UMES law enforcement accused of over-policing
Are over-policing tactics putting the futures of black college students at risk? That’s what one Washington D.C. attorney says is happening to male African- American students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
On October 23rd, there were nine cases on the Somerset County District Court morning docket six of them involved black male UMES students. On Monday November, 23rd there were three more cases.
It was clear those three students were relieved to walk out of the Somerset County District Court Monday morning, knowing they don’t have to serve any time in jail. The young men were arrested at an off campus party back in August. Their attorney Debbie Hines says it’s a result of over-policing tactics by UMES PD.
Hines says, “This is a historically black college and university. More so than probably the University of Missouri and Yale University, the university should be more vigilant about what’s going on within their campus.”
47 ABC reached out to UMES about the allegations. They responded with a statement reading in part quote…”UMES is not in a position to respond to public statements by the plaintiff’s counsel or media questions.”
According to court documents, UMES police responded to a large off- campus party at Arden’s Run. When they got there, they asked Daevon Moore, age 22, to show his student ID.
They say he refused and tried to leave. According to police, they told him to stop and that he was under arrest. At that moment they say Moore tried to get away. Once he was restrained by police, it appears that’s when his friends Aswan Mangram, age 20, and Xavier Price, age 21, attempted to intervene. Hines says because many of the university’s officers have policed in other jurisdictions, some in major cities, they’re bringing those tactics to campus.
Hines continues, “It is my belief that they carry that same culture from which they came, to policing and over policing these students.”
The students wound up entering an Alford plea, not admitting guilt, but acknowledging there was enough evidence to convict.
Through a deal with prosecutors, they avoided incarceration and instead have to fulfill 100 hours of community service each.
However, it could have been worse. Hines tells 47 ABC the state wanted the students to serve 10 days in jail.
Hines continues, ‘You know young African American men have a problem enough getting a job in society and even getting to college. To tarnish them for something that should be, what I feel should be, kept within the school’s jurisdiction, I just think is a travesty.”
The judge ordered that those three young men must complete their community service hours by July 1st.
In an additional statement to 47 ABC, UMES did say they were comfortable with the way the case was settled.
