Heather Ellis, a college honors student in Missouri, is facing 15 years in prison for allegedly cutting the line at a Walmart. We've all been in the supermarket, our favorite retailer and even the bank, and watched people wiggle past us to be served first. Amazingly, in 2009, we're getting arrested, charged and maligned for cutting?
The case started nearly three years after a Kennett, Missouri-based Walmart employee made the accusation. Ellis and her cousin were searching for the shortest line, so they split up. When her cousin found the shorter line, she joined him. That's when things went awry. A manager and security guard got involved and ultimately, the police were called.
It sounds like 40 years ago when "Dr. King was living. It's unacceptable today," said Rev. Dwight Montgomery of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Memphis. Ellis was charged with disturbing the peace, trespassing and two counts of assaulting a police officer. Details surrounding the incident are reportedly unclear.
After rejecting a plea deal on a misdemeanor count, the prosecutor, Stephen Sokoloff, became intent on pushing for a felony trial next month. To make matters worse, the Klu Klux Klan tried to intimidate the family by rallying and making threats. The site saveheatherellis.com has emerged, and her family is rallying to get local and national support. Stay tuned.—Tanisha A. Sykes
3 comments:
I don't want to sound indifferent or cold-hearted, but when I first heard about this incident, it was also reported the she started cussing store employees and even the police. This type of behavior--cussing--always gets black people into more that trouble than might have happened if they had just kept their mouth closed.
I have been visiting various blogs for my term papers writing research. I have found your blog to be quite useful. Keep updating your blog with in valuable information... Regards
I hate attention grabbing headlines that TELL LIES. The student does not face 15 years for cutting in line but rather for assaulting an officer.
The student would have been better off to just leave when the manager approached and maybe it was a hill that manager shouldn't have climbed either but when the police get involved and you fight back you can expect to be arrested.
Dr King was all about PASSIVE resistance.
Post a Comment