Profiling Allegations Are Made
By GABE WELLS Staff WriterArticle Photos
Steubenville resident Wisdom Born is tired of being "automatically considered a criminal" just because he is a black man.
Recently, Born held his own one-man demonstration in East Wheeling. He held a sign that read "W.P.D. (Wheeling Police Department) All Black People Don't Look Alike." He carried another that accused the Wheeling Police Department of racial profiling.
Those are claims to make any law enforcement official shudder, but Wheeling Police Chief Kevin Gessler said such assertions directed at his officers are not justified.
Born said his protest was in regard to injuries suffered by his 26-year-old cousin, Wheeling resident Durran Goodwin. He said Goodwin suffered a broken wrist June 14 at the hands of city officers in a case of mistaken identity.
He called that incident one of racial profiling. He said city police subjected Goodwin to abuse when they actually were looking for Goodwin's brother.
"They didn't have the right person," Born said. "It is not just the Wheeling Police Department. It's national. He was chased down and run over with the car. His brother doesn't even look similar to him, and they asked other people 'Are you Goodwin?' That's why I called it profiling. All black people don't look alike."
Born admitted that his cousin ran from police. He said, however, that his cousin was merely afraid. Born believes the fear is justified.
"He got nervous and took off running," Born said. "There are a lot of problems in East Wheeling and all over the country. It goes on everywhere. At 18 I had a gun pulled on me (by police), and it wasn't me they wanted. (As a black man) you're automatically considered a criminal, and that's how it is. That's how I honestly feel."
Gessler said Durran Goodwin was approached by police at about 6 p.m. June 14 in the area of 14th and Jacob streets. The officers believed Goodwin was someone wanted on a federal warrant, but Gessler said the suspect ran before he could be identified.
Officers tackled Goodwin in the vicinity of 17th and Jacob streets, and the suspect's wrist was injured. After being treated at a city hospital, Goodwin was released. Officers determined the man they were looking for - the man actually wanted on a federal warrant - was Goodwin's brother.
Durran Goodwin is now a wanted man, however. Gessler said there is an outstanding warrant charging Goodwin with fleeing from police stemming from the June 14 incident. The chief said Goodwin could have avoided any trouble with city officers.
"It has nothing to do with racial profiling," Gessler said. "It has everything to do with determining whether an individual is wanted by the law or not wanted by the law. Had he not fled, the positive identification could have been made. ...The officers did what they are supposed to do. Running gives the officers probable cause to investigate further."
Gessler said the sex, race and age of the suspect is documented in each Wheeling police arrest. He said there is nothing in those statistics that would indicate a disproportionate amount of arrests made in any of those categories. Gessler said the statistics do not indicate racial profiling.
The chief again stressed the incident involving Goodwin could have been avoided. He said the suspect was not the only person injured.
"My officer got hurt, too," Gessler said. "When he started to flee, the officer had a hold of him. It caused the officer to fall to the pavement. He was treated at the hospital, and he is OK, but we didn't have to have these injuries to a citizen or an officer. It could have been prevented with cooperation."
Delores Wiggins, president of the Ohio Valley Black Caucus which represents Ohio, Belmont, Jefferson, Brooke, Hancock and Harrison counties, also is a former chapter president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She has spent the past 41 years working for civil rights.
"Fairness" is one of several words Wiggins regularly uses when she speaks. She often implies that "fairness" is a goal not yet achieved. "Double standard" and "disparity" are the other words often spoken by Wiggins. She implies "double standards" and "disparities" are what must be overcome to achieve "fairness."
Although Born said he feels targeted by police as a black man, Wiggins said she does not think most blacks feel the same. She said African Americans are not so much "targeted" - they more often are the victims of double standards.
