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Arrest Of OSU Student Raises Concerns Over Excessive Force & Racial Profiling

Wikipedia

The arrest of an Oregon State University student by Oregon State Police on Oct. 13 has stirred controversy over the alleged use of force and racial profiling. OSU President Ed Ray released a statement to the campus, Friday, calling the incident "troubling," and stated he may reconsider the partnership between OSU and state police.

According to the Daily Barometer, the OSU student newspaper, Genesis Hansen identifies as a person of color and is studying English and philosophy. 

Hansen was riding her bicycle on the wrong side of the road when an Oregon State Police Officer stopped to cite her and she later refused to show identification. In Oregon, bicycles are considered vehicles.

Editor-in-chief Delaney Shea, said the incident has divided people over what to think about the arrest after videos surfaced on social media.

"It's been rather polarizing, I think, for the community. Judging by conversations I've had and the response I've seen on social media, there's a spectrum of responses," Shea said. Both Shea and Hansen are associated with Orange Media Network.

KLCC reached out to Oregon State Police and did not receive a comment on the incident, but Lt. Steve Mitchell did send a summary of the arrest. It states the following:

"The operator of a bicycle was arrested for interfering with a peace officer and resisting arrest, when pursuant to a probable cause traffic stop they refused to provide identification. The bicyclist was transported to the Benton County Jail and released on citations."

Mitchell said Oregon State Police is working on releasing body cam footage of the incident after the department reviews and edits the video.

Meanwhile, OSU President Ed Ray sent the following in a letter to OSU faculty, staff, and students:

"We will continue to emphasize the need for law enforcement authorities to de-escalate situations involving OSU students. Let me be clear, this matter is sufficiently troublesome that unless its resolution is satisfactory to OSU, we will reassess the value of continuing a campus law enforcement service agreement with Oregon State Police."

Melorie Begay is a multimedia journalist for KLCC News. She was the Inaugural KLCC Public Radio Foundation Journalism Fellow. She has a bachelors in Multimedia Journalism from the University of New Mexico. She previously interned at KUNM public radio in Albuquerque, NM and served as a fellow for the online news publication New Mexico In Depth.