By Marney Simon | Bugle Staff
A traffic stop that ended in an arrest on Joliet’s east side has some residents calling foul, asking for a deeper investigation and looking for answers on police procedures and regulations.
On July 13, JPD officers initiated a traffic stop near Third Avenue and Sherman Street. According to reports, Milton Travis, 21, Deandra Robinson, 19, Maurice Bass, 23, and a 16-year-old juvenile were pulled over in a Chevrolet Malibu, driven by Travis, around 11 p.m.
The traffic stop was recorded by police body cameras and by Robinson via cell phone.
Per the phone recording, which was posted to social media, the passengers in the car asked the police for justification for the stop and did not get out of the car while awaiting that justification.
The cell phone video shows officers asking Travis to step out of the car, followed by video of Travis outside the car and on the ground, being placed under arrest.
The videos show the people in car complaining there was not probable cause for the stop and arrest.
Those same issues brought several people to the Joliet City Council on July 17, asking for answers.
Mary White, a minister with Good Samaritan Ministries, asked the council members if the JPD has engaged in any self-evaluation processes, particularly when it comes to relations with residents on the east side. White said she had engaged several community members on the issue, and presented the council with some of that feedback.
“I do understand that we all have to take responsibility for our actions, for our behaviors, and the decisions that we make in any given circumstance and situation,” White said. “Our response was, you know, a lot of people don’t like the police in Joliet. And then another response was, there is one in every profession. My concern here is possible police brutality, abuse of authority, and failure to gain and maintain trust with the people of color here in Joliet.”
Milton Bass, another east side resident, approached the council to say his two grandsons had been tased recently by police.
“What happened Friday night, it was horrible,” Bass said. “If they were jumped and beaten by others, the police would have gone out and looked for those people, they would have prosecuted them. So, who’s going to prosecute the police? I’m disappointed, I’m hurt, I’m choked up. When you see your loved one get beat down, and you can’t do nothing about it because they do it because they’ve got a badge and a gun, and they’re smirking — It’s ridiculous. I’m upset… with the police and I’m upset with everyone on [the city council].”
Earnest Crim, a teacher at Joliet Central, also approached the council, noting that it’s a difficult time for race relations in the city and the nation.
“I don’t understand why it was escalated to the point of him being yanked out of the car,” Crim said. “Why couldn’t the officer, practicing whatever de-escalation process they were taught, go back and write a ticket? I know it’s a tough job, but over running a stop sign, why do you want to become combative? Why is that the first thing you want to do with us? Why do you want to beat us to the ground to prove a point? I don’t understand that. And living in this city, living in America, whenever a cop pulls up behind me, I do not feel safe. No matter how many degrees I have, no matter where I live in this country. I think that’s the issue, and I think every black person in this country and in this city can relate to that.”
Joliet police did not comment on the arrest, except to say there was an investigation into the events surrounding the stop.
“I can appreciate the concern that the family members have over this traffic stop,” Chief Brian Benton said. “We have initiated an investigation though our internal affairs [division], there are also criminal charges pending, otherwise I would elaborate further on it. There is dash cam video, there is audio from the body [camera] recording, so I would ask the public not to take the snipped of video that was broadcast throughout the media and jump to conclusions based on that limited information. Once we’ve completed the investigation and the criminal process is completed, I will be more than happy to share that information with you.”
The JPD are also asking that anyone with information on the stop to contact the Joliet Police Department Internal Affairs Unit at 815-724-3203.