Friday, April 5, 1996
Some call for police reform, others find deputies justifiedBy
Brooke Olson
and Patrick Marantal
Daily Bruin Staff
As the FBI begins a civil-rights investigation into the
videotaped beating of two illegal immigrants, outraged members of
the UCLA community call for police reform while others said the
beating was justified.
On Monday, two Riverside County sheriff’s deputies were
videotaped beating two undocumented immigrants after a high-speed
chase on the freeway.
The chase, which stretched at least 70 miles from southern
Riverside County to eastern Los Angeles County, ended with the
pickup truck pulling to a stop. The truck carried 21 people and
most of its occupants fled from the car after the stop.
One deputy was videotaped clubbing a man on the back and
shoulders. The same deputy also beat a woman on the back with the
baton. At least one other deputy struck the woman with his
baton.
The deputies, Tracy Watson and Kurtis Franklin, were suspended
with pay from the Riverside sheriff’s department.
Some members of the UCLA community expressed fear that this
incident demonstrates the current anti-immigrant sentiment
occurring in America.
"As far as the immigrant beatings, I think that it shows that
it’s another attack on the (Hispanic) community," said Rachelle
Romero, secretary of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán
(MEChA).
"It was wrong. It was brutal. And it was extreme," Romero
added.
But others felt the incident was justified, and that excessive
force had not been used.
"The officers have been demonized by the press showing simply a
very small segment of this entire event and by the use of the
(descriptions) ‘brutal,’ ‘savage’ and ‘inappropriate’," said John
Barnett, who is serving as Franklin’s lawyer.
"This was a lawful use of force."
This sentiment was echoed outside the Immigration Naturalization
Service by a crowd of people, where the 19 illegal immigrants were
released from custody by Wednesday.
Although some members of the crowd whistled and cheered their
support, not everyone backed the detainees.
One woman carried a sign saying "Go Home!" and another person
shouted that the immigrants "deserved it."
Some said the incident was a result of uncontrolled emotions
which were only enhanced by the high-speed chase.
"The beating had nothing to do with the fact that these people
were undocumented," said Carl Shusterman, a UCLA alumnus and
immigration lawyer.
"The attack came as a result of the chase, as emotions ran high
and got out of hand," Shusterman said. "Even if these people had
blond hair and blue eyes that wouldn’t have made a difference."
Some UCLA students were quick to contend that the incident is a
direct result of both racist and anti-immigrant sentiments which
plague the nation.
"I seriously doubt that if these immigrants had been
blond-haired Canadians that the police would’ve beaten them,"
undergraduate President York Chang said.
"Anti-immigrant hysteria has been continually fueled by the
inhumane and racist hate toward people of color," Chang added.
Despite unclear motives behind the beatings, most agree the
attacks were completely unjustified.
"The police officers’ actions cannot be excused, even if the
people in the pickup were throwing bottles at the officers," said
Steve Lopez, a professor of psychology and an expert in
international politics.
Still, many students believe the beating was not an isolated
event. Rather, this unjustifiable brutality has occurred unnoticed
by the public for years.
"This (beating) shows that brutality is still occurring," said
Levin Sy, the director of Asian Pacific Coalition. "The mood
created is one of hate and violence toward people of color, most
notably immigrants."
Students were upset that physical evidence, namely a videotape
of police brutality, was needed before an investigation into
nationwide police brutality began.
"It’s a sad case where we’d have to catch something on camera to
convince people that this overt racism by police towards immigrants
exists," said John Du, undergraduate external vice president.
On an international level, the Mexican government has pledged to
follow the development of the FBI’s investigation.
In a letter to the State Department, Mexico’s Department of
Foreign Relations "condemned this flagrant violation of the human
rights of its nationals."
According to UCLA professors, civil rights for all people
exclude the use of excessive force by the police when an immigrant
is arrested or detained.
"When the illegal immigrants are picked up for crossing the
border, they are read a list of their rights," said Ivan Light, a
professor of sociology and an expert in immigration issues. "Among
these rights is a right not to be beaten."
Other students though, were not surprised that the immigrants
rights were violated.
"I am not surprised at all. I believe that they’ve been treating
immigrants, especially from Mexico, like this for years," said
Natasha Fuller, a third-year pre-law student.
"Not excluding the fact that they’re minorities, in this country
minorities are often treated as second-class individuals who are
not afforded treatment as humans," Fuller added.
With reports from the Associated Press and the Los Angeles
Times.
See related viewpoint:
U.S. ethics under fir for recent attack