Texas: Black Astronaut Dr. Mae Jamison & Police Harassment
Bob Witanek
From: "Wood, Betty/ATL" <BW...@atl.ms.ch2m.com>
Bob,
This may be good to share with the group.
Subject: FW: FWD: Dr. Mae Jamison & Police Harassment (fwd) Date:
Thursday, March 28, 1996 9:49AM
From: dunnr_at...@niseeast.nosc.mil (dunnr)
Subject: Dr. Mae Jamison & Police Harrassment
FYI
______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
Subject: Dr. Mae Jamison & Police Harrassment
Author: shedricc at NISEEast
Date: 3/26/96 3:41 PM
I received a copy of the following. Thought you might find
it interesting.
_____________________________________________________________________
"Dr.. Mae Jemison was made to walk barefoot." New York Amsterdam News,
Vol. 87, No. 11, Saturday, March 16, 1996:4, 36
"The treatment of America's first African-American astronaut received
at the hands of Texas police was worse than described and reported in
last week's issue (AmNews 3/9/96). "After being stopped by a
patrolman, Jemison was slammed to the ground, painfully handcuffed and
humiliated, but she was further dehumanized when the officer, one Henry
Hughes III, demanded that she remove her shoes, which might be
potentially dangerous. Jemison was made to walk from the police car
into the station house barefoot!"
Here is her letter to the Nassau Bay, Texas police chief, R.A. Holden.
This letter was obtained by the AmNews.
"Dear Chief Holden:
"I am hereby making a formal complaint about the conduct of Nassau Bay
Police Officer Henry Hughes, III, and am requesting that you initiate a
full investigation of the circumstances surrounding my arrest by
Officer Hughes on Saturday, February 24, 1996. "I have been a resident
of Nassau Bay for over eight years and have widely touted the quality
of life in our community. One of the things I have been most
complimentary about was the protection offered by a small and
personalized police department. "I was, therefore, astounded at the
conduct of Officer Hughes when he stopped me for a supposed traffic
violation.
Shortly after 8 a.m., Saturday, February 24, 1996, I dropped my 70-year
old father off at Polly's Restaurant for him to have breakfast. Our
plans were for me to go to the bank and make a deposit for my business
and then to return to pick him up for the rest of the day's activities.
I left Polly's by the exit drive and headed slightly left to drive
through the island back to NASA Road 1. I took the very route back to
NASA 1 that almost everyone, including police officers, takes when
leaving Polly's to return to NASA Road 1. After I had gone almost to
Bal Harbour, I was pulled over by Officer Hughes. He approached my car
and told me I had made a wrong turn out of Polly's. He asked for my
license and proof of insurance and returned to his car for several
minutes. When he came back to the driver's side, he very peremptorily
ordered me to get out of the car and refused to tell me why when
questioned. He escorted me to the rear of my car and told me I might
have a DPS warrant out for my arrest. A few minutes later he informed
me that there was in fact such a warrant and he pulled out his
handcuffs and placed me under arrest.
In exasperation at the indication that he intended to arrest me and
take me down to the police station, I threw my keys down on the
ground. When I leaned down to pick them up, he grabbed my wrist and
began twisting it very painfully behind my back. He ultimately pushed
me face down onto the pavement and completed handcuffing me in a very
painful manner. I cannot for the life of me understand why an officer
sworn to protect would manhandle a resident of this town for supposedly
committing a traffic violation and having an outstanding warrant. "When
I was pulled to my feet, I was told I could not turn my car over to my
father, I could not secure the checks that had already been endorsed
and were sitting openly on the front seat of my car, I could not take
custody of my purse, and I could not call for my sister, who lived one
block away, to come to get my car. I was told the car had to be towed.
I was then hauled down to the Nassau Bay Police Station, while my
father waited unknowingly as to my plight back at Polly's.
When I arrived at the station, I was placed in a filthy holding
facility, barefooted, because my soft shoes had been taken away from me
as possible weapons. When I asked to speak to a supervisor to complain
about my treatment, I was told that I could file a complaint on Monday,
February 26, 1996. I was then required to post bond for the DPS warrant
and the Nassau Bay, supposed, traffic violation. "My complaint is that
Officer Hughes physically and emotionally mistreated me in a way that
had deeply disturbed me. I was left to wonder about how Officer Hughes
regularly treats people similarly situated if he was willing to act
this way with an eight-year resident who is obviously not a threat to
him or others.
In my opinion, there is absolutely no justification for an officer to
treat the people he is sworn to protect in this high-handed and abusive
manner. I respectfully request a full investigation of this entire
matter, "I do not expect to be treated differently than any other
citizen similarly situated in Nassau Bay. Indeed, that is part of my
outrage and concern - that this is the way Officer Hughes treats
others. I hope that Officer Hughes' conduct is not part of any formal
or informal policy procedures of the Nassau Bay Police Department. I am
totally willing to give a formal affidavit in this matter and assist in
any way I can in the full investigation of what I consider deplorable
conduct. Several other people saw me during and immediately after my
arrest and accompanied me to the hospital for observation of my
injuries. I will be glad to provide their names upon request. "Chief
Holden, this is simply the wrong way to conduct business in our
community, and I hope that you will aggressively investigate my
complaint.
Sincerely,
Mae C. Jemison, M.D."