Arizona cop's violent attack black professor who got charged with assault

Dr. Ersula Ore, an English professor at Arizona State University who was pushed and slammed to the ground by a police officer last month after refusing to show identification, now faces felony charges for assaulting an officer, reports AZFamily.com.

Ore was attempting to cross a campus street when she was stopped by Officer Stewart Ferrin who asked her for identification.

“The reason I’m talking to you right now is because you are walking in the middle of the street,” Officer Ferrin can be heard saying on dashcam footage obtained by 3TV.

“Let me see your ID or you will be arrested for failing to provide ID,” Ferrin said.

“Are you serious?” Ore asked.

“Yes, I am serious. That is the law,” Ferrin replied.

“I never once saw a single solitary individual get pulled over by a cop for walking across a street on a campus, in a campus location. Everybody has been doing this because it is all obstructed. That’s the reason why,” Ore said to the officer. “But you stop me in the middle of the street to pull me over and ask me, ‘Do you know what this is? This is a street.’ ”

“Are you aware that this is a street?” Ferrin asked.

“Let me finish,” Ore said.

“OK, put your hands behind your back,” Ferrin said.

“Don’t touch me,” Ore said. “Get your hands off me.”

“Put your hand behind your back. I’m going to slam you on this car. Put your hand behind your back,” Ferrin said.

“You really want to do that? Do you see what I’m wearing? Do you see?” Ore said.

Ore was wearing a black dress. Ferring replied to her query with, “I don’t care what you’re wearing.”

The situation escalated from there, with Ferrin struggling to restrain Ore as she screamed for witnesses to help her.

Arizona State University released the following statement supporting the police officers’ actions:

“ASU authorities have reviewed the circumstances surrounding the arrest and have found no evidence of inappropriate actions by the ASUPD officers involved. Should such evidence be discovered, an additional, thorough inquiry will be conducted and appropriate actions taken.

“Because the underlying criminal charges are pending, there is not much more we can say at this time. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has reviewed all available evidence, including the police report, witness statements, and audio and video recordings of the incident, and decided to press criminal charges of assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, refusing to provide identification when requested to do so by an officer, and obstructing a highway or public thoroughfare.”

Ore, who is attempting to fight the charges, is claiming self-defense:

“She was exposed, told officer she was exposed,” said Ore’s attorney Alane Roby. “Her dress was up; the officer was reaching toward her anatomy. She felt uncomfortable with hands going there.”