St. Paul civic, religious leaders decry violent arrest captured on video

[rug]

Civic leaders gather in St. Paul's Lewis Park to decry the treatment of Eric Hightower, left, by St. Paul police officers, on Saturday, September 1, 2012. From left: Eric Hightower, Rev. Melvin Miller of Progressive Baptist Church, Jeffry Martin, St. Paul NAACP, Tyrone Terril, Chairman of the African-American Leadership Council of St. Paul, and Rev. Darryl Spence of The Purpose Church and coordinator of the God-Squad. ( Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

By Will Ashenmacher
[email protected]
Posted: 09/01/2012 12:01:00 AM CDT
September 1, 2012 6:54 PM GMT
Updated: 09/01/2012 01:54:48 PM CDT

A coalition of black civic and religious leaders met Saturday, Sept. 1, in St. Paul's Lewis Park to decry the violent arrest of Eric Hightower in the North End park earlier this week.

On Tuesday, Hightower, 30, was beaten and sprayed with a chemical irritant by two St. Paul police officers who he says never explained to him why he was being arrested.

"This situation is intolerable," said the Rev. Melvin Miller, a pastor at Progressive Baptist Church in St. Paul. "We're here to speak out against what is clearly an injustice. If it happened to any one of our brothers, sisters, friends, we'd be outraged about it, and rightfully so."

A video of the arrest -- captured by one of Hightower's friends and posted on YouTube by another -- prompted St. Paul Police Chief Thomas Smith to place officer Jesse Zilge on administrative leave and begin an internal affairs investigation into the incident.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_21451043/black-civic-religious-leaders-decry-hightower-beating

http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_embedded%26v%3DjfZmE0aFUX4

The video is graphic enough that you have to sign in on Youtube to watch it.

It is no coincidence that Barack Obama realized early on that African American churches are key to community organizing in neighborhoods that are otherwise the most powerless.

[cbayer]

1. Glad to see a coalition.

Churches that played a role in my life often functioned as places of asylum or refuge for those that were being persecuted, discriminated against or mistreated by authorities because they dared to speak their minds.

Churches are sometimes the only voice for the disenfranchised in a community, I agree.

[MineralMan]

2. So does everyone else with a brain in their head.

It has nothing to do with religion at all. All you have to do is see the video, which I've seen several times. It's been running on every local TV news program for a couple of days. Anyone watching it knows that the police officer is in the wrong. Community condemnation for the behavior is general, and crosses all boundaries. I live in St. Paul, and my letter to the County Attorney of Ramsey County went in the mail yesterday.

[rug]

3. I see the NAACP, the African-American Leadership Council of St. Paul, and African-American churches.

Who do you see?

Thank you for your postage stamp.

[MineralMan]

4. Do you live here?

Condemnation is general over this one, with the exception, of course of the racists. And it's growing. What you posted was covered on the local news, as have been other angry comments about the incident.

As for my stamp, I helped that County Attorney get elected to his office. I'll have a reply or a call from him on Monday or Tuesday. I know him. I've worked with him. Sometimes, a letter is very effective, although I'm sure he would be involved anyhow. I put my efforts where I think they will do the most good.

[rug]

5. Post some links.

And do post when the County Attorney calls you.

[MineralMan]

6. Here's a link to John Choi's office

You can send a message there:

http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/attorney/index.htm

As for other protests over this incident, please see the past couple of days of this newspaper:

http://www.twincities.com/

Do your own homework. It's easy on the Internet.

[rug]

7. OK, I see a welcome from John Choi.

Hi, John.



And, aside from a link to the story in the OP, these are the results:

http://www.twincities.com/circare/html/sca_template.jsp?pageSearchKey=News&pageQuery=eric+hightower&origQuery=eric+hightower

[MineralMan]

8. There is a comment button under that.

Unless the website is determining location and not putting the button there for people out of the area. That's easy enough to do.

[rug]

9. Ah, a comment button.

No offense, but the guys in the OP are doing something.