Colin Flaherty Commentary Video "Police video of black GOP campaigner's arrest in Iowa made public"
A black campaign worker canvassing in West Des Moines for Rep. David Young was arrested after he refused to identify himself or answer questions from officers who had received a complaint. West Des Moines Police Department, Special to the Register
West Des Moines police released an officer’s body-camera video Wednesday of the controversial arrest of a black campaign worker who said he was racially profiled.
“People need to see for a second the world from a cop’s eyes and that’s what we’re going to do today,” West Des Moines Police Chief Chris Scott said just moments before releasing the video.
West Des Moines Police Officer Clint Ray responded to a call to the department’s non-emergency line Oct. 29 of a black man in the 5700 block of Aspen Drive who had fliers in his hand, was leaning on a mailbox and taking pictures of houses.
That man — Keilon Hill, 24, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana — was campaigning for U.S. Rep. David Young as part of a contract with “Defending Main Street,” a Republican political action committee based in Washington, D.C.
Hill — who swore at the officer — was arrested on a charge of harassment of a public official after he refused to identify himself or answer Ray’s questions.
Hill and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement contend he was racially profiled, that officers did not describe what they were investigating, and there was no reason for the detainment.
The nearly 13-minute police video released Wednesday is not drastically different in content than the video posted by CCI except that it shows the minutes leading up to Hill being questioned.
The videos show Ray telling Hill on multiple occasions that’s he’s investigating a “suspicious person,” which he said was a result of a neighbor’s call. It also shows Ray telling Hill that West Des Moines has a solicitation ordinance.
A key question is whether the arresting officers had the authority — or the responsibility — to require Hill to identify himself, a point of law sometimes referenced as the "reasonable suspicion standard."
It generally requires that officers have a reasonable suspicion before they stop a person.
“Tell me what laws I’ve broken, sir,” Hill says on the video to the officer.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/11/14/officer-body-camera-footage-video-black-campaigner-arrested-west-des-moines-police-profiling-iowa/2006552002/
Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register Published 6:29 p.m. CT Nov. 14, 2018 | Updated 7:17 a.m. CT Nov. 15, 2018
