Jesse Caver- Racial Profiling and Wrongfully Accused

A Letter from a LONG TIME friend of MINE, Breaks My Heart.....

Hello

My Name is Jesse Caver, I’m writing this letter in regard to my rights as an African American man having been violated by the University of Illinois At Chicago Police Department.
On Friday January 13, 2012, this particular day I decided to walk to work for an early appointment I had scheduled with Human Resources at Rush University Medical Center.   I was walking along Harrison Avenue a route that I have often traveled to work when I noticed that a U.I.C. police car had suddenly made a u-turn in my direction.  Not knowing what was going on I continued on my walk to work.  Within moments my path was obstructed and I was surrounded by U.I.C. officers.   When I asked why I was being stopped, they asked me where I came from- as opposed to responding to my question.
Although, I had done nothing other than travel my usual route to the office I felt that something was wrong by the manner in which I was being addressed and detained. So, I explained to the officers that I was on my way to work; I also displayed my work badge. In addition to my work badge the officers asked to see my State ID which I showed them. I thought the fact that I was wearing my work uniform would have been sufficient enough- along with my work badge- if identity is what they needed to confirm.
Next, an officer took both my work badge and my State ID to the squad car.  At this juncture not a single officer present had troubled to respond to my question or otherwise inform me as to why I was being detained. I had no idea what was going on, only that I was going to be late for work and I needed to leave.    The officers then came back and said everything cleared but asked me more questions about the campus.  Due to fact I have walked this path plenty of times all I could tell them was that I live in the South Loop area and this is the way I walk to work often.
Without warning the officers began treating me like a criminal. They seized my bags and began to search through them haphazardly. Their searched continued on my person as they searched through and poked around in the pockets of the items of clothes I was wearing. After the officers had searched my possessions and my body I was ordered to put my hands where they could see them on the squad car.
By now, I noticed a total of three U.I.C police cars surrounding me. A fourth car arrived on the scene occupying a young Caucasian lady whom at that time I had never seen before.  The officers told me to turn around and face the police car obtaining the lady.
I proceeded to do what I was told by the officers, the lady looked at me and stated: ‘that is him he is the black man that came out of the building around my office.’ Just as soon as the young lady had made her accusation, I was handcuffed tightly and roughly shoved into one of the officer’s police cars.  I stated to the officer that I did not come from anywhere by U.I.C and that I was only walking down Harrison Ave to go to work.
Until the young lady falsely accused me I had no idea why I was being detained  my rights were never read to me and even then I still did not know the specifics of what supposedly had been done.   I was well past late for work at this point and not a single officer would respect my pleas, listen to my explanations or offer any information about what was going on and why. As a result of the felonious claim and harassment I began to find it difficult to breathe. I was suffering a panic attack due to the fact I was being subjected to abuse by the officers because I was walking and I am a black man who the lady thought she saw.
When I arrived to the U.I.C. police station one of the officers stated I should just confess to the crime. He was trying to convince me to confess to crime that I have not committed and knew no such information on what crime was committed.
Now at this point I was feeling that racial profiling was playing a part here.  I asked them to call my job and they could tell them that I worked there and that I should be at work.  The officers wanted to hear nothing like that, I also told them where I lived and they could check with the front desk who would tell them that I just left my building. The officers still refused and said no.
After that I was told I was being arrested for trespassing and I have to go to court the next morning.  Now I was being held at U.I.C police department for several hours and then transported to Harrison and Kedzie Police department for finger printing, and held until court at 26th and California the next day were I would appear for court in front of a judge.
This incident has changed my life. My job is now in jeopardy due to a no call/ no show because I was falsely arrested on this day.  I have to take time off from work to go back and forth to court for a crime I did not commit.  I have suffered sleepless nights due to the abuse I was subjected to that day. I am suffering stress due to financial strains necessary to obtain legal representation regarding what has become an on-going court matter.

Sincerely

Jesse Caver

Shattered Trust (Chapter 1)

 

Dressed in a burgundy robe with colorful print until a few seconds later, Nippy exposed his dark, naked body to me. He smiled and all of his teeth showed stacked on top of one another. His chest was covered in thick, black hair and he had a pot belly. I gasped; I giggled and dropped my head to look at the black tiles covering the floor of my bedroom. When I looked up he was gone. I was in shock. I was scared as a cat cornered by a dog. I laid Barbie and Ken on the floor and stood to my feet shaking. The force of my heartbeat was so physically powerful, I could hear it. My palms began to sweat. I nervously and hastily walked down that long hallway to the living room. Daddy was sitting at the table pushed against the wall with a 2-sided mirror and tweezers picking the ingrown hairs from his face. Mama and some of my cousins were sitting on a black couch watching our black and white television. 

“Daddy and Mama Nippy just showed me his thing and naked body.” I said disgustedly.

“Well your fast ass shouldn’t have been playing with him.” Daddy said in a deep angry voice.

“I wasn’t playing with him. I was playing with Barbie and Ken and he just came in the room and opened his robe.” I said with certainty.

“Go sit your fast ass down somewhere.” Daddy said.

Those were Daddy’s last words as well as mine. Mama never spoke a word. I wondered why. I wondered why no one said anything. I stood there confused, lost, sad, angry, betrayed, and defeated. I was sure I didn’t do anything wrong. But, there I was, accused and sentenced to go sit my fast ass down.

