CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat President Likins addresses a group of students accusing UAPD of racism yesterday.

Protesters accuse officers of violating civil rights

Nearly 40 students assembled in front of the Administration building yesterday afternoon to protest what they called a history of racist actions in the University of Arizona Police Department.

Protesters deplored what they considered a "disturbing trend of racial profiling and brutality" in the police force.

"Police have been going after Africans and harassing minorities everyday," said Rachel Wilson, a UA employee and activist.

Katie Daubert, an anthropology sophomore who spoke at the protest, provided five examples of what she called "severe civil rights violations" that have occurred over the past four years. Two of those incidents involve questionable police treatment of two African-born faculty members, professor Irene d'Almeida and professor Julian Kunnie.

The group called for the immediate dismissal of both Officer Robb Fountain and Officer Thomas Hawke, who were involved in the detainment of d'Almeida and Kunnie, respectively. They also recommended the creation of a citizen's review board to oversee the police and an immediate end to the policies of racial profiling.

The call for the officers' dismissal drew many cheers of support from the gathering audience.

I thought that Likins' statement was insincere. He didn't propose any kind of solution. -Carrie Tolman creative writing junior

"Is it too much to ask to be treated fairly?" asked Luisa Ikner, an environmental sciences graduate student. "Or have things changed less then we think they have?"

Organizers of the protest handed out flyers informing people about their rights. Patrick Bigger, a political science sophomore, handed a letter outlining the group's recommendations for reform to President Pete Likins, who was on-hand for the protest.

Likins told the group that he would read the letter with care and emphasized the need for students to be sensitive to issues of racial prejudice.

"Racial prejudice is real," Likins said. "At the very least, every individual should be treated with respect. I appreciate your concern, and I wish that there were more people interested in this."

One student watching the protest, Carrie Tolman, described Likins' statement as "lukewarm."

"I thought that Likins statement was insincere," said Tolman, a creative writing junior. "He didn't propose any kind of solution."

Another student shared the protesters' concerns over racial profiling.

"It seems we should be past this type of thing," said Daniela Kontovas, a physiological sciences senior.

Cries of "No justice, no peace, no racist police!" and "Hey! Ho! Hawke and Fountain have to go!" could be heard as protesters walked down East University Boulevard on their way to personally deliver the same letter to Chief Anthony Daykin.

After crowding into the UAPD station, 1853 E. First St., Bigger put the letter in Daykin's hand, saying, "If no changes occur, there will be continued militance."

Daykin defended the department's actions.

"I want to emphasize that the UA Police Department does not practice racial activity," Daykin said. "The situations have been thoroughly investigated, and the appropriate actions have been taken."

He also said that the recommended formation of a citizen's review board was unnecessary.

"We are certainly willing and capable of conducting investigations on our own," Daykin said. "I have always initiated and plan to continue initiating a dialogue with citizens."

In October, d'Almeida was in her office in the Modern Languages building when Fountain attempted to question her about a hit-and-run accident he was following up on. The license plate number given to police matched the one on d'Almeida's car.

Fountain became frustrated when d'Almeida told him that she was too busy to answer his questions, telling her, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way." He then wrestled her into handcuffs, tearing her clothes and breaking her glasses.

A UAPD internal investigation into Fountain's actions found him guilty of "gross misconduct" and stated that he had exceeded his constitutional authority in handcuffing her.

Disciplinary actions were taken against him and he was retrained in police procedures.

Six months later, on April 6, Kunnie was leaving a 24-hour peace vigil at the Islamic Center when Officer Thomas Hawke detained him at gunpoint, claiming that he matched the description of a man who had pulled a knife on an employee at a local sandwich shop.

Hawke told Kunnie he was looking for a man who was "black with hair."

UAPD conducted an internal review of the situation, but concluded there were not significant grounds for an investigation.