Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 2 September 1993 — Page 3

'C-k

The Muncie Times, Thursday, 2 September, 1993, Page 3

Letters

Goodwin questions police actions in arrest of his brother

My name is Nakia Goodwin and I am writing this letter to you as a concerned citizen. I am very distressed about an incident that occurred at our home, at 1421 East Highland, Muncie, Ind. The incident took place between 5 and 5:30 p.m., Friday, August 20, 1993. On this evening my parents, two of my brothers and I were sitting in our front yard. At this time five Muncie police cars, each with two officers, pulled up in front of our house. The officers claimed that they were there to arrest Kareem Goodwin, my 15 year old brother. I should explain that Kareem is on probation and is on the Home Detention Alert system. He is to be with a responsible family member at all times when he leaves the radius of his detector. When he does go outside this boundary, he must phone his probation officer and inform him where he is going, with whom, and the time he will return. When he returns home he must also call his probation officer and let her know that he has returned. Kareem has been follow-

ing these guidelines and had been with an adult family member at all times. No warrant was ever presented, and no explanation, other than a probation violation, were given for the arrest. When Kareem heard the police say that they had come to arrest him, he became very upset and wanted to know why, what he had done. Three officers attempted to handcuff him and Kareem began to struggle. He was scared and very upset because he had been following the rules and hadn’t been in any trouble. In his distress, he struggled very hard and the police actions became rougher. My mother, Sharon Goodwin, tried to go to him and calm and reassure him. My mother was elbowed in the chest by one of the officers and when she approached again, she was struck in the chest by one of the officer’s fists. As my mother fell, my father, Glen Goodwin, became very upset and tried to go to her. At this time another officer grabbed him around the neck

from behind, and yet another officer used a stun gun on him. At this point my older brother Michael entered the chaos, trying simply to protect his parents and little brother. By the time things had calmed down, it seemed that the entire Muncie police department was in front of our house. There were Delaware County officers and Ball State University officers present as well. There was also an ambulance parked down the street behind the many police vehicles. It seemed that the entire neighborhood was bursting with the number of police vehicles,‘not to mention all the neighbors for blocks around. This included adults, teenagers and even very young children from our surrounding neighborhood. All of these people witnessed this incident, and most were very upset by it. This is not the type of episode that promotes good will and trust toward the police officers involved. It is my opinion, and the opinion of many members of this community, that

excessive and needless force was used by the officers in the arrest of Kareem Goodwin. As of this date, no warrant has been presented and no specific explanation has been given. I should also mention that my older brother Michael was also arrested and jailed, and my mother was taken to the emergency room at Ball Hospital. My mother had severe bruising in the chest area and was treated and released. Mayor, I feel strongly that this incident should be investigated by you and your staff. It is my opinion, and the opinion of members of the community/witnesses, that my brothers and my parents were treated in a way that violates our rights as human beings and citizens of the United States of America. This kind of episode could very easily be repeated if the officers are not reprimanded for their actions. The enclosed list of signatures of concerned citizens and witnesses shows that we as a community feel that the officers should be severely

reprimanded or suspended for their actions, use of excessive force and lack of professionalism in completing their duties. Again, this is not the kind of episode that promotes good will, trust, and a sense of security in the police officers of this city or the government that controls the department. Thank you for your attention in this matter. Very truly yours, Nakia Goodwin (Editor’s Note: The Muncie Times recognizes that the above letter speaks to only one side of the issue and that some things are not always exactly as they appear. For this reason we sought comment from the city administration. In a conversation with Deputy Mayor Walter Berry, it was learned that the subject letter, dated 27 Aug., has not yet been specifically investigated because of the short time frame. Berry said that he would look into the matter personally and meet with a Muncie Times representative before our next issue to explain the administration’s position on the incident.