Community organizers are demanding that the City of Burlington fire three police officers who they say exerted inappropriate force on city residents, particularly people of color.
More than 60 people gathered at the First Unitarian Universalist Society Meeting House on Thursday night to call for accountability and action from Burlington police and city councilors following recent allegations of police brutality.
Organized by Montpelier-based advocacy group Justice for All and Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington, the “emergency community meeting” came in response to the recent release of body camera footage showing Sgt. Jason Bellavance and Officer Joseph Corrow knocking two young black men unconscious in separate incidents last fall.
Jérémie Meli and Mabior Jok have each sued the officers in federal court for using excessive force.
Meanwhile, Vermont State Police are scrutinizing another Burlington officer, Cory Campbell, who punched a man during a March encounter outside the University of Vermont Medical Center. Douglas Kilburn, a 54-year-old white man, was found dead at his home three days after the confrontation. Campbell was also present the night Meli was knocked down and is named as a defendant in that suit.
BLM demanded all three officers be fired for their “pattern of violence without provocation or just cause, particularly targeted toward black men” and that they not be rehired by any other state agency.
The petition, circulated at the meeting and on Change.org, also asks that all Chittenden County police officers use body cameras and release footage to the public. It further asks that the Burlington police stop hiring new cops and instead bring on more social workers since officers’ “inability to de-escalate … does not promote safety in our community.”
Mark Hughes, Justice for All executive director, spoke of the domino effect these incidents cause: People of color lose trust in police and stop calling them for help, making the whole community less safe, he said.
Hughes urged attendees to hold elected leaders accountable, many times looking directly at Burlington City Councilor Jack Hanson (P-East District), who sat in the front row.
“You guys who we elect don’t do what we want you to do until you know that we’re watching you. We’re watching you,” Hughes said.
Former city council candidate Mohamed Jafar, a community activist and friend of the Meli family, responded directly to Chief Brandon del Pozo’s recent press conference about the use-of-force incidents.
“What does it matter that we deploy the largest amount [of body cameras] if the police can withhold, redact and release at their own discretion?” Jafar asked, adding, “The chief bragged about excellent and impactful bias training his officers have received. Where are the results?
“I’m not here to villainize the chief,” Jafar continued. “I’m just here to ask for a leader.”
He also read statements about Jok and another from Beatrice Kambere, Meli’s mother, who said her community “hurts as much as we hurt.”
“She does feel this community is here for her,” Jafar said. “She does not feel helpless.”
BLM activist Katrina Battle urged allies to continue the fight beyond Thursday night’s meeting, noting they can’t rely on officials, police or legislators to do it for them. Organizers will rally at Burlington City Hall on Monday before a 7 p.m. council meeting.
Community members also took turns speaking, calling for fewer police patrolling local schools, for better and more data on use-of-force, and for Burlington police to hire more officers of color.
After the meeting, Councilor Hanson said BLM’s demands will likely be reflected in a resolution he and his fellow Progs will present at a future meeting, albeit not word for word.
“We need to look at our system of accountability for officers that are behaving in this way,” he said. “We need stronger accountability, and we’re not getting that under the current structure.”
Hanson said it was “uncomfortable, but in a good way” to hear activists’ direct pleas for change.
“I’m just glad to be a part of this community … and be able to work with people this directly to try to find solutions,” he said. “I appreciate people are paying attention and people are active and trying to do everything they can to make things better.”
Correction May 10, 2019: An earlier version of this story misstated when the Progressive councilors plan to introduce their resolution.
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Hey Some of Us,
Take a look at the photo, what do you read on the T-shirts? That would be the injection of identity politics.
By “they” I’m referring to the usual opportunists (BLM Inc) pictured (of assorted skin colors)who are trying to exploit a situation to peddle their ideology and dictate norms to others and / or make a buck (BLM Vt , BLM Great Burlington, CRJ Consulting etc. etc). They have a vested interest in claiming racism wherever and whenever they can. They also have a vested interest in convincing people race is important, more important than character, actions, or choices. It is simplistic, exploitive, and mercenary.
But hey, I’m sure you know better than I what I meant.
Reuben,
Nope. It isnt. Though many virulently wish it were.
Pat, your first comment is the injection of identity politics into this conversation. Furthermore, if you think “they,” by which you mean people of color, are using the death of White guy to exploit anything, it’s only proving that you, as with much of our society, value White lives more. We should be up in arms about Black people being beaten to death by the cops, but it takes a White guy’s death to enter into the conversation. You hit the nail on the head.
I’m sorry this issue is so confusing for you!
No, it is not just you. Because Vt is (also ) virulently racist…….
Faried,
It’s difficult to determine who to support when, instead of simplistically just picking sides and causes based on skin color, you actually consider the issues and players. In this case it appears that some of the usual suspects are there to exploit a situation (we are missing Curtis Reed though but I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to invoice the city out of it). But then again who can tell. Take a look at the Sec State Corporations page and see if you can figure out who is trying to monetize identity politics in Vermont. There’s “Black Lives Matter Burlington Vermont” (Ebony Nyoni), there’s “Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington Inc” (Lauren Kenney), “Black Lives Matter VT” (Ebony Nyoni again), “Black Lives Matter VT Greater Burlington” (Ebony Nyoni), and “Black Lives Matter VT LTD” (Ebony Nyoni).
CPhillips,
It’s good you recognize them as employees, with a union and a contract and everything, just like real people! SO that should mean you also recognize the obligation of their employers to provide them as safe a workplace as possible, to employ a clear, common, and defined system of counseling and discipline (instead of polling the pitchfork wielding mob), and to respect and follow their contract. So in this case, one was disciplined for doing something stupid (ie opening an engagement with a drunk by shoving him), and the other is currently being investigated to determine if he actually did do anything wrong other than restrain a violent individual. Soooo…why so eager to just walk in like the Queen of Hearts and declare “Off with their Heads”?
Hmm…just me then. Good to know. I get confused with all the identity politics if we are assigned teams and if so, based on what inherent and immutable (but generally irrelevant)charateristic. It must have been the Black lives matter shirts that threw me. Identity politics are so confusing.
Yes Patrick, it’s just you.
If an employee of any company has a pattern of any negative behavior, it is 100% addressed. I’m not walking into meetings with other senior managers swinging when I don’t get my way.
None of these incidents (attacks) warranted the use of force by those employees. Cops are just employees. And we fire bad employees everywhere else, time to start here.
By numbers, most victims of police violence are white men often of working class background. Standing up against their victimizers arent exploiting, Patrick. Its recognizing the common enforcers for a ruling class and for the system that exploits every one of us. Its called solidarity.
Working whites are the primary victims of White Supremacy. Many whites recognize this and some march with BLM on the streets, agitate for social justice or at least support reforms.
But where are the rest and what the hell are they waiting for? That is the question.
Is it just me or are they tryinv to parlay the death of white guy into something they can exploit?