Student hit by U. officer in 'DP' theft

A University Police officer was accused Friday of striking a male student twice with a nightstick following the student's detainment Thursday for allegedly stealing some copies of The Daily Pennsylvanian. The student is believed to be part of a group calling itself "The Black Community," which took credit for the theft of nearly 14,000 DPs on Thursday. Other students involved in the newspaper removal were handcuffed Thursday morning and detained by University Police following the thefts of the DP, a statement issued by President Sheldon Hackney Friday said. The student was allegedly struck in the arm and the leg with a mini-baton after resisting arrest, said Bill Kane, a University Police officer and president of the University's chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police. The student was treated later in the morning at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Administrators said last week that they would investigate the allegations of "undue, physical restraint." Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson said yesterday that the incident is going to be evaluated by an independent inquiry board and the larger topic of police procedures will be addressed by a "Blue Ribbon Commission" headed by Executive Vice President Janet Hale and Provost Michael Aiken. A group calling itself "The Working Committee of concerned Black and Latino Students" -- in a statement released to The Washington Post on Friday -- accused University Police of "verbal abuse, acts of intimidation, unreasonable detainment, and physical assault." "Two female students were held hostage and berated by a University administrator and a male student who was simply questioning the motives for his detainment was struck twice by a University Police officer," the statement reads. The University administrator -- the director of security for the University Museum -- has been temporarily moved from his post pending the outcome of an investigation, University Police Commissioner John Kuprevich said. According to a statement issued by Hackney, both Kuprevich and Vice President for Human Resources William Holland will determine appropriate action in that case. In addition, the Working Committee of concerned Black and Latino Students said "our relationship with the Penn police has suffered a crucial blow." "Despite the lip service of Commissioner Kuprevich, students of color on campus are disrespected, violated, threatened, and ultimately brutalized," the statement read. Kuprevich would not comment last night on the specifics of the allegations and said he is leaving the investigation up to the independent inquiry board. But Kane defended the University Police officer's actions in the nightstick incident. He said the student was "totally uncooperative" and had been stopped earlier in the morning by University Police -- before the alleged assault -- when he was also uncooperative. "There was a struggle," Kane said. "[The student] was totally out of control." Kane said while the officers held the student against the wall to detain him, he turned around and raised his arm. "At that time, he was struck on the arm and on the leg," Kane said. This is the third known complaint against University Police this semester. Last week, a security guard working on campus accused University Police of assaulting and harassing him during his arrest for disorderly conduct. In January, a complaint was filed by David Lynn, director of the University City Hospitality Coalition, accusing police of denying him his rights to observe officers in the line of duty. Kane said yesterday that three complaints against police in a three-month period is "very low." He added that only 12 complaints were filed against University Police last year. He added he does not think that the inquiry board or the "Blue Ribbon Commission" is legal within the terms of the contract between the Fraternal Order of Police and the University. "We have a contract that has disciplinary procedures in it," Kane said. "I'm not sure if we'll even abide by [the decisions of the committees]." Kuprevich said he believes the commission will not violate the existing contract, but would not give specifics. Kane said students who act disobediently should be treated accordingly. "If students want to commit acts of civil disobedience, they should expect to be treated as civil disobedients," Kane said. "There aren't any special rules for students." Officers yesterday defended the use of force by their fellow officer. They said it followed the method of the "force continuum," which instructs officers to use verbal communication first, followed by pain and compliance -- which uses holds of pressure points -- and finally the use of force as a final resort. Hale said her "Blue Ribbon Commission" will investigate all police operating procedures. "We understand that we have law enforcement officers who are trained at a police academy in police techniques and are here to protect students, faculty and staff," Hale said. "[But] we have to make sure the officers operate within the University community." Morrisson added that she did not want to make any conclusions until the results of the investigation are released. "I hesitate to make any kinds of conclusions at this point when we are very much in the middle of evalutaions and assesments of what's going on," she said. "I think that we need to use the process that is being put in place." University Police Sergeant Keith Christian said officers are responding to the charges professionally. "Incidents have happened in the past," he said. "There've been good times and bad times. Nothing quite like this. People aren't happy but they understand the process has to go on. They are dealing with it professionally."

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