Police in the so-called U.S. kill an average of 3 people every single day. Many people who aren’t targeted by or as likely to be victims of police violence may think it’s some far-away issue, not a concern of people in Roanoke; this is a recent account of blatant brutality and abuse by RPD.
On February 20, 2018, Kay Phelps (the owner of VIP Sports Bar & Bistro, and someone with no criminal record) was pulled over in the left lane on a busy section of Brandon Ave. (near Towers Mall) by a Roanoke City cop named Ken Wilkerson for speeding. When she was first approached by Officer Wilkerson he told her he pulled her over for going 19 mph over the speed limit. When he went back to his motorcycle, Kay attempted to call 911 three times because she felt threatened and like her life was potentially in danger. She asked that someone come to the scene, but was told no one was available to come, and then she asked the dispatcher to stay on the phone with her but was eventually hung up on. Wilkerson re-approached her car with a summons that had false accusations and charges (it said 25 mph over the limit when he originally told her it was 19 mph, as well as other incorrect claims). She asked him to change the false information and he became overly aggressive. Justifiably fearing for her safety she asked him to remove his hand from her car door, and he then swung open her door, came into her car, pepper-sprayed her until she couldn’t breathe, dragged her out, and slammed her on the street face-first, all while traffic was still coming and his partner did nothing. Officer Wilkerson pinned her down on the street with his knee on her neck (she had previously been in a car accident & had had spinal surgery), then lifted her up off the ground by grabbing her handcuffs. They never searched her, which she found odd since they had used so much unnecessary force and were obviously treating her as a threat. And not only did they charge her with reckless driving (misdemeanor), but also *somehow* attempting to flee the scene (misdemeanor), and a third and completely heinous charge: assault on a police officer (felony).
Here’s a video she posted after the incident:
Thankfully Kay made it out alive, as for many people (especially Black or Brown people) that is far too often not the case. She filed a complaint with RPD regarding Officer Wilkerson’s conduct, but was told in May that their “Disciplinary Review Board” reviewed the “facts” and the police body-camera & dashcam footage, and unsurprisingly they feel Wilkerson was “justified” in his actions.
So to recap, she was lied to by Officer Wilkerson. Her justified fear of danger was ignored and neglected by 911. She was pepper sprayed and brutalized for a routine speeding incident, and then charged with three excessive and simply untrue charges (reckless driving, attempting to flee the scene, and assault on a police officer). These are also potentially life-ruining charges. Would the cop have done the same thing to a white grandmother? Should our mothers & fathers, sons & daughters, and loved ones be subject to such abuse and disregard for safety and dignity by those who claim to “serve and protect” us? Is this what we should expect to happen when pulled over for speeding, RPD?!
History and present reality say ‘yes’. The police institution in this country (including Roanoke) was founded as a slave patrol, it has continued to protect and serve the ruling class assigned the role of enforcing their white supremacist/capitalist laws by any violent means *deemed* necessary, and it and its officers are given almost total impunity in doing so. Last year approximately 1,129 human beings were killed by police, and in only 12 of those cases were officers even charged; 0 officers were convicted last year; in fact since 2005 there have only been 13 officers convicted of murder or manslaughter in fatal on-duty shootings. Folks in Roanoke should be reminded that 18yr-old high school student Kionte Spencer was shot and killed by Roanoke County cops in 2016, and after two long years of fighting for some type of #JusticeForKionte ZERO cops have been charged or faced any official consequences. What happened to Kay or Kionte is and has been typical across this country. It happens to people every single day, whether they’ve committed a “crime” or not, because it is part of what the police institution does: social control via violence. Does this serve the people? Actual public safety is meeting peoples’ needs, not police and prisons.
With this in mind, we must organize ourselves. If you find this excessive and outrageous (as you should), PLEASE HELP US with these 2 demands to get #JusticeForKay:
1. Drop the charges!
(call Commonwealth Attorney for Roanoke City, Don Caldwell: 540-853-2626)
2. Fire RPD Officer Ken Wilkerson!
(call Chief of Roanoke City Police, Tim Jones: 540-853-2203)
Kay’s preliminary court hearing will be on July 17th at 9am in Roanoke City General District Court (3rd Floor), and we also encourage folks to show up to that and support her as she fights these trumped up charges! Unite against state violence! Invest in communities, and divest from police and prisons!