Police release dashcam footage of arrest of black Princeton professor

[superbeets]

Police release dashcam footage of arrest of black Princeton professor who said she was 'humiliated' over three-year-old ticket

• Princeton police have released dashcam footage showing arrest of African-American studies professor Imani Perry on February 6

• Perry claimed she was left 'humiliated and frightened' after being unfairly targeted because of her race

• She said officers arrested her over a three-year-old ticket, that she was denied a phone call and that she was handcuffed
• Footage shows the ticket was in fact two years old, but confirms Perry was handcuffed and told she could not call or text
• But officer also politely tells Perry that handcuffing those under arrest is routine, and says she can 'make as many calls as you like' at the station

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 04:07, 12 February 2016 | UPDATED: 08:26, 12 February 2016

 

[superbeets]

Police have released dashcam footage showing the arrest of a black Princeton professor who claimed she was mistreated by cops over a three-year-old parking ticket because of her race.
Imani Perry, and African American studies professor, said she was left 'humiliated and frightened' after being handcuffed and searched during a traffic stop on February 6.
Perry said police denied her a phone call before she was arrested, that a male officer searched her despite a female officer being present, and that she was handcuffed while being taken to the police station and cuffed to a desk after arriving.
Footage of the incident shows that Perry was handcuffed during her arrest, though the officer is at pains to point out that it is simply a matter of protocol.
The video also shows that Perry was denied a phone call prior to her arrest - though again the officer explains that, once at the station, she can 'make as many phone calls as you want'.

 

[superbeets]

+5


This is the moment two white police officers arrest black Princeton professor Imani Perry in an incident which she said left her 'humiliated and frightened'

In the video a male and female officer, both of whom are white, pulling Perry over, informing her that her driver's licence is suspended, and asking if she can recall why.
Perry tells the male officer that she has no recollection of a suspension, at which point he checks her name against police records.
After carrying out the checks, the officer returns to tell her that she has a warrant for a parking offense in New Jersey from two years ago - not three, as Perry claimed.
The officer then tells her: 'What you're going to have to do is come with us, it's $130, so if you have that money we'll be able to post and we'll be able to get you right back out.

 

[superbeets]

'We'll drop you off at the university since you really shouldn't be driving because of your suspended licence.'
After a brief exchange of words with the officer, Perry climbs out of her car and moves off camera where the male officer can be heard explaining that he needs to cuff her.
He says: 'I have to tell you that any time we transport anyone, because you're under arrest because of the warrant we have to put you in handcuffs, OK? That's anyone, that doesn't...'
At that point Perry asks in inaudible question, though from the officer's response it appears that she is asking about whether anyone is going to be informed of her arrest.
After he responds that nobody has to know, she asks whether she will be able to text anybody before being arrested.
The officer responds: 'When we get there, you can call them, you can make as many phonecalls and texts as you want.'

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While the footage confirms some parts of Perry's account, it also shows officers behaving politely towards her while explaining clearly what is happening and why

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Princeton police department chiefs have supported their officers over the arrest, but admitted that more needs to be done to improve the relationship between cops and minority communities

The officers can then be heard asking Perry if she has any objects in her pockets while offering to put items such as her cell phone, bag and car keys into the police car.
At one point, the male officer asks whether Perry is OK, to which she responds 'no', while sounding out of breath, to which he responds: 'Are you hyperventilating?'
While Perry's response cannot be heard, the male and female officer can be heard reassuring her that if the fine is paid, she is not in any further trouble.
The male officer can then be heard asking questions about pockets on her pants and jacket, though because they are off camera it is unclear whether he is physically searching her.
After another short exchange the male officer can be heard asking Perry to put her hands behind her back, at which point handcuffs can be heard clicking shut.
Following the arrest Perry posted a now-deleted statement on Twitter in which she claimed to have been unfairly treated because of her race.

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Princeton University African-American studies professor Imani Perry was arrested by Princeton Police on February 6

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She claimed in a series of Tweets that she was mistreated by police officers during an arrest on February 6 because of her race

 

[superbeets]

‘Yesterday, on my way to work, I was arrested in Princeton Township for a single parking ticket three years ago,’ she said in the statement. ‘The police refused to allow me to make a call before my arrest, so that someone would know where I was.
‘There was a male and a female officer, but the male officer did the body search before cuffing me and putting me in the squad car. I was handcuffed to a table at the station.
‘At any rate, I was afraid. Many women who look like me have a much more frightening end to such arrests.
‘But the larger point is that I'm working to move from being shaken to renewing my commitment to the struggle against racism & carcerality.'
In a later statement, issued through Facebook, she added: 'I hope against hope that the attention my story has received, and the fact that many people will give me the benefit of the doubt because of my profession, my small build, my attachment to elite universities, and because prominent people will vouch for my integrity and responsibility, can be converted into something more important.
'I hope that this circle of attention will be part of a deeper reckoning with how and why police officers behave the way they do, especially towards those of us whose flesh is dark.'

