Monday, August 21, 2006

I was just taking a walk...

**Please forward - the world must know

I received a phone call from a young woman, Keisha Nicole Terry, and filed a complaint at the police station after hearing what happened to her at the hands of Benton Harbor Township police officers at 10pm, Monday, August 14, 2006:

"Both officers harrassed, degraded, and intimidated me with threats to make me afraid. The officers attacked my self-esteem as a woman. Officer Skinner kicked me several times and caused my legs to swell, then he pushed me in the chest and begin touching me in places a male should not touch without my permission. Then Officer McKenize began to illegally search me by patting me down and putting his hand under my shirt, then taking his hand and putting it in my pants, under my pant legs. He told me to take my ass across the street after the illegal search. Officer McKenize was waiting for me while Officer Skinner was belittling me. I told both police officers that they can't search me, being a female, unless there was a serious need to search me or if they feel like I was a threat to them. This was not the case in this circumstance - there was no crime. [Due to the laws and procedures of Michigan, a male officer of any kind can't search any female without a female officer being present.] I was not endangering myself or others. I was walking down the street and was attacked by two white police officers. Then Officer Skinner told me to sit on the hood of his hot car. I replied by saying that the hood was hot, it was too hot for me to sit on. He told me to put my face on the hood of the car. I refused. He kicked me again about three times which caused me pain and suffering as well as mental and emotional pain.

My friend and myself both asked them what we did wrong. Officer McKenize stated, "this is what happens when you live in Benton Harbor or Benton Township."

This kind of law enforcement behavior towards BH residents has been going on for decades, and has been on the upswing in the last four months or so. WHEN WILL IT STOP? WHEN WILL GOV. GRANHOLM INTERVENE? We know that these officers don't display brutality without orders from Chief Mingo. How high do the orders come from? Whirlpool most likely. Human rights mean nothing to one of America's greediest corporations - - 70% of the world's appliance market is their's, yet they must own Benton Harbor. (For the record, Officer Collins is one of the worst and everyone knows it.)

We must stop the police brutality in Benton Harbor and Benton Township, Michigan. Police are paid to serve and protect, not to serve and harass. When will it stop? When will we say, enough is enough? We better start keeping our mind on our freedom and our freedom on our mind.

Rev. Edward Pinkney
269-925-0001
banco9342@sbcglobal.net
bhbanco.blogspot.com
BANCO, 1940 Union St., Benton Harbor, MI 49022
(legal fees being accepted and very much needed for my Sept.19 frame-up trial)