Students at San Diego State University protested yesterday after footage of the forceful on-campus arrest of a black man was posted to social media.
The video shows a struggle as the police try to arrest the man, eventually bringing him to the ground. At points in the video, the man yells, “You’re breaking my arm, you’re going to break my arm,” and, “You’re breaking my back.”
Hours after the arrest, the SDSU police department’s interim chief, Joshua Mays, addressed students at Manchester Hall, taking questions.
Mays said police responded to reports that a non-student had jumped a construction fence on campus and appeared to be on drugs. He said the man was taken to the local jail uninjured, where police booked him for resisting arrest and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
The footage disturbed some students, who silently protested outside of Manchester Hall yesterday, lining up and raising their fists in the air.
we're standing together & have something to say. #blackunderattackSDSU @chancetherapper pic.twitter.com/RM5komAXJe
— QUEEN (@iCaandy_) September 15, 2016
Others reacted to the incident on Twitter under the hashtag #BlackUnderAttackSDSU, including black student groups at nearby California State University Fullerton, who called the footage “completely unacceptable.”
This is completely unacceptable. We stand with our Black brothers and sisters at SDSU. ✊ #BlackUnderAttackSDSU https://t.co/cH6ZoabrnI
— CSUF BSU (@CSUFBSU) September 16, 2016
People LOVE to appropriate black culture but turn a blind eye as a black man is body slammed by 2 cops. #blackunderattacksdsu
— I|A (@vibewithizzy_) September 16, 2016
#BlackUnderAttackSDSU i go on campus i see homeless people harassing students & nothing is done but a black guy is tackled for doing nothing
— got damn (@grxxnx) September 15, 2016
We make up 4% of this campus and we are met with brutality #BlackUnderAttackSDSU
— tristen (@CoopDeTris) September 15, 2016
We're done with Police Brutality at SDSU #BlackUnderAttackSDSU https://t.co/tLcOWIBHYL
— Kylah✨ (@ItsKylahhh_) September 15, 2016
@chancetherapper please use your voice on our campus tonight and bring some awareness for us ✊🏾 #BlackUnderAttackSDSU
— •Cay🌻Cay• (@caysi_dilla) September 15, 2016
The university quickly promised to review the arrest, saying it would also be reaching out to campus groups to talk.