“This whole thing has been about your lack of respect for me,” said police officer Stewart Ferrin, threatening to body-slam a woman onto the sidewalk.
Then the campus cop at Arizona State University did precisely as promised, and respectfully threw Dr Ersula Ore, a professor of English Literature, to the floor.
On 20 May, Dr Ore crossed the street to avoid construction works while walking across campus, catching the attention of the campus police. In a video captured on a dashboard camera and since posted online, Ferrin asks Dr Ore—who happens to be African American—to produce her campus I.D. and threatens her with arrest if she doesn’t comply. Ore responded, “Are you serious?” and noted that she had never heard of police checking random I.D.s on campus.
“Yes, I’m serious,” Ferris insisted. “That is the law. If you don’t understand the law I’m explaining the law to you.”
Ferrin then did as promised, hurling Ore to the ground, before allegedly manhandling her on the floor while her body was exposed.
Dr. Ore was charged with aggravated assault, in addition to resisting arrest, refusing to provide I.D. when asked, and obstructing a public highway.
The video of the incident was captured by a member of the public, who can be heard calling 911 saying: “There is a police officer who’s getting way too aggressive with a young lady on the street.”
While Ore contests all the charges, Arizona police said it has reviewed the evidence and can see no wrongdoing on the part of the officer.
H/T Huffington Post | Photo via Scott Davison/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
