Follow us on Instagram
Try our daily mini crossword
Play our latest news quiz
Download our new app on iOS/Android!

Mercer County Prosecutor's Office finds no wrongdoing in Perry case

The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office released its findings from a preliminary investigation intoallegationsof police mistreatment made by Imani Perry, the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studiesat the University, revealing no wrongdoing on the part of the officer, according toFirst Assistant Prosecutor Doris Galuchie.

Perry declined to comment.

ADVERTISEMENT

Perry wasstoppedfor speeding on Feb. 6, and was subsequently arrested for a warrant on an outstanding parking ticket. Since the incident, Perry has voiced her concerns about her encounters with the police over social media. In a series oftweets, she alleged that she was handcuffed to a table at the police station and denied the opportunity to make a phone call during her arrest.

According to Galuchie, following Perry’s allegations of mistreatment, an internal affairs investigation reviewed all video evidence, police reports and court documents related to the case.

“Based upon that review, the officer's conduct is to be commended, not criticized,” Galuchie said.

Videosof Perry's arrest and interactions with police officers were released last week.

“It is imperative to note that everything Perry claimed before the video came out is simply not true,” Galuchie said, “What happened to her had nothing to do with her race and everything to do with her driving 20 or more miles over the speed limit while her license was suspended and she had warrants out for her arrest.”

Galuchie noted that Perry had cancelled a meeting with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office last week, noting that she indicated wishes to reschedule the meeting. Perry must present her narrative in order for the investigation to continue, according to Galuchie.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Unless Perry comes forward with additional evidence, the case will be closed by a finding exonerating the officer,” Galuchie noted.

She added that a detective from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office will reach out to Perry this Tuesday. If Perry does not respond to the office before the end of the week, the case will be closed, according to Galuchie.

On Feb. 12, Perry shared a note via social media stating that she does not intend to speak about the incident in public any more. She noted that the intention behind her tweets were to point out that municipalities should not be generating revenue by using the Police power to arrest and that police practices in the United States is racially discriminatory.

According to a Feb. 11article by CentralJersey.com, Perry has taken a sabbatical leave from her position at the University.

Subscribe
Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

In a letter to The Princeton Progressive, members of the Black Justice League expressed support for Perry. The BJL stated that even if the way Perry was treated by law enforcement was in alignment with proper conduct for the department, the incident speaks to broader historical and contemporary issues around “the racialized, gendered intimidation and dehumanization of Black people at the hands of the police and in society at large.”

Facultyin the Department of African American Studies and University President ChristopherEisgruber'83 also similarly voiced empathy for Perry last week.

“Professor Perry has written powerfully about the “cultural practice of inequality” — how our choices in our daily lives, and the discretion they evidence, reinforce structures of inequality,” read a letter released by faculties of the African American Studies department on its website.

“We support Professor Perry and those who aren’t as well known who are subject to this kind of policing,” the letter said.