College ‘Hate Crime’ Victims Get a Reality Check When Cops Review Surveillance Video
http://www.ijreview.com/2016/02/547614-college-hate-crime-victims/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=post-footer&utm_campaign=SharingBy Parker Lee (1 day ago) | Culture
On the morning of January 30th, 911 dispatchers in New York received a call from a University of Albany student with a disturbing story to tell.
WNYT reports that the student, Asha Burwell, told dispatchers:
“Me and my 3 friends got jumped, it was a racial crime, they were calling us n***er and all this stuff. And if someone doesn’t come take this down…or something, I’m gonna call the news.”
Weeks after the incident — which prompted outrage across social media and at the university itself — police have released new information that tells a very different story of what occurred on the bus in January.
Racist Cowards Beat Up 3 Black Women inside Bus at University of Albany. @adri16 #DefendBlackGirlsUAlbany pic.twitter.com/2ktVz5pIjp
— Viva la causa! (@70torinoman) February 1, 2016
After reviewing footage of the attack, which was captured by 12 different cameras on board the bus, police found that the self-identified victims “were actually the aggressors” and can be seen continuing “to assault the victim despite the efforts of several passengers to stop them.”
Burwell, as well as two of her friends — Ariel Agudio and Alexis Briggs — have been brought up on various charges, including misdemeanor assault, attempted criminal mischief, and falsely reporting an incident.
Mark Mishler, the attorney for Agudio, contested these charges in a statement on Thursday:
“We believe these charges are unwarranted. It is also unfortunate that some in the media and public appear to have reached a conclusion as to what occurred in this incident without actually having the information needed in order to reach such a conclusion.”
In the days following Burwell’s initial 911 call, the case prompted a “Defend Black Girls” rally on campus, even catching the attention of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton:
In addition to the 12 cameras on board the bus, police also reportedly reviewed several mobile videos taken by passengers, as well as hearing the testimony of 35 witnesses.
The women are due in court for arraignment on Monday.
Police released surveillance footage of the fight, which lasts approximately four minutes, to the public, as well:
