Video of Auburn police officer beating woman sparks outcry

The widely shared video posted on Facebook shows the arrest of 39-year-old Chelci C. Love of Auburn.

The video begins with Love being held by the arms by two city police officers outside the West Middle School Apartments, seemingly not resisting. A third officer then punches her in the head about five times while onlookers yell, “Stop hitting her!” At this point, Love visibly begins to resist and is wrestled to the ground.

She is charged with the offenses of endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree obstruction of public administration, second-degree resisting government authority, and second-degree harassment.

At the Auburn City Council meeting on Thursday, several community members expressed outrage and concern about the video during the public comment period.

Melody Smith Johnson, owner of downtown co-working space Melody's, and Reverend Paris Price of the Harriet Tubman Memorial AME Zion Church were first to take the podium.

Smith Johnson read a statement from the Auburn/Cayuga NAACP branch, on whose executive committee she and Price serve, noting that Wednesday's arrest took place in front of Love's child.

“Our hearts are heavy as we reflect on the psychological trauma she and those who witnessed this violence have suffered,” she said.

The video underscores the need for police officers to be able to assess when psychiatric intervention is necessary at the crime scene, Smith Johnson said, “especially when there are no weapons involved.”

She said the local NAACP branch is calling for a “thorough, transparent (and) unbiased” investigation into the incident and the release of the officers' bodycam footage.

“It is critical that the public's trust in law enforcement is maintained and restored and that justice is served in a manner that reflects fairness and respect for all people, regardless of race,” Smith Johnson continued. “As we await the full details of the incident, we, the NAACP, urge the public to remain vigilant and united in our pursuit of justice.”

The Auburn Human Rights Commission released a statement with similar sentiments to The Citizen, written by Reverend Robert Wilson and Auburn City Councilwoman Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson:

“The HRC recognizes that the video footage of a citizen's arrest demonstrates the decades of systemic racism that people of color have experienced in this community at the hands of those sworn to protect and serve us. We recognize that great strides have been made over the past decade to strengthen relationships and build trust. However, the work is far from done. The community unrest that has engulfed social media platforms is a call for appropriate accountability for those who were called to help but caused trauma through their contributions. The HRC will work in coordination with the other social justice agencies to ensure that all rights are honored and respected.”

After Thursday's city council meeting, Auburn Police Chief James Slayton told The Citizen the department received a call at 10:22 a.m. Wednesday to assist Cayuga County Child Protective Services “in regards to the removal of a child.” He said the Cayuga County Community Mental Health Center's mobile crisis team was on site during the day.

Slayton said the department fields daily welfare check calls, including calls to Child Protective Services.

“When an incident like this occurs, we simply have to consider the safety of everyone, including the child,” he said. “We have used various de-escalation techniques.”

While the Facebook video of the arrest is just over a minute long, Slayton said the body camera footage from the scene is about 80 minutes long.

When asked by the Citizen whether it was appropriate for the officer to strike Love multiple times, he declined to comment.

“I'm not going to rely on a one-minute video,” he said. “I have to look at the reports and review all the body cameras.”

Slayton said several department heads are also investigating use-of-force cases. They will review the Facebook video along with records and body camera footage, he continued. Because the investigation has just begun, no disciplinary action has been taken against any of the three officers in the video at this time, he noted.

When asked about the speakers at Thursday's meeting, Slayton said, “Everyone has the right to be heard.”

“Everyone has the opportunity to speak about what they think they saw, what happened,” he said. “That's what the public forum is for.”

Other speakers that evening included Janice Murray, who recorded the video, and Cherry Love-Duncan, a former Auburn mayoral candidate and relative of Love.

“Justice is a one-sided thing here in Auburn,” Love-Duncan said.

“They have bad cops, they have good cops, they have biased cops. They're not out there on the streets, among my people, to see what happens to them.”

After the final speaker during the public comment period, Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert addressed the incident.

“It is our policy to fully investigate all matters brought to our attention, and we intend to do so. This will take some time, and I ask for everyone's patience and cooperation so that we can review all the information available to us and make a decision on next steps,” he said. “We appreciate your concerns, respect your comments on this issue, and take it very seriously.”

After the meeting, Love's cousin and godsister Candice Burton told The Citizen that she spoke to Love after her release on Wednesday. She was distressed and nervous, Burton said.

“She's afraid to be out there, to be in public,” she continued. “She shouldn't have to walk around like that.”