By

This went down last weekend in Berkeley. According to the students and an eye witness they were walking down the street when police pulled them over claiming one was jaywalking.. They attempted to arrest one of the students.. which set off a heated exchange.. Cops called for back up and the next thing you know 5 arrived on the scene and students were arrested. A Townhall is going down this Saturday between 2-5pm at Berkeley Library 1901 Russell Street around the incident

Some seeing this are asking why were the students outraged, talking loud and cursing?? The question we should ask is why were they stopped? With all that’s going on in the Bay Area why are students being stopped, detained and arrested for jay walking on a residential street? Its called profiling and the ‘crime’ of jay walking was used as an excuse to stop folks..

Here’s what Rasheed Shabazz, journalist for the UC based Onyx Express who has been following this story wrote:

Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said. Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk. As seen in the video, while Cochran is handcuffed, a friend, Wilson, can be heard in the video telling the officer, “Promise me you’re not going to shoot him” and that the officers were trying to fulfill a “quota.” An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record. An additional squad car then arrives. A female witness on the video tells the arriving officer “They were just walking down the street and he seemed like he targeted them.” She adds, “They weren’t doing anything wrong.” Peep the entire article at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpbs

Berkeley Police profiled, attacked and arrested two Black UC Berkeley graduates on Friday night, according to students and a Youtube video posted online. Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said. Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk. As seen in the video, while Cochran is handcuffed, a friend, Wilson, can be heard in the video telling the officer, “Promise me you’re not going to shoot him” and that the officers were trying to fulfill a “quota.” An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record. An additional squad car then arrives. A female witness on the video tells the arriving officer “They were just walking down the street and he seemed like he targeted them.” She adds, “They weren’t doing anything wrong.” At 3:52 in the video, two officers rush Pollard. Although the video is dark, her white shirt can be seen flying to the ground as they tackle and slam her into the bushes. Pollard is heard crying out, “What are you touching me for?” and wailing, “I didn’t do anything” and “Help me!” Pollard is handcuffed and dragged to a police car. Eventually, five officers arrive at the scene. Cochran was charged with resisting arrest. Pollard was charged with obstruction of justice. According to Cochran, police charged neither with jaywalking. The two were detained for an hour and taking to Berkeley Police headquarters. Pollard also visited the hospital for pain in her wrist and arms from the arrest and shackling. – See more at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpuf

Berkeley Police profiled, attacked and arrested two Black UC Berkeley graduates on Friday night, according to students and a Youtube video posted online. Police arrested Jevon Cochran and LaTasha Pollard after allegedly stopping their group for jaywalking. After crossing the Dana Street, an officer rapidly approached and handcuffed Cochran, he said. Cochran’s friends, Kerby Lynch, Eric-Michael Wilson, and Pollard began recording photographs and video with their cell phones. Police ordered Wilson and Pollard to back up to the sidewalk. As seen in the video, while Cochran is handcuffed, a friend, Wilson, can be heard in the video telling the officer, “Promise me you’re not going to shoot him” and that the officers were trying to fulfill a “quota.” An officer attempts to grab Pollard’s hand while she is recording the officer. “Don’t touch me,” she says while stepping backward, continuing to record. An additional squad car then arrives. A female witness on the video tells the arriving officer “They were just walking down the street and he seemed like he targeted them.” She adds, “They weren’t doing anything wrong.” At 3:52 in the video, two officers rush Pollard. Although the video is dark, her white shirt can be seen flying to the ground as they tackle and slam her into the bushes. Pollard is heard crying out, “What are you touching me for?” and wailing, “I didn’t do anything” and “Help me!” Pollard is handcuffed and dragged to a police car. Eventually, five officers arrive at the scene. Cochran was charged with resisting arrest. Pollard was charged with obstruction of justice. According to Cochran, police charged neither with jaywalking. The two were detained for an hour and taking to Berkeley Police headquarters. Pollard also visited the hospital for pain in her wrist and arms from the arrest and shackling. – See more at: http://onyxexpress.org/2014/05/05/berkeley-police-racially-profile-attack-black-uc-graduates/#sthash.qW0M8lG1.dpuf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY8wwRJSys

For those who think this is isolated and an aberration, here’s what happened the same weekend up in santa Rosa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGWNq8aaKBI