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NAACP Wants Charges Dropped Against OSU Student

Oregon State Police

The regional NAACP conference and the Corvallis-Albany NAACP chapter want prosecutors to drop all charges against Genesis Hansen in addition to 3 other demands. Hansen, a 21-year-old Oregon State University student, was charged with resisting arrest after riding her bicycle on the wrong side of the street.

The Oregon State Police released bodycam footage to the public of the October 13 arrest on Monday. Though, video filmed by bystanders has circulated widely across social media since last week.

In the police recording, Hansen and state trooper Kelly Katsikis go back and forth about the legality of Hansen needing to provide identification. A Corvallis officer arrives and several minutes later both officers move to make the arrest. Hansen backs away and then is pinned down by the officers.

In a release, the Alaska Oregon Washington State-Area Conference of the NAACP  and the Corvallis-Albany chapter said Hansen was exercising her right to refuse identification. They call the arrest an example of “excessive use of force imposed on communities of color.”

They’re calling on Corvallis City leaders to do the following:

• Benton County District Attorney to withdraw all charges against Genesis Hansen in relation to this incident

• Both Oregon State Police and Corvallis Police Departments issue an official apology to both Ms. Hansen and the Corvallis community.

• Oregon State University officials to provide support and assist Ms. Hansen in dealing with this experience.

• Meet and work directly with Corvallis NAACP Branch to adjudicate and educate around this issue.

The release also states that the organization will take immediate civic action in Corvallis to ensure those demands are met.

The Oregon State Police sent a comment to KLCC stating the following:

"As an agency that is committed to eliminating racial profiling and implicit bias in policing, these allegations are being meticulously reviewed and we are compiling as much information as possible. The agency understands the importance of vigorously investigating these allegations and is taking a serious look at the incident."

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.
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