Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 4 May 2000 — Page 5

The Muncie Times, May 4. 2000, page 5

NEWS BRIEFS

Compiled by Andre Scott Retrial set for cop in Detroit man’s death A former Detroit police officer is being retired for the 1992 slaying of a Michigan man. Larry Nevers and his partner, Walter Budzyn, were convicted of seconddegree murder in the death of Malice Green. Nevers was sentenced in 1993 to 12 years in prison for beating Green to death. However, he was released 4 years later by U. S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff. The decision was appealed. When it failed, Douglas Baker, prosecutor for Wayne County, which has jurisdiction over the case, decided to retry Nevers. Budzyn was also retired in 1998, after the Michigan Supreme Court overturned his conviction. He was convicted of manslaughter, but was later freed on an appeal bond. The retrial presents a completely different scenario from the first one. Then an African American prosecutor presented the case to a jury made up of 11 black Detroiters. Outraged at the officers’ conviction, Michigan legislators sponsored a measure that eliminated the court. Now, an all white prosecutor’s team will bring the case before jurors whose racial composition has not been determined. Jackson seeks new Chicago racial profiling probe

CHICAGO, III.—The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. has called for a second federal hearing into alleged racial profiling in the Chicago area jurisdiction of Highland Park. In an earlier hearing, Jackson, U. S. Reps. John Conyers (Mich.) and Danny K. Davis (111.), ranking members of the House Judiciary Committee, joined others in testifying over racial profiling in the area. The move comes after several white Highland Park police officers blew the whistle on supervisors, whom they alleged tried to force them to racially profile black and Hispanic motorists. Further, Jackson said the officers have testified that a Jewish couple on the police force was routinely subjected to the Nazi salute and Hitler records by fellow officers. Jackson praised the officers who, he said, had let “their conscience” be their guide. In addition tom alleged victims of the department’s profiling, also in attendance at the first hearing were members of the NAACP, the Urban League and the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. Muslims rally around jailed H. Rap Brown NEW YORK, N. Y.— Muslims in New York City and across the country have come to the aid of former Black Panther, H. Rap Brown, now known as Imam Jamil Abdullah AlAmin. The 56-year-old is facing murder charges stemming from a March shooting incident in Atlanta. Officials of the

New York-based Council for Islamic Leaders said efforts are underway nationwide to help provide Al-Amin with the best legal defense available. Meanwhile, council spokesperson, Iman Al-Hajj Tablib Abdur-Rashid told reporters that Al-Amin is a “peaceful, compassionate” person who “wouldn’t hurt a fly.” In the March incident a deputy was killed and another seriously wounded, after they allegedly tried to serve Al-Amin with an arrest warrant. He was cited over a failure to appear in court on charges of the theft of a car and impersonating an officer. But Islamic leaders say that the car was borrowed from a friend and that AlAmin explained to officers that the badge he was carrying was given to him by the community police council. Pittsburgh housing, city cops will join forces Pittsburgh’s public housing and city police could merge following a vote by the city council. In March, the council authorized a proposal by its president, Bob O’Connor, to merge the two forces. The move authorizes Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy to initiate negotiations between the two unions representing officers. The sole council dissenter, Sala Udin, an African American, said he questioned whether the merger would benefit public housing residents. O’Connor’s proposal

includes a copy of a similar agreement in Erie, Pa., which authorities there say correlate to a 32 percent drop in the city’s crime rate. According to one public housing officer, merging the two forces would give the city officers needed back-up and end jurisdictional problems. The merger would also improve the racial balance of the city force. As of June 1999, about 25.8 percent of the city police were African American, compared to 65 percent of the public housing force. Aetna apologizes over slave policies NEW YORK, N. Y.— Aetna Inc., founded in 1853, says it apologizes for selling insurance policies that reimbursed slave owners for their financial loss when their slaves died. The company says reports written in 1956 indicated it sold the policies. A Hartford-based company, Aetna says it wrote no more than a dozen of those policies. The policies according to Aetna, were legal. As a result there are not plans for reparations. Watts to call black college summit WASHINGTON, D.C.— U. S. Rep. J. C. Watts Jr. (R-Okla.) says he will hold a summit for Historically Black Colleges and Universities with the House Leadership. Watts says the purpose of the summit is to ensure

that every student is equipped with the resources and up-to-date technology needed to compete in the global economy. The summit is expected to be held in the fall. The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education and other educational associations will work with Watts in organizing the summit. Police brutality payment soar in Md.’s PG County BALTIMORE, Md.— There have been 10 people killed or who have died after encounters with law enforcement officers in Prince George’s County. The Prince George’s County Police Department contributed to eight of the deaths. Meanwhile, State Attorney Jack Johnson announced at a press conference that five Prince George’s County police officers would not face criminal charges in the death of a Suitland man. Elmer C. Newman, 29, died Sept. 22, 1999, from injuries allegedly sustained while handcuffed in a police holding cell. “We were not able to determine who inflicted the wounds,” said Johnson. “We know that a struggle existed somewhere between leaving Mr. Newman’s apartment and the arrival to the Oxon Hill police station.” By law, police officers are protected by the Fifth Amendment, which prevents them from incriminating themselves in a criminal case. Police officers are also protected by the Police Officer’s Bill