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Injustice Remains - Your Support is Needed - David Croud
David Croud, 29, beaten to death.....
How long will we sit silent & allow our brothers & sisters to be abused & murdered without doing a thing about it!? Jump up, DO SOMETHING NOW!
I hope you take the time to sign this petition & post this far & wide.
Many Blessings,
Teresa Kurtzhall
UnitedNativeAmerica.com volunteer Staff member.
p.s. For those who have AOL, there is a technical issue with signing this petition, to have your name added please write Tamra, creator of the petition, thru her website at: www.NDNnews.com
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Stop the continual abuse, racism and violence against Native Americans from police departments and other authorities.
To: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) & Duluth Police Department
Stop the continual abuse, racism and violence against Native Americans from police departments and other authorities.
On October 12, 2005 David Croud a 29 year old Native American from the White Earth Reservation was beaten by officers from the Duluth Police Department in downtown Duluth, MN. According to reports, Croud was apparently intoxicated and had been harassing patrons at a local casino. Police were called to take Croud to the detox center.
Eye witness accounts state "Croud was passive, it was the police officers that were the aggressive ones" The officers in question slammed Croud into a stone wall a couple of times, then flung him to the pavement. His face was bloody and there was a pool of blood on the pavement. He was then shoved into the police car.
Croud was taken to the St. Mary's Medical Center emergency room, not the detox center. He was in critical condition upon arrival, placed on life support in intensive care and never regained consciousness after going into a coma.
Croud passed away on October 18, 2005.
The question is just because someone is intoxicated, does that mean they deserve to be beaten and die because of it? What right did these eight officers have to take his life?
The eight officers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative leave and the case is "under investigation."
The continual racism and violence against Native Americans within the police departments all over the country, must come to a end. These officers should be immediately and permanently removed from duty and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. These eight officers should not be receiving special treatment in this case. The eye witnesses have stated the events that took place, the facts are all against the officers in question. Any other individual that committed this crime would already be charged and imprisoned awaiting trail. Instead almost two weeks later, the case is still "under investigation."
Please support this petition and let the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) & Duluth Police Department know that this behavior and lack of immediate action will no longer be tolerated.
The people DEMAND action in this case and these eight officers be prosecuted in a criminal court for their crime. Justice must be served.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
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Are you still sitting there!? We are strong in numbers.
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Man in racism dispute dies
DULUTH: Family takes man off life support at SMDC; American Indians call for outside investigation of police conduct.
BY STEVE KUCHERA
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Never regained consciousness after going into a coma at SMDC on Oct. 12.
David Michael Croud, 29, died Tuesday afternoon at St. Mary's Medical Center, six days after an intoxicated confrontation with police in downtown Duluth.
Croud, a member of the White Earth Band of Chippewa, never regained consciousness after going into a coma and being placed on life support after being medicated at SMDC when taken into custody by police on Oct. 12.
The incident has led to racism allegations against Duluth police and city officials. Members of the American Indian community are calling for an outside investigation of his death, possibly involving the American Civil Liberties Union or Minnesota Attorney General's office.
Jim Croud said Wednesday morning that his brother died about 4 p.m. Tuesday. He declined further comment.
According to the city, the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office will perform an autopsy on Croud's body.
"I want to express my condolences to the family," said Duluth American Indian Commission member Mike Sayers. "I know it was a tough decision for them to make to take him off life support."
Sayers is on a three-member subcommittee that American Indian Commission Chairman Robert Powless created to examine the Croud incident, which the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating at the request of Duluth Police Chief Roger Waller.
The BCA will present its findings to the county attorney's office, which will decide whether to file any criminal charges.
"We're not happy with the investigation," Sayers said. "The BCA is just another branch of law enforcement which works hand-in-hand" with Duluth police. "They're going to come back and say there is no wrongdoing. We want to try to initiate our own investigation through an outside agency," such as the ACLU or state Attorney General Mike Hatch, Sayers said.
Subcommittee chairman Anthony LaDeaux said the commission has kept the ACLU informed of the Croud case since last week. He said there is no schedule for the subcommittee to complete its work.
"Right now, we're helping out the family as much as possible, both spiritually and financially if we can. A lot has happened to this family," he said. "There will be some questions asked in the future."
Dave Bjerga, special agent in charge of the BCA's Bemidji regional office, which is handling the investigation, couldn't be reached to say whether Croud's death will delay the agency's report.
Bjerga had said earlier he expected the BCA to finish the investigation by late this week. He also had earlier denied that the investigation was going to be anything other than complete and honest.
Some people have questioned police action in the incident and statements made by Waller and Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson after Croud was put on life support.
On Oct. 13, Bergson said he was "willing to put my reputation, my career and my life on the line and stand behind" the officers involved.
Some American Indians feel that the statements of support for the police officers' actions show that the investigation is tainted and disrespectful of the Croud family. They also are upset about previous cases in which no one was charged after American Indians died -- although not after contact with the police.
The Duluth American Indian Commission spent two hours of its monthly meeting Monday talking about the issue with Waller and Duluth chief administrative officer Julio Almanza, who attended in Bergson's place.
Some commission members and many of the 30 members of the public attending the meeting were skeptical of Waller's claim that race played no part in the incident, or that police acted properly.
Waller asked those on the commission and within the American Indian community to be patient as the BCA investigates. He also promised that after the BCA reaches its conclusion, an agency representative will appear before the commission to answer its questions.
According to police: .
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STEVE KUCHERA can be reached at (218) 279-5503, toll free at (800) 456-8282, or by e-mail at [email protected].
