Larry Rubama
The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
Police Chief Bruce P. Marquis has apologized to a Booker T. Washington High School senior who was handcuffed and driven to school by a police officer.
Dominique Marsh, a 17-year-old quarterback on the school's football team, was walking to school when an officer who suspected he was a truant questioned him. The officer handcuffed Marsh and drove him to school, where the teenager had to be examined by paramedics after having a panic attack.
Marquis' apology comes after Mayor Paul Fraim expressed regret for the incident. City officials released a letter Tuesday that Marquis sent to Marsh. "It is regrettable that this incident occurred in the way it did and corrective follow-up actions are underway," Marquis wrote.
Marquis also offered to meet with Marsh and any college coaches to dissuade them "from considering this incident to have any negative connotation on your character," the letter said.
Marsh said that "while an apology is good, it still doesn't make up for what I experienced. Why is the officer not apologizing?"
Booker T. football coach Che Jacobs questioned whether an apology would have occurred if The Pilot had not written about the issue. "I'd say no," he said.
Marsh said the incident and resulting media coverage have resulted in unwanted attention. "It's worse now that people know," he said. "It's embarrassing."
City Manager Regina V.K. Williams e-mailed City Council members Tuesday, saying that police ramped up their efforts several years ago to enforce truancy and curfew laws in order to encourage teenagers to attend school. In the past 2-1/2 school years, about 9,500 juveniles have been "engaged" by police officers regarding potential curfew or truancy violations. Only two complaints have been lodged about police conduct, she wrote.
Williams said police efforts have had a positive effect on school attendance.
"Unfortunately, in Mr. Marsh's case, what was done for a positive reason resulted in a negative outcome," she wrote.
The issue was brought to the attention of the council by Councilman Paul R. Riddick, who said officers might benefit from sensitivity training. Williams wrote that sensitivity training will be conducted "to ensure similar incidents d o not occur in the future."
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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Police needed to fight Crime not parent the children of others
Parents are responsible for making sure their children go to school. Instead of handcuffing a child, or having a police officer waste valuable time making phone calls and checking school schedules; they should issue tickets on suspected truants. Mail it to the home address and to the school of the student. Start fining parents 75.00-100.00 dollars everytime a child tries to skip school. I bet the number of truants and skippers will drop. If not guilty, then bring a copy of the school schedule to court to have the fine thrown out. Point is as a parent you are responsible for your children 24 hours a day. Use the fines to hire truant officers to investigate absences and families.
If you haven't been in a high school in years...
...then you don't understand/can't remember how awful it would have been to be seen being taken to school in a police car, cuffed or uncuffed. Someone mentioned THANKING the officer for a ride. Come on. These are kids in an inner-city school, not Mayberry, where kindly police officers pick up Opie and his friends so they don't have to walk in the cold. It takes one teacher seeing him, one nosy kid, and suddenly, rumors would be everywhere. I can see his misapprehension. I taught in schools similar to this one, and kids already have a sense of fear and distrust of police officers, especially white ones. This officer just wiped out any sense of trust these kids might have had. He should have asked for school ID and called the office.
2 wrongs don't make anyone right
Police authority must be respected - citizens must be respected. Lacking a tape of the encounter no one can tell what really happened and who was most wrong. Neither were right unless the student was co-operative and respectful but it seems not.
Where is the responsibility of the student to appreciate that his unusual hours were questionable and the police were being responsible when questioning him. The student should be carrying the principal's letter to show police knowing that there is a strong anti-truancy initiative. How horrible would it be to be brought to school in a police car? Really?
Enforcement is better than the ignorance and crime truancy breeds.
#1. What is "strange" about
#1. What is "strange" about this students schedule......MOST of todays high school seniors attend other programs off campus at TCC or other programs to get an early start on their education. It's a fantastic opportunity to give our kids an advantage.
#2. This officer was WELL aware of who this student was AND that NPS allows students to come and go to programs at differing times throughout the day.
The issue AGAIN is why was he restrained?
How embarrassing is it to be brought to School in the BACK of a caged police vehicle in handcuffs and marched into the school in custody? I dunno can I arrest you without any probably cause....handcuff you.....search you....place you in the rear of a police car and then return you to work?
get over it, dude
I'll bet you've encountered far more stressful things in your life than this incident. If not then count yourself lucky. This is being totally blown out of proportion by the Va Pilot.
Move on!
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! I plan to
ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!
I plan to use this incident for some time to come as a shining example of how lazy police officers can become.
Juveniles are entitled to the same civil rights protections as adults except as where provided by law or amended by precedent.
CLEARLY......the officer had NO probable cause and weak reasonable suspicion. The officers flagrant and unlawful decision to restrain and detain this young man who is excelling at sports and academics is a perfect example of whats wrong with A PORTION of todays POLICE OFFICERS.
I'll say it AGAIN......that badge ONLY represents the authority we the citizens allow you to exercise in our collective name. Your badge can just as easily be removed as it is given
**
The sad thing in this case is Marquis has most likely destroyed truancy enforcement. At least for the remainder of this school year.
The good thing is city hall yes-men usually don’t hang around all that long. He’s already tried for another city. The bad thing is his replacement may be worse. No one thought he could be worse than High. What say now?
It’s much the same as everyone being relieved when Oliver left and they hired Regina VK. We’ve all seen how that shook out.
Marquis didnt......your hero
Marquis didnt......your hero officer did by blatantly disregarding civil rights and basically refusing to WHAT WAS RIGHT and hiding behind police policy
LOL, sorry but it was
LOL
Ridiculous!
I find it ridiculous that this kid thinks he deserves an apology from the officer. I believe no one owes him an apology. The officer was only doing his job. Yes, maybe the chief and the school system should re-evaluate their procedure for truancy, but it is the responsibility of the student to carry a pass. I believe that if all knew the history of this child the comments would be different. There have been known problems in the past with this student. As for Mr. Riddick, I believe you to be nurturing racism. Everyone, no matter the color of their skin, needs to learn accountability. Mr. Mayor apologize to the citizens of Norfolk for lowering the standards for troubled children.