A Penn student is claiming that University police officers exercised unnecessary violence because of his race while mistakenly arresting him for theft in late November.
Warith Deen Madyun, a black sophomore in the College, was apprehended and handcuffed by Penn Police on the evening of Nov. 21. He and three companions, all males unaffiliated with the University aged between 12- and 15-years-old, fit the description of a group of juveniles wanted for stealing Penn President Amy Gutmann's limousine driver's cell phone -- which police said had been stolen earlier that evening.
Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush declined to comment on the particulars of the incident other than to say that it was under investigation and "being treated as a high priority assignment."
Madyun said that he and his companions were walking from an area mosque to an on-campus Muslim function when they were approached by a police officer on Locust Walk in front of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall.
"I'm thinking to myself maybe [the police officer] figures we're ... just some kids in Philadelphia trespassing," Madyun said, adding that he showed his PennCard to the officer in an attempt to identify himself as a student and not a trespasser.
Madyun alleges that the officer then grabbed him, slammed him to the ground, bent his arm back and proceeded to handcuff him without informing him why he had been apprehended.
But Rush said that Penn Police officers are trained in something called "verbal judo," in which they are taught to be up-front in identifying themselves and identifying why they are approaching a given person.
Madyun reported that shortly after he was handcuffed about eight additional police officers arrived on the scene. He stated that he was walked over in the direction of the Annenberg Center on Walnut St. All the while Madyun was shouting at police officers that they were going to lose their jobs over the incident.
College junior Nazia Siddiqi said she arrived on the scene as police were handcuffing Madyun, with whom she sits on the Muslim Students Association board.
"They were yelling 'shut up' in his ear," Siddiqi said.
She saw the police officers push him against a flyer kiosk and tried to convince police officers that Madyun could not have stolen the phone. However, she said police dismissed her arguments.
"They were very rude," Siddiqi said.
Madyun claims that while he was up against the flyer kiosk, a black police officer approached him, saying, "I'm not your brother. I'm tired of you guys."
After about 10 to 15 minutes of being handcuffed, Madyun said he was released when the limousine driver identified him as not being the culprit.
Madyun said that he does not believe that he was a victim of racial profiling, noting that he and his companions fit the description of the suspects almost perfectly. He does believe, however, that police were unnecessarily violent with him because of his race.
"If I were a white student and the students who committed the crime were four white males and four white males were walking down Locust Walk I have to assume that they wouldn't have been treated like this," he said. "I don't think it's a matter of white cops/black students. I think it's a matter of cops/black males. ... [Penn Police] need to reevaluate how they handle males in this community."
Rush disputed this claim.
"The numbers don't compute to substantiate that perception," Rush said, citing statistical studies as well as work done with community leaders.
She said that the police receive about 12 official complaints a year and outside of an incident last year in the Quad -- during which Spruce College House Associate Faculty Master Rui DaSilva was arrested and pepper sprayed while delivering donated bicycles to the college house -- most are not allegations of abuse of force.
She added that police continuously work with community groups and intellectual leaders in an ongoing effort to improve race relations.
Madyun said that he has been in contact with University Vice President and Chief of Staff JoAnn Mitchell, Penn Police Chief Mark Dorsey and Rush. While all have expressed sympathy, he said, he has been unsuccessful in his attempts to contact Gutmann.
Saying that it is his "personal mission" to improve race relations on campus, Madyun has assembled a group of what he believes will be at least 30 fellow students to demand to speak to Gutmann this morning.
"We're not going to be belligerent. We're not going to be unnecessarily loud. ... I don't want to draw that type of attention to us. I want us to be organized, disciplined, and sincere," Madyun said.
He continued by saying that the group will remain in the College Hall lobby until they are granted an audience with the President.
If this meeting takes place, Madyun said he would request Gutmann to issue a public apology to all minority males on campus "for all the incidents that have happened."
He also wants Gutmann to publicly acknowledge his belief that racial profiling and police brutality are problems at Penn.
His final request is a large, open forum in which students, faculty and administrators can discuss what can be done to improve the relationship between Penn students and Penn police officers.
He claims that should these demands not be met within a week, he will proceed with plans for future rallies and demonstrations. He also added that these three things "are just the beginning."
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