Students file complaint against West Lafayette police officer
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 11/07/2008
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An early morning disturbance at a local all-night restaurant has raised racial discrimination charges against the restaurant and police.
On Nov. 2, West Lafayette police were called by a representative of Triple XXX Restaurant, 2 N. Salisbury St., about unwanted guests and a possible assault. A group of seven patrons – all of whom are black – were asked to leave the restaurant, after a waitress asked the group to move down some seats to make room for other patrons.
According to some witnesses, one of the seven, who had not ordered yet, became agitated that he was asked to move when there were other open seats. Reportedly, an employee told group members if they didn’t like the policy they could leave. Then they were asked to leave.
“As the group got up to leave, other patrons began to make racial remarks,” one of the seven who left wrote in an e-mail.
That person said another group member who was five months pregnant was grabbed by an employee and pushed into a window, which consequently cracked. One of the women in the group has filed a complaint against the restaurant based on what she perceives to be racial discrimination. The owner of Triple XXX, Greg Ehresman, said Thursday he had no comment regarding the incident.
When police arrived moments later, they handcuffed two members of the group.
A witness, not associated with the group asked to leave, graduate student Christopher Warren, said he filed a complaint against the city police. He said he witnessed excessive force that appeared to be racially motivated.
William Dearing and James Spray were the responding officers.
Warren said the officers encouraged witnesses to not file statements about the event.
West Lafayette Police Chief Jason Dombkowski confirmed that a complaint had been filed against at least one officer.
“We have a mechanism in the police department of internal standards that looks at all complaints in our staff and in our department,” he said.
He also said the department is committed to being open and accountable to the citizens and the community the department serves.
“If we have made a mistake, then we are committed to taking the appropriate action in making changes as necessary.”