Dozens rally in Iowa City in support of better treatment for black youth

IOWA CITY - Roughly 75 people rallied Monday outside City Hall for better treatment of black children, and then received support from some City Council members who called on people to work together.

The rally comes after a short video clip and petition has been circulating online for about a week.

The video depicts a white officer taking to the ground and arresting a black teenager at the Iowa City Robert A. Lee Recreation Center.

'We are tired of our children being treated like they are up to something or are criminals,” said Latisha McDaniel of Iowa City. 'They play. That does not mean they are a criminal or a suspect.”

McDaniel said the video clip may be the spark for the rally, but said fair treatment for all children, particularly those of color, is a long-standing issue.

Following the rally, most participants moved inside City Hall and spoke at the regularly scheduled Iowa City Council meeting.

Longtime resident LaTasha DeLoach said the conversation should have started years ago, and needs to continue until something changes.

'I need our police and city to do better,” she said.

Council member Susan Mims said she agreed with much of what was said during the roughly 90 minutes of public comment.

'We have to make this community better, we have to find ways to work together, it is understand those issues, it is understanding those implicit biases, it's how we interact with each other,” she said. 'We have work to do, but I think a big part of this ... is we are open to that.”

The rally and council discussion stem from a June 17 incident when police were called to an altercation at the rec center. Police said most teens left the center when asked, but a 15-year-old - who had been kicked out of the center previously - refused. An officer took him to the ground and arrested him on charges of interference with official acts and trespassing. The teen was not injured.

City officials have said the video clip does not tell the entire story.

Last week, in advance of the council meeting, the city manager wrote a memo to the elected officials saying that the officer had not violated the law or department policy during the arrest, but that he would receive additional training on ways to de-escalate a situation.

The memo also states that the police department recognizes the officer 'moved very quickly to a physical control technique that was likely not the most effective way to have dealt with this situation.”

The city also released a more complete, 23-minute surveillance video.

By Monday afternoon, the online petition had amassed more than 850 signatures. It asserts that black youth are unfairly singled out by police, and that rec center staff shouldn't automatically call police when they feel 'overwhelmed by our kids' playing.”

The petition calls for a transparent investigation of the officer.

'I think we need to look carefully, really carefully, at the petition we received and ask ourselves how does it differ from the actions we've already taken,” council member Jim Throgmorton said. 'We do live in one community and we must find a way to live well together.”