CHICAGO—Nikkita Brown was simply walking her dog on the North Avenue Beach when a police officer proceeded to harass and assault her for being at the park 10 minutes after closing time.
Video footage shows Ms. Brown walking away, obeying the officer’s command yet still being harassed by the officer who has yet to be identified. The video shows Ms. Brown and the officer talking then after Ms. Brown stops walking she then looks down at her phone. The officer then grabs Ms. Brown’s arm trying to restrain her. Ms. Brown can be heard screaming as the cop then tries turning her around.
A statement released by Ms. Brown’s legal representatives, Saulter Law P.C. stated that what transpired was an an “obvious case of racial profiling” and that Ms. Brown suffers from emotional trauma due to the incident.
“She had heeded the command and was moving towards the exit. She was in motion. This sister was not standing her ground adamantly. This is a sister that was not only compliant, but respectful. But in the eyes of a racist, bigoted cop, he did not see the dignity of her humility. We have to ask ourselves, ‘what we saw, how did this escalate to this?’ We don’t know if this officer is dealing with more than racism. Where is his history?” activist Eric Russell told The Final Call.
The police officer in question has had more than two dozen complaints against him, reported local news. Some of the complaints categorize his behavior as “unbecoming” and a “neglect of duty.” Why is he still on the police force then?
The Chicago Police Department said they were “aware” of the Aug. 28 incident and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was said to be “deeply concerned” and that an investigation was pending. The officer was placed on desk duty but as of Final Call presstime, had not been charged.
The Final Call contacted the mayor’s office but received no response.
Mr. Russell noted that Black women have been targeted by law enforcement for decades and that it stems from White supremacy. “Black women have become more of a target because they have access to them now. They put Black women out there because they can control them to some degree.
When they raped our women in slavery, what they did, when they put the bullwhip to Black men as part of the Willie-Lynch Syndrome, they wanted to tell Black women that ‘your Black men cannot protect you, we are a superior race and if you hope to survive, you need to acquiesce through the chains and servitude of White supremacy,’” Mr. Russell continued.
According to a 2017 study by the UF Law Scholarship Repository, Black women are at highest risk than any other group to experience sexual assault by law enforcement. There are also many cases that have not been recorded because Black women encountering police does not receive much media attention, reports FiveThirtyEights.
Longtime Chicago activist Carolyn Ruff has organized protests in support of Ms. Brown. “To me, I was attacked by four White cops and a female while I was protesting in 2019. What it means to me is that the higher-up needs to take a look at these police,” she said.
“Right now, we don’t trust the police so I don’t know if we would be able to find protection. … My demands were to fire the police (officer) but what they did was put him on desk duty. What we would like to see, and everyone who is fighting for justice for this young lady, is this officer fired,” said Ms. Ruff.
“Til’ our men come forward and protect our women I don’t think it’s going to get any better. I agree with the Minister wholeheartedly,” she said, referring to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam.
During a 2015 interview on WVON 1690-AM with host Cliff Kelley, Min. Farrakhan spoke on the history of policing in America. “They used Irish people on what they call ‘the watchdog’ (surveillance); these were the beginnings of ‘the police,’ to catch Black slaves, runaway slaves, and return them to their master. You have never been no ‘good’ person to us! That’s why the patrol wagon was called the ‘paddy wagon,’ because the Irish were the ‘top cops,’ and as ‘top cops,’ you did not treat Black people fairly,” the Minister explained.
Chicago police are no strangers to disturbing incidents toward Black women. What happened to Anjanette Young who was handcuffed naked during a botched police raid? The 50-year-old social worker was coming from a day’s work Feb. 21, 2019 when police barged into her apartment, handcuffed her naked and rummaged through her belongings.
Rekia Boyd was shot and killed by off-duty Chicago cop Dante Servin in 2012 when he fired his gun into a crowd, killing the 22-year old. He was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Last year during the height of protests against police brutality local youth activist Miracle Boyd, 18, had her front teeth knocked out by a police officer during a protest at Grant Park.
A protester holds a sign demanding justice for victims of police brutality. 
Protestors and supporters of Ms. Brown demand the release of the name of the officer who harassed and assaulted Ms. Brown and for him to be fired from CPD. Photos: Haroon Rajaee
Chicago-based activist Ja’Mal Green told The Final Call, that Black women are the most mistreated people in America. “If a White woman was walking her dog minutes after the park was closed, the officer would’ve been kind and even played with the dog but when you’re a Black woman, you’re looked at as a third-class citizen and must obey commands or be dealt with,” he said.
“We’ve been dealing with this treatment for hundreds of years from authoritative systems they put in place, and it needs to come a time when we stop begging for equality and start demanding it or else. He is a White supremacist in a blue uniform, and we must zero in on policies that tear down White supremacy because you cannot reform White supremacy,” said Mr. Green.
Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church on the South Side of Chicago told The Final Call, “There’s obviously a complete distrust and that comes from behavior. We continue to see this disrespect and oppressive behavior on Black women and on African Americans in general.” What is it going to take to stop?
Questioned the activist priest. “We keep hearing the police department and the mayor saying it’s unacceptable but it keeps happening. I just think that the culture and DNA of the police department gives freedom to those who are racist and sexist, it gives them the free pass, if you will, to continue this kind of behavior,” added Father Pfleger.”
“When we don’t take immediate discipline, and if you had done that or I had done that, we would have been arrested and in jail. But a police [officer] can do it and still get paid. When the police department does not take strong and aggressive actions against these behaviors, they are consciously or unconsciously allowing it. I think we’ve got to continue to demand systematic change; this culture is just not acceptable. The culture doesn’t seem to be changing,” Father Pfleger continued.
“You can’t train a racist mind that has an attitude that we are ‘animals,’ that the Black community is a ‘jungle’ (“Let’s go down to the jungle”). No—hell no! In the future, we will ask you to step out of our community,” Min. Farrakhan told Mr. Kelley on the WVON broadcast.
“Because if that’s the way you think, you can’t come in here! We will police our own community, teach and train Black men how to love and respect each other—and you should back us up in that.”
