BLOOMINGTON, ILL.— An alleged police brutality incident that
occurred against a Wiley College honor student while at home for the summer in
Illinois has outraged members of the student body, who have rallied together,
seeking justice for the alleged victim, Gabriella “Gabby” Calhoun.
“We’re highly disturbed and disheartened that this happened
to her,” said Daryl Walters, chief of staff for Wiley’s Student Government
Association.
“We’re trying to keep her uplifted and let her know that she
is still beautiful and we still love her at Wiley College and expect her to
come here and get an education and to flourish (past the pain).”
Calhoun, an early high school graduate and presidential
scholar at Wiley, told the online publication, YourBlackWorld.net, that her life
changed forever on June 29 when officers from the Bloomington, Ill., police
department used excessive force against her and her friends at a Denny’s while
responding to a stabbing that occurred outside of the restaurant.
The freshman biology major said when officers arrived on the
scene they approached her table, asking her group if they had anything to do
with the fight. The group said after telling the officers that they were not
involved, the officers went back outside to talk to the participating parties
and allowed the actors to go inside of the restaurant to clean up. The article
says the parties started brawling again while inside of the Denny’s and the
officers rushed back in to break up the fight.
The article goes on to say that as the cops tried to clear
Denny’s, they approached Calhoun and a close friend of hers again, grabbing the
friend as Calhoun followed them, holding her friend’s side.
That’s when Calhoun said police attacked her, knocking her
unconscious.
“As she exited the Denny’s, she felt a grip on her neck and
arm and says that out of reaction, she tried to pull away,” the article stated.
“What happened next was unimaginable.”
Friends say Calhoun was hit in the face with a night stick
by a female officer, knocking her unconscious.
“I awoke spitting my teeth out on the ground,” she told
YourBlackWorld.net, sharing she hates looking at herself in the mirror now.
“When I look at what I used to look like to what I look like
now, it hurts,” she said.
“I had the prettiest smile,” she said, sharing she has three
fake teeth, as a result, and has to get accustomed to talking with them.
“Nothing is the same.”
The alleged victim said when she began to gain consciousness
the officer began choking her again, held her face to the ground and ignored her
plea to stop because of her asthma.
She ended up being arrested and booked in jail on one charge
of felony aggravated battery and two misdemeanors for resisting arrest.
According to the Bloomington Police Department, she was indicted Wednesday on
charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer, and resisting a peace officer
with officer injury — all felony offenses.
However, the department has acknowledged in a press release
that they have received an allegation from a third party of improper police
conduct regarding the incident, and have attempted to reach out to Calhoun for
further investigation.
“The Bloomington Police Department reviews all allegations
of misconduct seriously,” the department stated in the release posted on their
website.
“The Bloomington Police Department has reached out to
Gabriella Calhoun regarding any complaint of officer misconduct,” the
department said. “The Bloomington Police Department has yet to receive a
response.”
However, “preliminary review of the video and audio evidence
appears consistent with officers’ statements regarding the incident,” the
department advised.
According to the press release from the police department,
the responding officers reported that Calhoun allegedly pushed and then struck
a police officer with a closed fist as officers were clearing out the people
involved in the fight from the business.
“As officers were clearing out the problem subjects from the
business, a female, identified as Gabriella Calhoun, allegedly pushed and then
struck a police officer with a closed fist,” the press release states.
It goes on to say that the officer attempted to place
Calhoun under arrest, but she allegedly continued to swing her right arm toward
the officer, and the officer was unable to handcuff her.
“A second officer had to come to the aid of the arresting
officer,” the release states. The release says as officers were struggling with
Calhoun, a large crowd became aggressive towards them, causing the officers to
call for backup and spray oleoresin capsicum in an attempt to disperse the
crowd.
The officers claim that two officers suffered minor injuries
during the incident, and Calhoun allegedly refused medical treatment.
“The Bloomington Police Department is continuing the
investigation,” officials said.
Walters said they know Calhoun’s character, which totally
contrasts with the behavior police officers claim the honor student exhibited
when they confronted her at a Denny’s while responding to a stabbing there.
“She does not drink, smoke or act a fool so when we read the
statements we were like, ‘This is false,’” said Walters. “We can say, as a
student body, these claims against her are false.”
She said the student leaders know there are two sides to one
story, and want to be impartial, but still feel that the accusations are
farfetched.
“We want to hear both sides, but her charges were just too
much for any one person,” said Walters.
In the meantime, Walters said they are keeping their fellow
Wileyite uplifted, and attempting to reach out to politicians, churches, and
other historical black universities and colleges for their support in helping
them fight against what they believe is racial profiling.
“We have several surprises when she gets back to school,”
she said, sharing she along with SGA president Mahogany Terry, student Amber
Robinson and other students have rallied together to help bring awareness to
the situation, splitting themselves up into teams.
“All the teams combined is about 25 people,” said Walters.
“We have a political team, making calls to her state representatives, to her
mayor, to her congressman, to her senator and making them all aware.
“Then, we have a media team that puts the story out there
and sends emails, informs newspapers and activists,” she said.
Another team was charged with planning something special for
the second semester freshman when she returns for the fall semester.
“We’re hoping to ultimately accomplish not only have the
word out, but have accountability on the police’s part, letting law enforcement
across the USA know that this is not the 1960s anymore,” said Walters.
She said she’s adamant about speaking out against police
brutality because her own pastor, Rev. Harry Blake, was beaten on the steps of
a church in Shreveport, La., during the civil rights era.
“We are no longer living under Jim Crow Laws; minorities
will not be mistreated or racially discriminated against,” said Walters.
“This is justice for her,” she said, sharing Calhoun lost
her internship at the medical examiner’s office, as a result of the incident.
“We’re just keeping her uplifted as best we can,” said
Walters.
“Her brother graduated with honors from Wiley as well; he
encouraged her to go to Wiley. He’s not here anymore, but she has a lot of big
brothers and big sisters” still there for her, she said.
Former Wiley College student leader Chris Brown took to his
Facebook page, expressing his support for Calhoun.
“As a past Wiley College student leader and as the Statewide
Executive Vice President for Y. Democrats of Louisiana, I'm deeply saddened by
the incident that occurred in Bloomington, IL, to Gabby. Gabby is a scholar
student who represent(s) what (it) is to be a true Wildcat,” he wrote. “I will
be writing to the mayor and chief of police about this case and how I will feel
it should be investigated. Let’s like in support of justice and please pray for
peace among all who have been placed in an uncompromising and uncomfortable case.
Chris Brown.”
“We’ll send out messages to the students’ pastors, churches,
requesting them to hold meetings with their associations, various pastoral
friends and ministries to make them aware,” said Walters.
Walters said anyone is welcomed to be a part of the effort
to seek justice for Calhoun.
“If they would like to help, send all information to
arobinson@wileyc.edu,” she said. “We want everybody that wants to help to help.
“Everybody can play a role in this initiative,” said
Walters. “This is not a Wiley College issue or a black issue. This is an
‘everybody’ issue.
“You never know when this can be your daughter or you,” she
said.