"Black people aren't targeted as criminals because they are black," Wiggins said. "They are targeted most of the time because they have done something unlawful. ... I will admit there have been many times throughout the United States, not so much in Wheeling or Steubenville, where African Americans have been a target of double standards. If you (a white man) and I rob a bank, you get five years probation, and I get sent to the penitentiary. That's when the time doesn't match the crime."
Wiggins does, however, believe Born is on the right track in his message that "black people do not all look alike." She said police sometimes use vague descriptions of suspects to harass law-abiding black people.
"I think he could be right about that," Wiggins said. "(Police) have picked up African Americans walking down the street minding their own business, and attempted to take them to jail because they thought they were someone else. Then, when they find out they've arrested the wrong person, they're not given an apology."
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JustMyOpinion
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07-08-08 11:02 AM
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They must think that the police are given pictures to look at instead of descriptions of a person when a crime is committed. There is no way a description, because we all know how great they always are, could lead a police officer to want to question a man who's brother was the criminal, because we all know blood family members have no resemblance to each other. Why would someone even think that they do? And then the person runs. I would have thought to myself, "What a nice you man, I bet he didn't do a thing wrong. That is why he is running before I could ask him any questions." No, why think logically that the person matched a description, it must be racism.
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thekth
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07-07-08 6:04 PM
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I thought they wanted the police to chase down criminals in East Wheeling? Weren't they complaining not too long ago that the police don't do enough? Those officers were apparently actually doing their jobs. There's no winning for them.
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Georgetwin
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07-07-08 2:36 PM
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Cory1978, it is beautiful. Only 1 rain day, but that was The 4th of July :(. It’s only a 2 hour trip and ANYTHING you want for leisure is readily available. Boating, Horseback Riding, Fishing, Golf and a Ski Lodge for winter.
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cory1978
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07-07-08 1:46 PM
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I've been good GT. Never been to Deep Creek but I hear it's beautiful there. Hope you had a good time and it wasn't a rain wash out.
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popeye
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07-07-08 12:14 PM
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What does the other side of the sign have written on it-will rob for crack.
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ThomasTheBlack
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07-07-08 11:53 AM
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Man, if only he had been with another black male, they'd a got away. Standard WPD procedure in instances involving two or more black males between 16-40 years of age calls for the officers to hide at a distance of no closer than 500 yds away, and await backup.
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Georgetwin
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07-07-08 11:49 AM
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Cory1978, How are things? I just got back from a week at Deep Creek.
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Georgetwin
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07-07-08 11:49 AM
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Cory1978, How are things? I just got back from a week at Deep Creek.
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Georgetwin
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07-07-08 11:43 AM
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Same Old Song and Dance by Black People. No wonder they have rhythm, PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ;)!
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cory1978
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07-07-08 11:34 AM
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good4you....wake up yourself. He ran from the law. Next time you run from the law after they try to arrest you for speeding. Its called fleeing and alluding. Your butt will be sitting in jail too. Read once in a while.
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PCGS70
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07-07-08 11:27 AM
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Yes the warrant. I don't think he should have been charged but I'm not a cop and don't have to deal with it. It is not a tough call. If you let him go then you set it up to happen again and again. If the guy broke the law you have to charge him. Let the Judge sort it out. There was no false arrest and the perp got hurt while breaking the law. No law suit. Wisdom Born might be jacked because they couldn't find a lawyer to take the case so he's out there holding a sign. He got his 15 minutes of fame. His picture was in the paper. The boyz in da hood r down wit it. Good job Wisdom.
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DasBoot
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07-07-08 11:18 AM
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Black people can't be racist After all, according to a Sherrif in Illinois, White People aren't a protected class when it comes to hate crimes.
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Georgetwin
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07-07-08 10:58 AM
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The Obama Campaign will be hiring this guy SOON!
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JustMyOpinion
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07-07-08 10:35 AM
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I know I too am saddened and angry by this. Wake up people, if you run from the police, expect to be chased. Use you brain. The guy also was his brother, so it is not so unlikely that the man looked like the suspect they were looking for. Saddened and outraged. I do believe there is racism still, a group of young adults harrassed me because I was a white guy walking in a black neighborhood, but not everything done is out of racism.
