It has been almost three years since Heather Ellis cut in line at a WalMart store in Missouri and triggered a racially-heated incident with white customers and police. Now, the court case is about to begin that could send the young African American teacher to prison for 15 years.
On January 6, 2007, witnesses told police that Ellis cut in front of other customers who were waiting in line at the WalMart, shoved their purchases out of the way, and turned hostile when they confronted her, according to official court documents.
What do YOU think about the Heather Ellis case? Vote below.
Heather Ellis says she was just moving into the queue with her cousin, whose checkout line was moving more quickly than her own. She went so far as to draft a formal complaint to the NAACP, in which she says she was then pushed by a white customer. She also says that WalMart employees began harassing her and hurling racial slurs at her, and the authorities mistreated her when they arrived on the scene.
According to the court documents, the police, however, maintain that Heather Ellis simply would not calm down and she would not leave the property. She also reportedly kicked one police officer and split another officer’s lip while resisting arrest.
Her hearing on charges of assaulting police, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace will get underway this Wednesday in Dunklin County Circuit Court. The New York-based Your Black World has organized a Monday rally. They have also initiated an online petition at SaveHeatherEllis.com.
Ellis, 24, is a school teacher in Louisiana and is engaged to a state trooper.
“What a shame the system can destroy a young person’s future like this because of bad cops,” Heather Ellis wrote in her letter to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People back in April of this year.
The NAACP then organized a rally in Kennett. Prior to the start of the June 13 event, authorities found small, business card sized letters strewn about the area that the Ku Klux Klan had been there and that “the next visit will not be social.”
Dunklin County Prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff said the letters were removed and no one ever found out from where they had originated, although he doesn’t think the KKK was ever actually there as they have no presence in the region.
When asked whether or not Heather Ellis was truly mistreated by police, Sokoloff says that he has “seen absolutely no evidence of any kind, apart from her statements, that those things occurred.”
Kennett Police Chief Barry Tate has made no official comment on the matter.
Ellis has rejected several plea deals so far.
“Why would you plea bargain if you’re innocent?” said the Rev. Nathaniel Ellis, who is Heather Ellis’ father.
“This is not a matter of justice,” he said. “It’s a vendetta.”
According to her written explanation of what transpired in the WalMart, Ellis says she and her cousin had each gotten into separate checkout lines. Seeing that her cousin’s line was moving faster, Heather Ellis switched over to the faster line. Ellis says that the woman behind her pushed her when she attempted to put her purchases down on the belt.
Witnesses, however, say that Ellis pushed the woman’s merchandise back to make room for her own items.
Heather Ellis goes on to say that a security guard and store manager were then summoned and the manager told her to get out of the store. When she refused, they called the police.
The police officers followed Ellis out to the parking lot, using racial slurs. As her relatives pulled into the lot, Ellis claims the officers “jumped” her even though she was complying with their requests.
Officer A.W. Fisher says Ellis was given “every opportunity” to obey, but Heather Ellis refused and said she used an expletive in saying she would beat him if he put his hands on her.
Fisher then placed Ellis under arrest, but she still resisted as they were putting handcuffs on her.
Ellis then alleges that she was hurled against the doors on the way to the local jail and that a police officer tried to choke her with her own shirt while she was being held in custody.
WalMart spokesperson Lorenzo Lopez issued the following statement regarding the incident earlier this month:
“Incidents involving our customers are unfortunate and we take them seriously. In this matter, there was a disturbance and law enforcement was contacted, in accordance with our normal procedures. The police then determined how to proceed.”
What do you think of the Heather Ellis case? Was she mistreated? Is she simply getting what she deserves for cutting in line? Vote below:
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