Current Events > More police brutality, this time in Urbana, IL

(+) Yeah! (+)

On April 10th, Urbana police responded to a call on East Colorado Avenue about an armed man and possible shot fired. Police arrived, frisked an uninvolved youth, and then focused on a man and woman they suspected were involved. After the police apprehended the male suspect, an officer initiated physical restraint with the young woman and violent skirmish ensued, which was captured on video from above at a nearby apartment building.

The video covers a span of six minutes during which the woman is seen struggling as a police officer punches the resident in her head, strikes her in the ribs with his knee, sits her on with a rifle pushed into her back, handcuffs her and then hyperextends her arms. The person who videotaped the event, Gregory Huggers, posted it that day; the video has been viewed by over 34,000 people and has received 1,800 comments. Police allegedly visited Mr. Huggers home later and asked him to take his video down, but he refused.

Weeks later, after police released extensive, edited body camera footage, Linda Kwon released this close-up video in which the woman can be heard saying You just punched me! I hope you have body cameras on! It also shows the woman being arrested by multiple officers who hobble her legs and place a spit hood over her head in the squad car. The resident was taken directly to the county jail and charged with four felony counts for resisting arrest and aggravated battery to police officers and faces up to 12 years in prison.

http://publici.ucimc.org/2020/05/public-speaks-out-about-use-of-force-by-urbana-police-council-reviews-police-investigation/

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"The States Attorney Julia Reitz was present and stated that she did an extensive review of reports and video footage and that she saw absolutely nothing in the reports, in the video, in anything that I reviewed that shows the officers did anything in violation of state law. I am perfectly fine with their actions in this case.

I'm sure this is where you will act like she is right wing and just covering for the police because you are shameless.

IL is just Chicago and the American South.

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Tenlaar posted...

I'm sure this is where you will act like she is right wing and just covering for the police because you are shameless.

Yeah the law never favors police so surely we can trust her judgment 100%

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Flockaveli posted...

IL is just Chicago and the American South.

Champaign County is a fairly strong liberal bastion, and Urbana is often jokingly referred to as the People's Republic.

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Shablagoo posted...

Yeah the law never favors police so surely we can trust her judgment 100%

What basis do you have to claim that this Democrat who has been elected in a staunchly Democrat area for 16 years now, with a long history of advocacy and pushing for criminal justice reform, is just looking to defend the cops? Can you give any actual reasons to suspect that beyond "they're all bad?"

The cops and the courts always protecting and supporting each other goes beyond politics.

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Southernfatman posted...

The cops and the courts always protecting and supporting each other goes beyond politics.

I thought it was clear that I was asking for reasons beyond "they're all bad."