Heated Champaign City Council Meeting
Updated: April 4, 2007
The Mayor of Champaign gets tough after a disruption at the city building. Tonight's City Council meeting got heated after an arrest some say went too far. It all stems from police arresting a teenager last Friday at Douglass park. Some say police used too much force arresting 17 year old Brian Chelsey. He was walking through the park after hours when officers stopped him. They say he resisted so they used pepper spray and that brought several people out to the council meeting tonight. The man arrested, his mother and activists were at the meeting all looking for answers and voicing concerns, but some couldn't get them tonight.
Activist Martell Miller kept on interrupting Council Member Gina Jackson as she was addressing the public's concern on the arrest. The Mayor threatened Miller, if he kept talking over Jackson, he would escort Miller out of council chambers, and he did.
As Miller got up to leave, Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney also followed. Outside, he talked with Miller, asking him to understand where the police were coming from.
During the meeting, Miller was questioning the council about the ongoing police investigation into the arrest and how it's being handled. He says what happened proves there's a need for a citizens review board to look over officers. Miller says, " the police need some system of checks and balances." Chief Finney disagrees, saying his office does a great job investigating claims, but he says Miller's concern is " a fair question, this is a democratic process, certainly it's the coucil, the council makes that decisinow hether thse boards are formed."
The mother of the teenager arrested feels there is a need for a board to watch over police. She wouldn't go on camera, but she tells me she feels some of those speaking out against the arrest are using her son as an example and blowing it out of proportion. Her son did not say much, but was clearly emotional as they were leaving. He will be in court tomorrow, facing a misdemeanor. Meanwhile, the officers involved are still on duty, but Chief Finney says the investigation into what happened is on-going.
Activist Martell Miller kept on interrupting Council Member Gina Jackson as she was addressing the public's concern on the arrest. The Mayor threatened Miller, if he kept talking over Jackson, he would escort Miller out of council chambers, and he did.
As Miller got up to leave, Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney also followed. Outside, he talked with Miller, asking him to understand where the police were coming from.
During the meeting, Miller was questioning the council about the ongoing police investigation into the arrest and how it's being handled. He says what happened proves there's a need for a citizens review board to look over officers. Miller says, " the police need some system of checks and balances." Chief Finney disagrees, saying his office does a great job investigating claims, but he says Miller's concern is " a fair question, this is a democratic process, certainly it's the coucil, the council makes that decisinow hether thse boards are formed."
The mother of the teenager arrested feels there is a need for a board to watch over police. She wouldn't go on camera, but she tells me she feels some of those speaking out against the arrest are using her son as an example and blowing it out of proportion. Her son did not say much, but was clearly emotional as they were leaving. He will be in court tomorrow, facing a misdemeanor. Meanwhile, the officers involved are still on duty, but Chief Finney says the investigation into what happened is on-going.
