Students seek answers for alleged police brutality on campus
By Natasha Marar
News Editor
February 6, 2008
 Students upset over Windsor Police Services conduct during the Jan. 19 arrests in the CAW Student Centre are taking their concerns to the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) and University administration.
“I grew up in the worst neighbourhoods in Toronto...and I’ve never experienced police brutality on such a massive scale before,” said University of Windsor student Lydia Chan. “To see them physically do what they did was absolutely ridiculous and upsetting.”
“When I got there everything was fine--there didn’t seem to be any problems [inside],” said first-year drama and communications major, Nadine Fearon, of the event, Passa Passa, which was held at in the lower level of the CAW Student Centre at The Basement.
Several witnesses alleged that a fight broke out between two female patrons as people were leaving The Basement at the end of the night. Third-year communication studies and political science student, Bright Kyereme says he witnessed the Basement security staff attempt to break up the fight as Campus Police observed.
Fearon claims she witnessed a male police officer punch one of the scuffling females in her face. Fearon also alleged that Windsor Police officers were hitting and beating up people as they exited the bar.
Campus Police and the two off-duty Windsor Police officers hired for the event called downtown for back-up when the evacuation of several hundred people became too challenging.
“This was a situation were we got called to assist because things were getting out of hand,” said Windsor Police Services Staff Sergeant Ed McNorton.
Police officers attempted to direct the crowd to the upstairs exit, but congestion by the coat check area outside of The Basement made the task more difficult. Many customers also remained on the main floor of the CAW Student Centre despite police orders to leave the building. Disagreements upstairs between police officers and bar patrons eventually resulted in violence and the arrests of six individuals, including Kyereme.
Kyereme alleges that a friend of his began arguing with Windsor Police. “Once he pulled the racist card they let him go. I’m pretty sure if I did that they would let me go that night. I’ve never been in trouble with the police before.”
When Kyereme interfered on his friend’s behalf, he said the police threatened him with arrest and academic expulsion from the University.
“I kept walking and then another officer pulled my hands to my back, and I shook myself off of him. So like five or six cops all at once were on me and they were all beating me,” said Kyereme.
Kyereme claims that once on the ground, he did not resist the police, yet was beaten up for at least five or six minutes. Kyereme was arrested on the grounds of assaulting a police officer, and was placed in jail overnight. The charges were later reduced to a breach of the peace–a non-criminal offense.
“I think the beating was unnecessary,” said first-year Human Kinetics student Isha Renner, who claimed she was present during the altercation between the police and Kyereme.
A lack of administrative response has prompted students to address the incidents during the Jan. 31 UWSA council meeting, through discussions with the University’s Human Rights Office, and during an Anti-Racism Brainstorming Meeting, which was hosted on campus last Saturday by the Criminal Law and Social Justice Group.
Students have also taken their anger online by creating a Facebook group called University of Windsor Students Against Police Brutality...SPREAD THE WORD! which has grown to 349 members.
Renner has posted on her Facebook profile videos recorded on her cell phone of the police arresting Kyereme. “The footage on Facebook is after they were beating me,” remarked Kyereme.
“I recorded [the arrest] at the beginning and put it away. I tried to record again...but I got really scared because [the police] were following me,” said Renner.
“My other friend had a camera and he was recording everything. As he was leaving...one cop ran behind him and slapped his phone out of his hand. The cop picked it up and deleted everything and gave him the phone back,” added Renner.
Fearon also alleges to have witnessed the incident. “I don’t think they followed the proper procedure because if they did they wouldn’t be concerned about people getting video of it,” said Fearon.
Chan alleged that she was also told by Windsor Police to not document the events. “I had an officer try to take my [cell] phone away from me, and he said I would be arrested for recording.”
“I haven’t heard anything about that,” said McNorton of the claims that cell phones were confiscated and pictures and videos deleted from them.
“I have no information to indicate that,” agreed Director of Campus Police, Bob Cowper, who confirmed that such action is unacceptable.
Most complaints that have surfaced around the Passa Passa event include the use of force employed by Windsor Police to control the crowd.
“Police officers have the ability to use force,” remarked Cowper.
Under section 25 (1) of the Criminal Code, police officers are allowed to use “as much force as is necessary” in order to enforce the law. “If people are not willing to cooperate you are going to have to apply force,” agreed McNorton.
“[Windsor police] are also subject to the public complaint process,” added Cowper. “Police are accountable.” The Criminal Code, under section 26, does hold police officers criminally responsible for the use of excessive force, which depends on the nature of the situation.
Individuals who were in direct contact with Windsor police during the incident can file a formal complaint via their web site. “If the nature of the complaint is excessive force it will certainly be looked at,” said McNorton. “All complaints are investigated.”
When asked whether he would file a complaint against Windsor Police Services for the way he was treated, Kyereme said, “Yes I am, because I did absolutely nothing.”
In addition to the force employed by Windsor Police Services, students are also upset that they were forced out of the CAW Student Centre. “My biggest thing is us being kicked out of the CAW [Student Centre],” said Renner. “I’m paying for the CAW [Student Centre] every year. We have that right to be there.”
“One of the problems that existed is that people think they don’t have to leave when directed by the police, and that’s incorrect,” said Cowper. “When a police officer says “You have to leave or you will be arrested,” they are not joking.”
McNorton maintained that it was necessary for Windsor Police to evacuate the main floor of the CAW Student Centre to ensure that no further fights would break out once people left The Basement. “You’re not going to walk away from what could be a potential problem down the road.”
Since Jan. 19, a number of individuals have also claimed that racial profiling may have been employed by Windsor Police Services during the evacuation and subsequent arrests.
When asked if she thought police behaviour was racially motivated, Fearon responded, “I don’t want to think like that but I do. I think It might have been a factor.”
“A lot of people think that’s the case,” said Renner of the accusations of racial profiling. “When one of my friends was arrested they said [to him], ’You have a lawyer, right?’ assuming he would...that he had gotten in trouble before.”
Chan and Kyereme also believe that police officers intentionally targeted the large crowd of visible minorities that attended Passa Passa.
UWSA president William Ma disagrees with Chan and Kyereme. “I don’t think [police actions] were targeted at any people in particular.”
“If there were allegations that [the police] made comments than that’s a situation where the people involved can come forward with those complaints,” said Cowper.
Suggestions to ensure safety on campus, especially during large events, includes more campus police present, ensuring that security cameras are functioning, moving the location of the coat check at The Basement to another location inside the bar, and to facilitate the floor of large crowds by allowing pub patrons to exit through more than one door.
“[The Basement] should have opened the back door by Mr. Copies,” suggested Kyereme. They tried to turn it into a fifteen-minute job,” remarked Kyereme of the way the authorities tried to evacuate the 300 patrons from the bar. “You need to give [customers] time to get themselves together.”
“I would say more campus police [officers] are needed,” said Renner, when asked how the University should ensure that large crowds are dealt with safely.
For Chan, on the other hand, The Basement staff need to be trained on how to better handle large events.
“Safety is the issue. The larger the crowds the more potential that someone will get hurt,” said McNorton.
“If someone bumps into you, don’t hit them, and when you see an altercation starting, leave,” advised Cowper. “Follow [the police’s] directions for your own safety.”
Despite recent meetings between Campus Community Police, The Basement, and the UWSA regarding extra safety measures at the student pub, many students believe last month’s incident was more than just a question of safety. “We’re suppose to have a diverse campus...and if a certain group doesn’t feel comfortable on campus what’s the point of promoting diversity and multiculturalism?” said Fearon.
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