Three Black students waiting for a school bus in Rochester, N.Y., were arrested after they refused police orders to “disperse,” reports Raw Story.
On Nov. 27., Raliek Redd, Wan’Tauhjs Weathers and Daequon Carelock were waiting for a bus, arranged by their coach, Jacob Scott, to pick them up and take them to a scrimmage.
“We didn’t do nothing,” said Redd. “We was just trying to go to our scrimmage.”
Despite their attempts to explain to police why they were standing in place, police arrested them.
According to the police report, they were blocking “pedestrian traffic while standing on a public sidewalk…preventing free passage of citizens walking by and attempting to enter and exit a store…Your complainant gave several lawful clear and concise orders for the group to disperse and leave the area without compliance,” reports WROC.com.
Scott arrived on the scene just as the teens were being handcuffed and he implored the police to let them go. They threatened to arrest him for coming to their defense.
“He goes on to say, ‘If you don’t disperse, you’re going to get booked as well,’” Scott said. “I said, ‘Sir, I’m the adult. I’m their varsity basketball coach. How can you book me? What am I doing wrong? Matter of fact, what are these guys doing wrong?’”
Scott said a sergeant showed up and backed up his officer.
“One of the police officers actually told me, if he had a big enough caravan, he would take all of us downtown,” Scott said.
Scott said that the event was traumatic for everyone involved: “These young men were doing nothing wrong, nothing wrong. They did exactly what they were supposed to do and still they get arrested,” Scott remarked. “I’m speaking to the officers with dignity…and still and yet – they see me get treated like nothing.”
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