Update on Suspiciously Sitting While Black and Autistic
(Trigger Warning for repeating racist language and descriptions of violence)
Neli finally gets to speak up for himself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBHKQRF9eNM&feature=player_embedded
Transcript:
Autism and Racial Injustice: Neli Finally Tells His Story
Off-screen: Neli, um, can you please explain to me what happened to you on the day that you were arrested?
Neli: Day I was arrested, I was walking to the library- in the morning, I was waiting for it to open.Um, it wasn't open, so I went somewhere- like, waiting for it to open. I was going to my friend's house, walking past the school, um, walking past the woods, and the police officer came and approached me.
And he starts, you know, arresting me, laying these allegations on me, saying I have a gun.
You know, I know he didn't think I really had a gun, 'cause if he thought I really had a gun, he woulda brought more than one person, and he wouldn't've approached me cruising down the highway.
He was riding slow in his car, he was acting very casual. He was not acting as if, you know, it was, you know, an intense, serious situation. So, that's how I know that he was just there to arrest me.
So he starts talking about my grandma: "What is she, a hundred years old?, I bet she hasn't found her baby-daddy yet." He says, "Don't worry, Champ, she'll find him. Keep hope alive." And he put his fist in the air.
Starts talking about my mom hasn't found my baby-daddy yet, she said maybe- he said maybe you should call Tyrone and find out.
So, then he's saying things about Barack Obama, he's gonna turn the White House into a strip club, call it "the Nigger House" and paint it black.
So he starts, you know, saying all these things, you know, talking about my sister. Said maybe- she probably already knocked up already, and she got paid, you know, child support, you know.
He said a lot of things and it just made me angry, you know, and I was scared at the same time, because, you know, he's a police officer, you know, and whatever he say goes, you know.
That's, you know, what the scariest thing, you know, is that somebody who's supposed to be an officer of the law, and he's carrying himself, you know, in that manner. You know, you gotta sit there and take it, so I wasn't taking it no more. Um...
Off-screen: So, let me ask you this: um, before he started saying these things to you, did you allow him to, um, search you for a weapon?
Neli: Yes, I allowed him to search me for a weapon, even though he didn't have probable cause to search me for a weapon. I still allowed him to do it anyway.
Off-screen: Okay. So after he found a weapon on you, and he started to say these, um, very nasty, negative and racial things to you, um, please pick up from there.
Neli: After that I told him, you know, he was a racist, he don't deserve to be a police officer, and, you know, I'm gonna report him to the police department. So I told him, you know, I don't have to sit here and take this harassment, you know, I don't have to sit here and be, you know, tormented. You know, and, uh, I don't know how you got your badge.
You know, I just said, you know, I don't- I don't gotta deal with this, you know, I know my rights. You know, please, you know, do not, you know, ask me anymore questions. I just went, I walked away basically. Told him to please not bother me, and he grabs me, and, you know, starts choking me, hitting me, tasering me. He hit me with a nightstick, he pepper-sprayed me in my eyes, you know. You know, I- I couldn't even see. I could barely see.
So, uh, I took it and I grabbed it, and threw- threw it away. And then, you know, was just a lot of things- we got in a fight and, you know, everything just got outta hand, just got, just overall, just a very bad situation that I didn't want any part of.
Off-screen: When you were finally able to get away from him, what happened next when you ran off into the woods?
Neli: I was in the woods, I heard a lot of police sirens for about 30 minutes, and, you know, all of a sudden they come, you know, bum-rushed me in the woods, you know, with dogs. You know, basically they sent the whole FBI team, you know, out for one person. And they were asking me how many of me are there, like I'm in some kind of gang. I'm not, I don't do that. I'm not into the gangs, you know. I'm not that kind of person, who would do something like that, or have a gun. I've never even held a gun, I don't know how to use a gun, you know, if I tried.
And then, you know, they caught me, and beat me. And then, you know, I was in the police car, and they said that-
Off-screen: Now, what else happened while you were in the woods? You need to be very specific about what you told me- what they did to you.
Neli: They kicked me in the ribs, you know, they beat me, you know-
Off-screen: And what-
Neli: They spit in my face, you know, they did.
Off-screen: What did they say to you? What did they say to you?
Neli: They asked- they was asking how many of there are me, saying I make them sick, calling me nigger, you know. They just- they said "I will blow your fucking head off," and then they were threatening me. You know, holding me at gunpoint, you know. You know, it was hard. Very hard, you know- I was scared, you know, I was thinking "why is this happening to me?" You know, "I'm a good person."
