Coastal Carolina University students handcuffed after writing in chalk about Ferguson
A group of three students at the Coastal Carolina University students were handcuffed Monday night after drawing and writing chalk statements disapproving of the grand jury’s decision in the Michael Brown case, WIS reported.
According to university officials, no arrests were made and no charges were filed, but a photo of the handcuffed students has been circulating social media.
“Once at the location officers observed comments, several which were vulgar in nature, written in chalk on the sidewalks, call box, concrete benches and tables, lamp post bases and on the bridge connecting the Prince Lawn and Wall Building,” said the CCU Department of Public Safety incident report.
Police told the students about other channels to post communications on campus and were released on the scene until, according to the report, “a determination can be made regarding criminal charges.”
The report also said until the Office of Student Conduct can speak with the students, the chalk will be held in evidence.
Senators to file legislation requiring officers to wear body cameras
Two state senators, both democrats, plan to file a bill Wednesday that would require officers in the state to wear body cameras while on duty in order to record their activities and interactions with others, The State reported.
“History has demonstrated that eyewitnesses are not always the most reliable form of evidence,” Senator Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, said in a news release. “It is time for South Carolina to invest in common sense technology. This investment is critical to preserving the integrity of our system of justice.”
The senators cited the disputed facts in the incident between Michael Brown and Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, saying that body cameras would clarify the facts. They also cited the dashboard camera that led to the arrest and firing of a state highway patrolman after he shot a man at a traffic stop.
Wednesday is the first day state senators are able to file legislation in the upcoming General Assembly. Another Democratic state representative intends to file a similar bill in the House of Representatives.
First Southern black senator since Reconstruction sworn into US Senate
Tim Scott was sworn into the U.S. Senate by Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol, The Associated Press reported. This makes Scott the first black U.S. senator elected from the South since the Reconstruction era.
Scott was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January 2013 by Gov. Nikki Haley after Jim DeMint, the former holder of the post, resigned.
Scott was been elected to serve the two remaining years of DeMint’s term. After the November election, he became the first black candidate to win a statewide race in South Carolina since Reconstruction after the Civil War. He will face re-election for his first full term in 2016.