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Police
must respect protesters' rights in Ferguson – HRW
RT,
20
November, 2014
Human
Rights Watch said Wednesday that the police in Ferguson, Missouri
must allow peaceful protest after the coming decision by a grand jury
on the Michael Brown case, and that law enforcement abuses like those
of August are unacceptable.
A
grand jury is soon due to decide on whether to indict Darren Wilson,
a Ferguson police officer for the fatal shooting of Michael brown an
African American teenager, on the 9 August 2014.
If
the jury decides, as is deemed likely, not to indict the officer,
then protest is quite likely. In fact the governor of the state Jay
Nixon declared a 17 day state of emergency on November 17 fearing the
“possibility of expanded unrest”.
“Respect
for protesters’ rights should be at the heart of an effective law
enforcement response to any demonstrations in Ferguson. While
Missouri understandably wants to be prepared for the risk of unrest,
state and local officials need to make clear that abuses like those
in August are unacceptable,”said
Alba Morales, criminal justice researcher with the US program at
Human Rights Watch.
After
Brown was killed, there were massive demonstrations which began on
August 10 and continued for two weeks. HRW found serious problems in
how the police responded to the crisis, including intimidation of
protesters and infringing on their rights to freedom of expression
and the right to assembly, both of which are enshrined in the US
Constitution and international law.
HRW
also concluded that law enforcement agencies used disproportionate
and unnecessary force and obstructed the media from gathering news on
the protests.
HRW
has since written to Jay Nixon to make a compressive and transparent
review of the police response and the underlying reasons behind the
protests in order to improve policies for policing future
demonstrations.
“If
new protests break out in Ferguson, law enforcement will have an
opportunity to show that they have learned from past experience. Far
from improving public security, disproportionate responses to
protests only fuel anger and resentment, while endangering protesters
and bystanders,” said
Morales.
At
the heart of the protests were long standing and bitter tensions
between the mainly black residents of Ferguson and the majority white
police force, with residents describing years of racial
discrimination harassment and intimidation by the police.
RT,
20
November, 2014
A
29-year-old correctional officer in Ferguson, Missouri, has been
accused of raping a pregnant woman while she was in his custody, and
then setting her free.
A
federal lawsuit has been launched, and the officer Jaris Hayden, has
been so far released on $10,000 bail.
In
the legal documents obtained by the Huffington Post, it is said that
the victim, known as JW, was arrested last October after police
stopped her for an expired license plate, and she also gave the
officers a false name.
The
victim claims Hayden frequently sexually harassed her before the
rape. For instance, when taking her to Ferguson jail, he said, “You
smell good” and “This
will teach you a lesson.”
JW
was visibly pregnant at that time.
When
in the cell, JW was crying and begged to let her go home. Hayden
allegedly said to her that she was “the
kind of girl who would get me in trouble” and
took the woman to the boiler room, unbuttoning his pants and told the
victim that they were to have oral sex.
Afterwards,
the suit papers say that Hayden bent the pregnant woman over
and "indicated
that he was going to have intercourse with her."
Then,
she went to the emergency room. During sex, the victim got some of
the officer’s pubic hair, which a DNA test confirmed was Hayden’s.
After
the intercourse, Hayden allegedly told JW to escape and “stay
close to the building" to
avoid CCTV cameras.
The
woman, who doesn’t wish to be identified, is now suing for several
damages including "fear
of police", "anxiety
over sex" and "mental
suffering",
USA Today reported.
Hayden
will appear in court on December 3.
The
suit also focuses on the general police brutality in Ferguson,
including the recent shooting of unarmed Michael Brown which
triggered popular protests across the US.
"Discovery
will produce other acts of violence, all contributing to a pattern
and practice of allowing violence and sexual assault on members of
the public. The numerous acts of violence against the citizenry by
law enforcement of the City of Ferguson constitute a pattern," the
document states.
Ruptly Newsroom 
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