Spring Break
Second Year Student Detained in Case of "Mistaken Identity"
Allen Narcisse, Editor In Chief
Issue date: 2/24/03 Section: News
"I asked them why they stopped me and why was I handcuffed as a suspect, if they didn't have a description of the suspect. During the time, as more police officers came up, I asked each one why I was detained.
They basically couldn't or wouldn't answer any of my questions, and at that point, I deduced that it was clearly racial. As they continued to fail the logic test, I asserted their actions and behaviors were racist. This agitated them even more."
After what Turner described as about thirty to forty minutes of being held, the officers drove Turner to the crime scene. When the officers and Turner reached the crime scene, an officer at the scene informed the officers that had Turner in custody that they were actually looking for "four white guys" rather than Turner.
"The officers didn't apologize, they just told me that they were going to let me go and they asked me where they could drop me off. I told them that I wanted them to drive me to the Fairmont Hotel and to un-handcuff me in the lobby of the hotel in front of my business associates so they could be humiliated like I had been that night," said Turner.
"So they brought me back to the hotel. There, the doormen, who had just got me a cab earlier in the evening, saw what was going on and looked very confused. Quickly around the flashing lights, a crowd formed. My colleagues came out, and I asked the officers to explain to them why they had arrested me. The officers stammered and gave them the run around."
Before the officers left, Turner collected badge numbers, names, and chain of command information, precinct for all of the officers. Later that night, Turner spoke to some of his friends that practice law as well as some McKinsey partners. The next morning, along with a McKinsey partner, Turner went to the Precinct to file an official complaint against the officers.
"When I went to file the complaint, they said, 'oh, you were the guy last night that was underneath a sign under a tree, and that's why the helicopter identified you as a suspect.' To hear this fabricated story angered me since I had no witnesses to counter this false claim."
They basically couldn't or wouldn't answer any of my questions, and at that point, I deduced that it was clearly racial. As they continued to fail the logic test, I asserted their actions and behaviors were racist. This agitated them even more."
After what Turner described as about thirty to forty minutes of being held, the officers drove Turner to the crime scene. When the officers and Turner reached the crime scene, an officer at the scene informed the officers that had Turner in custody that they were actually looking for "four white guys" rather than Turner.
"The officers didn't apologize, they just told me that they were going to let me go and they asked me where they could drop me off. I told them that I wanted them to drive me to the Fairmont Hotel and to un-handcuff me in the lobby of the hotel in front of my business associates so they could be humiliated like I had been that night," said Turner.
"So they brought me back to the hotel. There, the doormen, who had just got me a cab earlier in the evening, saw what was going on and looked very confused. Quickly around the flashing lights, a crowd formed. My colleagues came out, and I asked the officers to explain to them why they had arrested me. The officers stammered and gave them the run around."
Before the officers left, Turner collected badge numbers, names, and chain of command information, precinct for all of the officers. Later that night, Turner spoke to some of his friends that practice law as well as some McKinsey partners. The next morning, along with a McKinsey partner, Turner went to the Precinct to file an official complaint against the officers.
"When I went to file the complaint, they said, 'oh, you were the guy last night that was underneath a sign under a tree, and that's why the helicopter identified you as a suspect.' To hear this fabricated story angered me since I had no witnesses to counter this false claim."
