North Carolina A&T class president’s campus arrest draws outrage

Is the arrest of Verdant Julius an example of the over policing of Black students on American campuses?

Two North Carolina A&T police officers, seen on a viral video grabbing the sophomore class president by the neck and slamming him to the ground inside of a dorm, have been put on "indefinite" administrative leave.

Dawn Onley

Mar 19, 2020

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Two North Carolina A&T police officers, seen on a viral video grabbing the sophomore class president by the neck and slamming him to the ground inside of a dorm, have been put on “indefinite” administrative leave.

In the video, Verdant Julius, a sophomore and 2022 class president, was arrested early Wednesday morning, after he and two students were asked to show their campus IDs as they entered the dorm. Julius and a second male student, Mantryll Williams, were allowed to proceed but an unnamed female student was reportedly stopped. When Julius asked the officers why Williams said the officer told him: “If you take one step closer I am going to have you arrested for obstruction of an investigation.”

#NCAT it’s fucking up. I know I don’t usually speak like this on the timeline but the campus police have gone too far pic.twitter.com/TzSEe6Ypc7

— Tryll⚖️ (@yoitstryll) March 18, 2020

Not knowing what “investigation” the officer was referring to, Williams said both he and Julius were alarmed. The exchange between Julius and the officers reportedly culminated into one of the officers threatening to use mace on Julius inside of the Aggie Village residence hall, for which he replied: “You’re honestly ridiculous.”

Officers responded by grabbing Julius and bringing him to the ground while kneeling on him as they arrested him. Julius was charged with resist, delay or obstruct of a public officer and trespassing, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

Williams, who shot the video that has currently been viewed more than 1.5 million times, started a petition urging campus police to drop all charges against Julius and demanding that the officers be disciplined. So far, the petition has 6,850 signatures out of a requested 7,000.

“This whole situation could have been avoidable, as everyone is in a rush to pack and evacuate campus due to the pandemic of Covid-19,” Williams wrote in the petition. “The over-policing of Black students is an ongoing problem at many HBCU’s in the country. I am outraged and disappointed this intense show of force was used against a student who simply was trying to get to his room.”

“Police are here to protect and serve, slamming to the ground should never be a 1st, 2nd or 3rd thought of a police officer to arrest someone not posing a threat and over an campus ID,” Williams adds in the petition.

A&T Police Chief Charles Wilson told the Winston-Salem Journal that Julius was released after he signed a written promise to appear in court. A&T has not identified the two officers.

However, university officials released a statement saying the two officers were placed on indefinite administrative leave while the incident is investigated.

“University administrators are evaluating the matter in an effort to reach an appropriate resolution,” the statement said. “Further, we have met with the individual student, as well as Student Government Association leadership, to understand their concerns. Be assured that the issue of campus safety is one of our top priorities and maintaining that safe environment requires the cooperation and understanding of every member of our community.”

A&T students gathered on Wednesday in front of the university’s police department and accused campus police of yet another incident using excessive force. Last September, a school security guard was captured on video punching a student inside the student center.