Off-screen: What about when you told them, when they had you down on the ground like you told me, and they were kicking you, you said you hadn't done anything wrong: "I haven't done anything wrong." What did they say to you at that time?
Neli: They said "You don't have to do anything wrong [garbled]."
Off-screen: Okay. So, once they got you down to the police station, then what did they try to do?
Neli: They were interrogating me, you know, they asked me if I had a gun, you know. They kept repeating themselves, "where is the gun?"
You know, I told them I don't have a gun, and they tried and, you know, get me to say I had a gun, you know, changing the story, like, changing their words, like, "we didn't say you had a gun, we said where is the gun?" Their saying maybe I just told the cross guard I had a gun but I really didn't have it. I said, no, I didn't say anything to the cross guard.
You know, I think the police officer made the whole thing up about me having a gun, I don't think he even talked to the cross guard. I don't even know. Just, you know- you know-
Off-screen: And- yeah. And by that point you were placed in isolation, in a jail- for how long?
Neli: I was in jail for 11 days.
Off-screen: And how did that- how was that for you? How was that ordeal?
Neli: Very hard, you know. No, I just- I can't even explain it, you know. I was in isolation, you know, isolated from, you know, society without, you know, no reason.
You know, I didn't think I deserved to be in there, I didn't think they had a reason to put me in there. You know, I couldn't do anything about it, you know, I was just- I had- I was butt-naked in there, you know, the isolation, same thing every day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner they got bologna sandwiches. Maybe every now and then, something different, but, you know...
Nobody listened to me. I tried knocking on the door, and they just ignored me, you know, basically. And, you know, I was in there and they were pepper-spraying me and they were beating me.
Off-screen: Even when you were in- already jailed?
Neli: Yes, uh, they were slamming my face against the door- they were doing a lot of things, trying to get me to confess, you know. They had me in the interrogation room, you know. I thought they were gonna... I didn't know what they were gonna do.
But I knew, like, it wasn't anything good. I thought they were still trying to get me to say I had a gun. But, you know, that's what they were doing when I was, like, uh...
Off-screen: Okay, Neli. I know that was really hard for you. Thanks for sharing this. I'm gonna share this with the world, just like I have shared your story. I know that was very hard for you. I love you, son. Good job.
Take action: http://avoiceforneli.com/?p=76
Neli finally gets to speak up for himself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBHKQRF9eNM&feature=player_embedded
Transcript:
Autism and Racial Injustice: Neli Finally Tells His Story
Off-screen: Neli, um, can you please explain to me what happened to you on the day that you were arrested?
Neli: Day I was arrested, I was walking to the library- in the morning, I was waiting for it to open.Um, it wasn't open, so I went somewhere- like, waiting for it to open. I was going to my friend's house, walking past the school, um, walking past the woods, and the police officer came and approached me.
And he starts, you know, arresting me, laying these allegations on me, saying I have a gun.
You know, I know he didn't think I really had a gun, 'cause if he thought I really had a gun, he woulda brought more than one person, and he wouldn't've approached me cruising down the highway.
He was riding slow in his car, he was acting very casual. He was not acting as if, you know, it was, you know, an intense, serious situation. So, that's how I know that he was just there to arrest me.
So he starts talking about my grandma: "What is she, a hundred years old?, I bet she hasn't found her baby-daddy yet." He says, "Don't worry, Champ, she'll find him. Keep hope alive." And he put his fist in the air.
Starts talking about my mom hasn't found my baby-daddy yet, she said maybe- he said maybe you should call Tyrone and find out.
So, then he's saying things about Barack Obama, he's gonna turn the White House into a strip club, call it "the Nigger House" and paint it black.
So he starts, you know, saying all these things, you know, talking about my sister. Said maybe- she probably already knocked up already, and she got paid, you know, child support, you know.
He said a lot of things and it just made me angry, you know, and I was scared at the same time, because, you know, he's a police officer, you know, and whatever he say goes, you know.
That's, you know, what the scariest thing, you know, is that somebody who's supposed to be an officer of the law, and he's carrying himself, you know, in that manner. You know, you gotta sit there and take it, so I wasn't taking it no more. Um...
Off-screen: So, let me ask you this: um, before he started saying these things to you, did you allow him to, um, search you for a weapon?
Neli: Yes, I allowed him to search me for a weapon, even though he didn't have probable cause to search me for a weapon. I still allowed him to do it anyway.
Off-screen: Okay. So after he found a weapon on you, and he started to say these, um, very nasty, negative and racial things to you, um, please pick up from there.