How long will we sit silent & allow our brothers & sisters to be abused & murdered without doing a thing about it!? Jump up, DO SOMETHING NOW!
I hope you take the time to sign this petition & post this far & wide.
Many Blessings,
Teresa Kurtzhall
UnitedNativeAmerica.com volunteer Staff member.
p.s. For those who have AOL, there is a technical issue with signing this petition, to have your name added please write Tamra, creator of the petition, thru her website at: www.NDNnews.com
-----
Stop the continual abuse, racism and violence against Native Americans from police departments and other authorities.
To: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) & Duluth Police Department
Stop the continual abuse, racism and violence against Native Americans from police departments and other authorities.
On October 12, 2005 David Croud a 29 year old Native American from the White Earth Reservation was beaten by officers from the Duluth Police Department in downtown Duluth, MN. According to reports, Croud was apparently intoxicated and had been harassing patrons at a local casino. Police were called to take Croud to the detox center.
Eye witness accounts state "Croud was passive, it was the police officers that were the aggressive ones" The officers in question slammed Croud into a stone wall a couple of times, then flung him to the pavement. His face was bloody and there was a pool of blood on the pavement. He was then shoved into the police car.
Croud was taken to the St. Mary's Medical Center emergency room, not the detox center. He was in critical condition upon arrival, placed on life support in intensive care and never regained consciousness after going into a coma.
Croud passed away on October 18, 2005.
The question is just because someone is intoxicated, does that mean they deserve to be beaten and die because of it? What right did these eight officers have to take his life?
The eight officers involved in this incident have been placed on administrative leave and the case is "under investigation."
The continual racism and violence against Native Americans within the police departments all over the country, must come to a end. These officers should be immediately and permanently removed from duty and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. These eight officers should not be receiving special treatment in this case. The eye witnesses have stated the events that took place, the facts are all against the officers in question. Any other individual that committed this crime would already be charged and imprisoned awaiting trail. Instead almost two weeks later, the case is still "under investigation."
Please support this petition and let the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) & Duluth Police Department know that this behavior and lack of immediate action will no longer be tolerated.
The people DEMAND action in this case and these eight officers be prosecuted in a criminal court for their crime. Justice must be served.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
-----
Are you still sitting there!? We are strong in numbers.
-----
Man in racism dispute dies
DULUTH: Family takes man off life support at SMDC; American Indians call for outside investigation of police conduct.
BY STEVE KUCHERA
NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Never regained consciousness after going into a coma at SMDC on Oct. 12.
David Michael Croud, 29, died Tuesday afternoon at St. Mary's Medical Center, six days after an intoxicated confrontation with police in downtown Duluth.
Croud, a member of the White Earth Band of Chippewa, never regained consciousness after going into a coma and being placed on life support after being medicated at SMDC when taken into custody by police on Oct. 12.
The incident has led to racism allegations against Duluth police and city officials. Members of the American Indian community are calling for an outside investigation of his death, possibly involving the American Civil Liberties Union or Minnesota Attorney General's office.
Jim Croud said Wednesday morning that his brother died about 4 p.m. Tuesday. He declined further comment.
According to the city, the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office will perform an autopsy on Croud's body.
"I want to express my condolences to the family," said Duluth American Indian Commission member Mike Sayers. "I know it was a tough decision for them to make to take him off life support."
Sayers is on a three-member subcommittee that American Indian Commission Chairman Robert Powless created to examine the Croud incident, which the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating at the request of Duluth Police Chief Roger Waller.
The BCA will present its findings to the county attorney's office, which will decide whether to file any criminal charges.
"We're not happy with the investigation," Sayers said. "The BCA is just another branch of law enforcement which works hand-in-hand" with Duluth police. "They're going to come back and say there is no wrongdoing. We want to try to initiate our own investigation through an outside agency," such as the ACLU or state Attorney General Mike Hatch, Sayers said.
Subcommittee chairman Anthony LaDeaux said the commission has kept the ACLU informed of the Croud case since last week. He said there is no schedule for the subcommittee to complete its work.
"Right now, we're helping out the family as much as possible, both spiritually and financially if we can. A lot has happened to this family," he said. "There will be some questions asked in the future."
Dave Bjerga, special agent in charge of the BCA's Bemidji regional office, which is handling the investigation, couldn't be reached to say whether Croud's death will delay the agency's report.
Bjerga had said earlier he expected the BCA to finish the investigation by late this week. He also had earlier denied that the investigation was going to be anything other than complete and honest.
Some people have questioned police action in the incident and statements made by Waller and Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson after Croud was put on life support.
On Oct. 13, Bergson said he was "willing to put my reputation, my career and my life on the line and stand behind" the officers involved.
Some American Indians feel that the statements of support for the police officers' actions show that the investigation is tainted and disrespectful of the Croud family. They also are upset about previous cases in which no one was charged after American Indians died -- although not after contact with the police.
The Duluth American Indian Commission spent two hours of its monthly meeting Monday talking about the issue with Waller and Duluth chief administrative officer Julio Almanza, who attended in Bergson's place.
Some commission members and many of the 30 members of the public attending the meeting were skeptical of Waller's claim that race played no part in the incident, or that police acted properly.
Waller asked those on the commission and within the American Indian community to be patient as the BCA investigates. He also promised that after the BCA reaches its conclusion, an agency representative will appear before the commission to answer its questions.
According to police: .
-----
STEVE KUCHERA can be reached at (218) 279-5503, toll free at (800) 456-8282, or by e-mail at [email protected].
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