On November 9th 2024, I emerged from a porter potty restroom at around 5:55 p.m. to attend a football game on Notre Dame University’s blue parking lot. I moved back without looking after getting distracted by my phone, and when I did, I saw that I had bumped into with a golf cart that was behind me. Driven by multiple officers. I apologized right away and said, “Pardon me,” and l attempted to direct them to someone’s cell phone and lost car keys. I discovered it outside the porter potty restroom. However, I told Officer Chappelle my name was JAI. I replied when he inquired if I had a last name. I do not answer questions. He immediately got aggressive with me, and began to use excessive force, and placed me in handcuffs, l inquired as to whether I was under arrest
He stated I was being detained. After I asked if I could stand because the handcuffs were preventing me from breathing, a number of officers joined in without hesitation and also became aggressive with me. They threw me to the ground on the grass, threw themselves selves on top of me. I have several bruises, marks and scars. Officer Chappell accused me of several crimes I hadn’t committed, and didn’t even give me a chance to blow inside the breathalyzer.
(That I requested) I told them I was not intoxicated, (I was) and I have a heart murmur and that I would need instructions on how to properly blow inside the breathalyzer. At which Chappell and officer Peterson, began to mock me. By calling me a retard and stupid.
At that point, they dispatched additional officers to our location. I repeatedly asked Officer Chappelle if he would check my car, and he said he didn’t care. I also asked him if he wanted to simply check my game tickets and make sure I had them for the game, and he said he didn’t care about anything I had to do or say.
Even after I told them that I wasn’t resisting and that I only wanted to know what was happening, they became violent and used excessive force. I started to cry, and they put me into the back of a squad car while I started yelling. I’m having trouble breathing. I just want to get up and move my leg an inch. I’m not resisting.
He then began to shove me inside of the squad car, at which point I still repeated I cannot breathe. I just want to stand for a few seconds at which point they tasered me multiple times and I begin to cry and scream and state I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe, then they finally got me in. They closed the door at which point I begin to try to exit the squad car by banging on the door with my feet.
Then, these officers pulled over the squad car and called a truck. I told them that I was still having trouble breathing and that I just needed to stand because my legs were numb from the taser. They then threw me face down on the floor in the back of a large squad truck, and I started to feel pain in my chest, the entire ride. Once there, Officer Chappell, stated “Why are you so heavy fat ass?” after the truck stopped and I was unable to move, so they dragged me out, and into the station, where I began to cry, and cry, and asked for the breathalyzer once more, after asking for assistance on how to blow inside of the breathalyzer, they ignored me and called the nurse, and I stated to the nurse that I had rights. While taking me to my cell, in rolling chair, one of the officers choked me.
It appears that Officers Chappelle and Peterson engaged in some racial profiling. I apologized for bumping into the golf cart, but this could have been easily resolved with a few basic inquiries, and I could have been on my way. Or maybe they were just having a rough day. Even after I gave my first name to them. Since bumping into a golf cart is not a crime and is not grounds for arrest or detainment, and the constitution guarantees me the right to remain silent and the right to not identify myself if I had committed no crime or if the police officer had no reasonable suspicion to stop me. I even attempted to direct them to someone’s belongings that I found near the restroom. I am aware that this complaint will not be settled because they are officers of the law, who life is more important then mine. I don’t even care about my well-being. I have attempted to turn my life around, but all I receive is hostility from law enforcement, harassment, police brutality and I am being singled out every day. I feel extremely suicidal, after this arrest, and struggle with suicidal thoughts when I sleep. How would justice handle this complaint? I would like to see the police officers arrested as well, but that would never happen.
JAI ON EARTH Discovering Our Planet 