Neli: After that I told him, you know, he was a racist, he don't deserve to be a police officer, and, you know, I'm gonna report him to the police department. So I told him, you know, I don't have to sit here and take this harassment, you know, I don't have to sit here and be, you know, tormented. You know, and, uh, I don't know how you got your badge.
You know, I just said, you know, I don't- I don't gotta deal with this, you know, I know my rights. You know, please, you know, do not, you know, ask me anymore questions. I just went, I walked away basically. Told him to please not bother me, and he grabs me, and, you know, starts choking me, hitting me, tasering me. He hit me with a nightstick, he pepper-sprayed me in my eyes, you know. You know, I- I couldn't even see. I could barely see.
So, uh, I took it and I grabbed it, and threw- threw it away. And then, you know, was just a lot of things- we got in a fight and, you know, everything just got outta hand, just got, just overall, just a very bad situation that I didn't want any part of.
Off-screen: When you were finally able to get away from him, what happened next when you ran off into the woods?
Neli: I was in the woods, I heard a lot of police sirens for about 30 minutes, and, you know, all of a sudden they come, you know, bum-rushed me in the woods, you know, with dogs. You know, basically they sent the whole FBI team, you know, out for one person. And they were asking me how many of me are there, like I'm in some kind of gang. I'm not, I don't do that. I'm not into the gangs, you know. I'm not that kind of person, who would do something like that, or have a gun. I've never even held a gun, I don't know how to use a gun, you know, if I tried.
And then, you know, they caught me, and beat me. And then, you know, I was in the police car, and they said that-
Off-screen: Now, what else happened while you were in the woods? You need to be very specific about what you told me- what they did to you.
Neli: They kicked me in the ribs, you know, they beat me, you know-
Off-screen: And what-
Neli: They spit in my face, you know, they did.
Off-screen: What did they say to you? What did they say to you?
Neli: They asked- they was asking how many of there are me, saying I make them sick, calling me nigger, you know. They just- they said "I will blow your fucking head off," and then they were threatening me. You know, holding me at gunpoint, you know. You know, it was hard. Very hard, you know- I was scared, you know, I was thinking "why is this happening to me?" You know, "I'm a good person."
Off-screen: What about when you told them, when they had you down on the ground like you told me, and they were kicking you, you said you hadn't done anything wrong: "I haven't done anything wrong." What did they say to you at that time?
Neli: They said "You don't have to do anything wrong [garbled]."
Off-screen: Okay. So, once they got you down to the police station, then what did they try to do?
Neli: They were interrogating me, you know, they asked me if I had a gun, you know. They kept repeating themselves, "where is the gun?"
You know, I told them I don't have a gun, and they tried and, you know, get me to say I had a gun, you know, changing the story, like, changing their words, like, "we didn't say you had a gun, we said where is the gun?" Their saying maybe I just told the cross guard I had a gun but I really didn't have it. I said, no, I didn't say anything to the cross guard.
You know, I think the police officer made the whole thing up about me having a gun, I don't think he even talked to the cross guard. I don't even know. Just, you know- you know-
Off-screen: And- yeah. And by that point you were placed in isolation, in a jail- for how long?
Neli: I was in jail for 11 days.
Off-screen: And how did that- how was that for you? How was that ordeal?
Neli: Very hard, you know. No, I just- I can't even explain it, you know. I was in isolation, you know, isolated from, you know, society without, you know, no reason.
You know, I didn't think I deserved to be in there, I didn't think they had a reason to put me in there. You know, I couldn't do anything about it, you know, I was just- I had- I was butt-naked in there, you know, the isolation, same thing every day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner they got bologna sandwiches. Maybe every now and then, something different, but, you know...
Nobody listened to me. I tried knocking on the door, and they just ignored me, you know, basically. And, you know, I was in there and they were pepper-spraying me and they were beating me.
Off-screen: Even when you were in- already jailed?
Neli: Yes, uh, they were slamming my face against the door- they were doing a lot of things, trying to get me to confess, you know. They had me in the interrogation room, you know. I thought they were gonna... I didn't know what they were gonna do.
But I knew, like, it wasn't anything good. I thought they were still trying to get me to say I had a gun. But, you know, that's what they were doing when I was, like, uh...
Off-screen: Okay, Neli. I know that was really hard for you. Thanks for sharing this. I'm gonna share this with the world, just like I have shared your story. I know that was very hard for you. I love you, son. Good job.
Take action: http://avoiceforneli.com/?p=76