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Anti-Muslim Speech Triggers STLCC Probe of Campus Police Officer

Published

1 year ago

April 16, 2024

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An evangelist loudly preaching on the campus of St. Louis Community College-Meramec last week made hateful claims about Muslims — but it’s the response by a campus police officer that has now triggered an investigation by the college.In a livestream later captured for posterity on YouTube, the street preacher, reportedly with a group called Kingdom Reconcilers, shouted that students should prepare for hell’s “darkness and fire.””Many of you on this campus think your way is OK,” the preacher lectured. “The Bible says that there’s a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. … That means if you are a liar, a person who has sex outside of marriage, or a porno watcher or a Hindu or a Muslim, yes, you are damned to hell!” The offensive rhetoric only continued from there.Unfortunately for St. Louis Community College, public speakers do have broad First Amendment rights on college campuses. As the ACLU explains, even “offensive or bigoted speech” is protected as long as it doesn’t cross the line into targeted harassment or threats. Universities tend to be well-versed in the fact that they can’t just shut down local crank evangelists haranguing the students walking by, even when they come with a microphone.What their employees say, however, is a different story. And students on the Meramec campus say that two campus police officers made a bad situation worse.A Muslim student explained what happened in a statement he published on Instagram. He says he complained to a campus police officer, only to be told, “If you don’t like it, go somewhere else.” The Muslim student asked what he meant by that. That’s when the officer reportedly responded, “If you don’t like it, go back to your home country.” When the student sought out another officer, seeking his involvement, he wrote that the officer said, “He can say whatever the fuck he wants.”In a statement, St. Louis Community College said it was investigating one of the officers’ behavior. Their statement said this: “St. Louis Community College is committed to creating a culture of care and respect for our students, faculty and staff. We are aware of the allegations regarding an interaction with an STLCC police officer and our students. This occurred when an individual purporting to be a member of a religious organization visited the campus to exercise their free speech rights. “While the College recognizes and respects individuals’ rights to express themselves as guaranteed by the First Amendment and the Campus Free Expression Act in Missouri, the College does not condone harassing or discriminatory behavior by members of the public, students, or College employees. “STLCC HR is actively investigating the alleged misconduct by the campus police officer. We continue to support members of our College community who have been impacted and will connect them with appropriate campus support services.”Other students are now calling for action. “Yea you better fire these police officers, shame on you if you don’t,” one wrote on Instagram. Added another, “Didn’t see it happen fully, but can attest I saw the aftermath. Someone asked him ‘Did you just tell them to go back to their country?’ And the cop vaguely nodded. So can attest that this did happen. Horrible. He should not be employed if he can’t respect the student body.”You can see more than an hour of students responding to the speakers’ claims in the video below. Warning: Whether you’re Muslim, Hindu or just an agnostic college student, there’s a whole lot to take offense to in his remarks.Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.

Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.

The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.

The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.

This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.

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Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.

“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”

He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”

The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”

Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”

The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.

Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”

In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.

“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”

Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”

Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.

“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)

One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.

Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.

“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”

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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

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The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.

The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.

The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.

The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.

To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

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