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good4u
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07-07-08 10:22 AM
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I am so disgusted to see these ignorant and disgusting remarks from the commenters so far! Wow a new low for closed minded ******** from the OV! (*******- white racial profiling?) Don't like it when its said about you! (or do you?) FYI- I am white and these remarks make me saddened and angry! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
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Ladydiamond
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07-07-08 10:01 AM
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"Racial discrimination", "Profiling". Oh please, the music has stopped already, so why are you still dancing? How bout, go get a job and you won't have any extra time to hit the streets with a pathetic "crybaby" sign.
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needanewmayor
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07-07-08 9:47 AM
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I'm surprised no one has commented on the part of the story where the chief said that because he ran from the police, they now have a warrant for his arrest. What a shame. I am not a fan of how some of the city's poice force does think it is higher than thou. There are some on the force that are honest hardworking guys who just want to do their job. I have complete mixed emotions on this topic. I see their justification of chasing him, but when it's all said and done and it's not the guy, just let it go. You were wrong and he got hurt. In this world, he can turn around and sue the city, the police force, the chief, and the officer(s) involved. Time to just let that warrant go by the wayside and move on.
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cory1978
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07-07-08 9:33 AM
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by the way.....black americans calling themselves afican american is profiling in itself. It's about as dumb as me calling myself european american, asian american, australian american or native american. We are all american regardless of where our ancestors came from.
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cory1978
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07-07-08 9:13 AM
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Quit running from the police loosers!
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Realone
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07-07-08 7:30 AM
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Wow, this is a tough one to pick a side on... The WPD (workfare police department) or the complaining black man. One group lives off of government money and harrasses innocent people...the other group lives off of government money and harrasses innocent people.
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DasBoot
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07-07-08 6:57 AM
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Ahh yes, breath in that white-guilt.
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justmeme
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07-07-08 2:40 AM
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Are you a racist...? Find out with this test: *****://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/selectatest.html
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justmeme
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07-07-08 2:38 AM
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While not living in the OV now, I was born and raised in the OV (Steubenville). I have viewed first hand the racism that lives in the valley then and now. While the above story can be taken in different ways, the heart of the matter is still the same. Racism is still alive and well and profiling is practiced by the police and by the general public. I do have to remind myself that West Virginia seceded in part due to slavery and the underground railroad ran through Wheeling (10th & Main) and much of the OV. Many of the above comments show a deep lack of understanding of the true situation for blacks in the USA, let alone the OV. Skewed sentencing and imprisonment for crimes, lack of economic development and investment in black communities, lack of employment due to race, lack of political representation in local/state/federal government...etc. If this was the world that whites had to live with, be sure everyone from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the valley would hear!
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justmeme
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07-07-08 2:37 AM
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While not living in the OV now, I was born and raised in the OV (Steubenville). I have viewed first hand the racism that lives in the valley then and now. While the above story can be taken in different ways, the heart of the matter is still the same. Racism is still alive and well and profiling is practiced by the police and by the general public. I do have to remind myself that West Virginia seceded in part due to slavery and the underground railroad ran through Wheeling (10th & Main) and much of the OV. Many of the above comments show a deep lack of understanding of the true situation for blacks in the USA, let alone the OV. Skewed sentencing and imprisonment for crimes, lack of economic development and investment in black communities, lack of employment due to race, lack of political representation in local/state/federal government...etc. If this was the world that whites had to live with, be sure everyone from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the valley would hear!
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PCGS701
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07-07-08 1:47 AM
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I'm sick of hearing the excuses black people have for not being successful. They blame the system, they blame the President, they blame white people. Everyone but themselves. There are plenty of black millionaires in this country and if black people don't have money it's their own fault. NObama NOvember NOexcuses.
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