Electricity Meter Reader Arrested for Being Black in a White Neighborhood Wins Compensation

[The Straight Story]

Electricity Meter Reader Arrested for Being Black in a White Neighborhood Wins Compensation

Christina Jones, an African-American utility worker in Illinois, has been awarded $59,000 by a jury after she sued two police officers for arresting her in a white community while doing her job.

On August 16, 2005, Jones was reading electricity meters in the predominantly (97%) white city of Braidwood, 53 miles southwest of Chicago, when a resident called the police claiming a person “of color” was taking photos of homes. As part of her job for Commonwealth Edison, Jones was actually using binoculars to take readings for homes with locked gates or guard dogs.

Even though Jones was in her ComEd uniform and had her company photo identification attached to her waist, officer Craig Clark and his supervisor, Donn Kaminski, continued questioning her, which led to a verbal confrontation and Jones’ arrest for obstructing a police officer.

After the criminal case against her was dropped in 2007, she sued the policemen and the city of Braidwood.

http://www.allgov.com/Controversies/ViewNews/Electricity_Meter_Reader_Arrested_for_Being_Black_in_a_White_Neighborhood_Wins_Compensation_111017

[truebrit71]

1. Good for her....

...fucking clueless pigs...

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Just sorry it took six years. Good for her!

[Blue_Tires]

3. ttt

[pnwest]

4. $59,000??? Shoulda had one or two more zeroes on it.

[Blue_Tires]

7. those two cops should also be digging ditches somewhere...

[Odin2005]

5. Holy FUCK, this shit still happens?

:grr:

[Javaman]

10. My first thought as well.

un-fucking-believable.

[lunasun]

11. and more and in places unexpected while just trying to live

plus where do you think those AZ type laws are going with Americans of Hispanic heritage as they try to just live??

Or the Muslim women recently kicked off a plane because she was closing a cell phone conversation before takeoff and said she had to go which the pilot thought I don't know wtf but she was kicked off.

If anything it is just expanding to include all non whites

and have you forgotten Professor. Gates of Harvard U in his own home????

I guess for some it is convenient to forget

[mainer]

6. Oh my god. Read more...

"Jones' shirt, pants, hat and reflective vest were all emblazoned with ComEd's logo. When asked, she presented Clark with two ComEd identification cards that displayed her picture. Jones explained that her binoculars, used to take meter readings from a distance, may have been mistaken for a camera.

When Jones turned to leave and return to work, Clark stopped her, asking for her birthday.

Jones accused Clark of harassing her, took a few steps away and phoned her supervisor. Clark radioed the other officer, Kaminski, reporting that Jones was refusing to cooperate.
Kaminski, apparently irate, then arrived on the scene. He screamed at Jones, knocked the phone from her hands and placed her under arrest.

As Jones was being patted down, she said, "This is harassment. ... This is happening because I am black in Braidwood."

At the station, Kaminski reportedly mocked Jones, mimicking her voice and adding, "You wanted to make it racial out there. ... Now it's racial."

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/10/13/40607.htm

[tblue37]

14. Wow. These thugs in uniforn really don't even try to hide their racism:

"At the station, Kaminski reportedly mocked Jones, mimicking her voice and adding, 'You wanted to make it racial out there. ... Now it's racial.'"

[izquierdista]

8. More details...

"She also declined to exclude a video of Jones being booked at the station, in which Kaminski can be seen angrily yelling at Jones and throwing her ComEd hat "contemptuously" onto a table. Jones appeared passive throughout the footage.
"The video was probative and relevant to damages, as it depicted an abject Jones handcuffed to a door, crying and in obvious distress," Conlon wrote."

Now in which states is it a felony to take videos of the police? Illinois?

[Festivito]

13. Stupid states, that's for sure. /nt

[Lint Head]

9. Occupy the City of Braidwood!!

[lunasun]

12. No way they are too close to a large nuclear power plant- write a letter!

[Saving Hawaii]

15. haha

[lonestarnot]

16. Only 59K? Robbed!