As a reporter, I’m used to seeing my name in the bylines, not the headlines. I want to tell the story, not be in it. I never thought I would experience police brutality firsthand, but I did. And now that I’ve gone through the same trials and setbacks as those I have reported on, it’s time for me to step back into the bylines to tell my story.

I was arrested for saving a girl’s life, not for demonstrating with Occupy Chicago or pro- testing the NATO summit. I did not ask to get arrested as a political statement.

Looking back, I see a seemingly innocuous sign of what was to come. Last March, I had been assigned to follow up with an article for the Maroon on [see note] and Mat- thew Clark, two University affiliates who were allegedly beaten up by plain clothes CPD officers a year ago. [See note] and Matt had recently obtained and released surveillance footage of the officers who assaulted them that night, and the interview with them was to see if there were new developments in the case.

One of the most salient memories I have of that first meeting was [see note]'s struggle to retell the story of what happened to him and Matt that night. There were moments of silence and reflection—emotional collateral in every word that [see note] spoke. I would never have guessed that I, too, would one day share with Matt and [see note] my own experiences with police brutality.

My story begins like any other 20-something’s typical weekend. I was out at a nightclub on the West Side of Chicago for my friend’s 22nd birthday. Toward the end of the night, I saw a girl lying unconscious on the dance floor. As a certified first responder, I stopped to ensure that she got the proper medical attention. I went through all the basic procedures. I checked her pulse. It was faint. She was not responding to verbal or physical stimuli, which suggested alcohol poisoning. My questions to the individuals around her revealed that she was there by herself and the woman who was with her did not know her personally. I told someone to call 911 and repositioned her flat on her back with her head tilted to the side so that no vomit got into her airways.