro (not verified) on Wed, 31/03/2010 - 13:32.I can only conclude that the writer who smears the U.S. with the "police state" charge does not live in the U.S., and knows very little about our country, other than through a slanted viewpoint. If anything, U.S. police show great restraint and respect for the law and the person being arrested that many police forces around the world probably find amusing and puzzling. Has the writer ever seen Russian or Mexican police at work, especially during an arrest?
As a former university professor, I can assure the writer that, currently in the U.S., it is sadly common for many students to be offensive, disruptive, and disrespectful. The fact that university and college administrations cravenly cater to the spoiled permanently adolescent student brats they now call "clients" or "customers" has given the green light to the arrogant entitlement brigade, so they believe they can do whatever they want in class, from sleeping ("I paid for the course; I can sleep in class if I want to, so don't bother me") to interrupting the instructor with impunity, because the administration usually sides with the student. Believe me, I've been there. That is why I no longer teach. The inmates are running the institution.
Agree to Disagree
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Mon, 29/03/2010 - 20:08.I don't think the conduct of the police was out of line. She actually said to the police that they would have to carry her out. Seriously, she said that.
The student was not only verbally abuse (foul language and made threats to students in the classroom), she also got physical by throwing a water bottle at another student. She crossed a line right there, which caused the Professor (who asked her several times to leave, and to have the discussion later) to call Police.
The student had many instances to avoid the situation and she choose not to. Let's not forget this student is an adult- isn't she 24 years old? Old enough to know that if someone asks you to leave, one should. Old enough to know that if an officer asks you something, you comply promptly and without argument.
Lastly, police presence is needed for large college communities. They are built like small towns. When serious crimes are committed on campus, you need the Police not just campus security.
UWM Student Mental Meltdown
Submitted by HH Higgins (not verified) on Fri, 26/03/2010 - 14:29.I question several points. The author wrote. "The girl went on for 30 minutes; I only recorded the end......." University classes usu are about 50 minutes. How could she go on for 30 minutes? And why would the professor and other students stick around for a 30 minute tirade?
If she threw a water bottle at someone, that is assault. And the arresting charge should have been assault. But the author wrote, "The police arrived within five minutes. When they came in they were only going to pull out the girl's chair. That's when she lashed out." Huh? The professor reported an assault. She should have been either arrested (advised of the charge against her, read the Miranda rights then frisked and handcuffed). Instead the author says they were only going to pull out the girl's [sic - a college student is a 'girl'] chair.
How does the author know what the police would have done. She wrote,"I know for a fact that the police would have done the same to any other student, of any race." I've been to Wisconsin (2005). I was either ignored by colleagues and salespeople or followed (police at airport). I can definitely tell you the caucasians there left a bad taste in my mouth. I have no plans of ever going back to WI just because of the way I was treated.
Please, honestly, shut the
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Fri, 26/03/2010 - 22:51.Please, honestly, shut the fuck up. Its because we let people like you and the girl in question into our classrooms that our education system is in its present state.
Thankfully, people of the subcontinent (in general) and certain other visible minorities have made a positive impression.
I really feel sorry for people who have to attend state schools. Maybe if they weren't full of rabid jungle apes, with their 'I'm OK, you're not OK' cultural perspective, they might actually be able to receive the slightly above average education that they payed for! ;)
"your" classroom?
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 01/04/2010 - 04:30.How is it your classroom, to the exclusion of those you don't agree with or accept? "Jungle apes," is that a phrase anyone worth educating would make? Why don't YOU go back to your trailer park, maybe if the rest of us are lucky, a tornado will take you all away...far away.
"your" classroom?
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Thu, 01/04/2010 - 04:30.How is it your classroom, to the exclusion of those you don't agree with or accept? "Jungle apes," is that a phrase anyone worth educating would make? Why don't YOU go back to your trailer park, maybe if the rest of us are lucky, a tornado will take you all away...far away.
A country divided cannot stand
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 30/03/2010 - 05:20."I'm OK, you're not OK' cultural perspective": That attitude was first started by white people whose perspective of non European cultures they encountered while scouring other continents for wealth to bring home was non-relatable and therefore inferior to their own. So if some misguided people feel threatened and act out that way anywhere with anyone, they should just be ignored.
If you think this sort of attitude is only in state schools it seems you have slurs for everyone who is not on a level you put yourself on. If we are Black, we're apes according to you, if students are at state school they don't measure up because they are not smart enough or too poor presumably to attend school elsewhere. You clearly have a superiority complex against the vast majority of you fellow Americans. You should really examine why you feel this way.
This student may not have the maturity to know how to conduct herself in a class, nor the emotional intelligence to accept the answer given and take up the matter after class with an appointment to see the professor later like all tuition paying students do. The minorities who have made a positive impression in your eyes know that to voice there opinion will somehow be misconstrued as aggressive and they have no time for defending their right to have an opinion.
You should cloister yourself with others who think like you and stay out of society- your ideology as illustrated in your comment will be what takes this country down.