She said in a statement on Twitter, which has since been deleted, that a male officer performed a body search and she was handcuffed to a desk after being arrested for the three-year-old parking ticket.

Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber released a statement to the The Princetonian on Tuesday in which he expressed concern over the arrest.
‘Many on our campus and around the country have expressed understandable concern about the arrest this past weekend of Professor Imani Perry, who is a respected scholar and beloved teacher at this university,’ he said in a letter to the paper.
He said many on campus were ‘shocked’ that the arrest came from an unpaid parking ticket and that people were ‘distressed about specific aspects of the arrest’, adding that he shared these concerns.
‘My colleagues and I in the university administration were in touch with Professor Perry as soon as we learned of the incident and we contacted town officials about our concerns over the weekend,’ he said. The town officials responded rapidly and initiated an investigation that they have assured us will be thorough and fair.
‘We welcome an investigation not only of the treatment of professor Perry, but of the underlying policies, practices, and protocols that were applied.’
Princeton's police chief, Nick Sutter, addressed the incident in a public meeting on Monday, according to Planet Princeton.

Perry shared a series of tweets, pictured above, detailing her experience during the traffic stop

He said that after reviewing the incident, he believed that police followed proper protocol, but said he was not trying to avoid responsibility for the perception that police unfairly target African Americans.
'Regardless of it being 100 per cent proper in the eyes of the law, there is a perception because of race,' Sutter said. 'This is a problem for me. It is a problem that is real, and needs to be addressed.'
According to analysis by The Princetonian, it appears that officers did comply with the law in stopping Perry.
Section 39:4-139.10 of title 39 of the 2013 New Jersey Revised Statutes state that the penalties for not paying parking tickets include suspension of the driver’s license or the registration of the vehicle.
Section 39:4-139.10a of the same statute states that if the court fails to issue an arrest warrant for the individual in question or order a suspension of driving privileges for the individual, the matter will be dismissed and not reopened.

 

[superbeets]

 

[GasMan]

Don't pay ticket = bench warrant = arrest

Case closed

 

[ScottL]

It's not as if the police dept didn't know where to find her. Couldn't they send her a certified letter with a bill for the ticket before arresting her? This seems extreme.

 

[NFLTrends]

They ran here plate, found out she had a SUSPENDED LICENSE, pulled her over.

Driving with a suspended license AND a warrant, and you don't expect to be taken to jail?

And isn't it a law in 99% of the United States, that when you are placed in police custody for a crime (arrested), that you are to be placed in handcuffs, for yours and the officers safety?

So what did the officers do wrong here?

And watching the video, they were nice and courteous, and didnt put her in handcuffs until they were placing her in the car, they stood and chatted for awhile before that, asking her if she had "Someone she could call" and she said "no"

What a lying bitch.

 

[roadreeler57]

They were very nice to her....Shes a spoiled brat...

 

[NFLTrends]

Her windows are HEAVILY tinted as well, how could they tell what her race was?

 

[The Guesser]

This was a model stop and arrest, and it's a shame this lady is crying Racism, when none existed. It belittles the actual instances of Racism, which do exist.

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Black privilege? Princeton professor privilege? I don’t have to play by the rules because I’m a elitist at a Ivy league school privilege?


I’m surprised someone didn’t say the Princeton police acted stupidly.


Ignoring the law will eventually get you arrested unless you’re a Clinton.

 

[GasMan]

This was a model stop and arrest, and it's a shame this lady is crying Racism, when none existed. It belittles the actual instances of Racism, which do exist.

Just own it you liberal democrat douche bag.

 

[JDeuce]

Racism, huh? Just like the black cops who arrested that fat fuck Freddie Gray?

This is the end result of decades of brainwashing...racism is the auto response to use regardless of whether any is actually there. Whenever something goes wrong...blame the white man, corporations, the Koch brothers, the fucking tooth fairy...everyone except themselves. It's just so much easier and more convenient to blame something else, isn't it?

Congrats, dimocraps...fucking scumbag losers.

 

[The Guesser]

Just own it you liberal democrat douche bag.

Own what, you drunk? I see the midday getting plastered problem has come back, Gassy.

 

[vitterd]

Own what, you drunk? I see the midday getting plastered problem has come back, Gassy.

Gassy mindset drunk or sober is the same. He's such a robot zombie that he can't understand how someone can see racism when it exists and see when it's bullshit and doesn't exist.

Gas man is suffering post concussion syndrome after his many knockouts.