Mama was remarkably small, but always a giant in my eyes. She was 4feet 11inches and a red-bone as black folk sometimes called fair-skinned black women. Mama had that long, shiny “good” hair that caused envy among a lot of other black women in her younger days. Her cheekbones were so high and prominent that they framed her small, slanted eyes and spoke of her Native-American Heritage. She was fearless and would stand up to anybody to defend her family. She was very nice and would give you her last. Mama was also extremely affectionate and loving, but she didn’t play any games.

Mama volunteered at my Grammar school to ensure I was treated well and received the education that she did not. She never missed a P.T.A meeting. She was a prominent member of our church and enjoyed helping others. (R.I.P. I love you always. My Greatest Gift.)

Daddy was a stern father and believed in corporal punishment when it came to his family. He was quite taller than Mama and from what I heard, he physically abused her. Daddy was 5 feet 11 inches, medium-build and wore bifocals. He was brown skinned with salt and pepper, short, curly hair.

Daddy also believed in children being seen and not heard. He wasn’t always happy and for the most part his behavior was always aggressive, angry and defensive. However, he was my father and I loved him. (R.I.P. I love you always, My Hero).

Perfectly Planned
http://www.amazon.com/Perfectly-Planned-Kelly-R-Porter/dp/0985176709/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351488714&sr=1-1&keywords=perfectly+Planned

FOLLOW YOUR HEART

I wrote Perfectly Planned because GOD told a friend of mine to tell me "You should write a Book." I made the decision a year later and began the process. My motivational drive came while I was writing. It was never in MY PLAN plan to write a Book, I always wanted to become an RN or Surgeon. I came pretty close, so today I am a Medical Technologist, one who test body fluids for diseases, i.e. HIV, STD's, Cancer, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Typing Blood for Patients to receive Transfusions, etc. I basically assist the Dr's in diagnosing 70% of diseases. It's satisfying and can be stressful. At any rate as I mentioned, writing a Book was never in MY PLAN, it WAS GOD'S PLAN. Am I delighted I did, YES I am, since my story has changed many lives and has given victims of abuse the opportunity to heal, forgive and press forward.

When I shared this information with relatives, I did not receive any support, (in the beginning) some of the comments made to me were.

• I will sue you if you mention my name
• I'm not reading it
• Why are you doing this
• I don't support you
• I hope you don't lie

Those are just a few of the comments thrown at me, not one supportive comment. But that didn't stop me, as I said, I knew Perfectly Planned would change lives so I could not be concerned with the individuals who were afraid of people hearing about the lies, betrayal, and abuse that lived in our family. Why worry about hurting them when I could help hundreds, maybe even thousands. Understand I did have compassion, but, more for the many victims who needed and would definitely read Perfectly Planned. So I followed my heart and the BIRTH of Perfectly Planned came 3 years later.

Today it's a different approach from relatives, they all understand that Perfectly Planned was written not to hurt them but to help guide others out of their darkness and into GOD's light. The sad part, only one of my relatives have purchased Perfectly Planned. Writing a book is a huge accomplishment, not everyone can do so. Not only that, the content of the Book shows Courage, Love and Inspiration on my part. It saddened me that only one of my relatives purchased my Book, why not support the only individual in the family that completed a Non-Fiction Novel sharing her life of abuse. I can understand not reading it especially if he/she was on of my abusers, but why not just purchase it, simply because you love me. But everyone wants a free one, sad.

As you see I spoke in past tense when I said "I was SADDENED," as I also underlined and placed the "ed" in Bold, why, because today I'm not sad, I'm happy, I followed a DREAM I never knew I HAD. This was GOD's DREAM for me, to become an Author and Writer and I think I do pretty good. Although, majority of my relatives have not purchased my book, they show there support in other ways, Promoting, Book Signings etc and I appreciate that, I really do. What I don't appreciate is them going out and supporting some other other business by purchasing their product and not mine. But hey, what can I say, this issues runs deep in the BLACK families.

Okay I'm pushing here, I wonder if they even read my BLOGS or follow my BLOG or even know what my Website looks like or have even LIKED my Fan Page. Although, I do have to Thank one of them for introducing me to Adsense, she knows who she is and I really appreciate that. I have to tell her Thank You and I will. I can't be too surprised that support doesn't exist in my large family, it didn't growing up so why would things change now that we are adults.at the end of the day, I love them, because WE HAVE ALL COME A LONG WAY.

In essence, you may NEVER receive the support you desire from family, don't allow that to stop you, FOLLOW YOUR HEART. I did and look at what it's got me, LOVE and SUPPORT from many people across the U.S., not only that. I have affected many lives in a POSITIVE way, which WAS A DREAM OF MINE as early as child. I remember wanting and desiring to be a GOOD INFLUENCE in someone's life, Well my DREAM has come true. So here is what you do.

• Push Forward- Don't allow the negative actions or reactions to discourage you
• Strive- Strive for the best and be the best you can be
• Positive Energy- Surround yourself with positive people who will encourage you
• PRAY- GOD will always give you the best direction
• Persevere- NEVER GIVE UP, stick with it until completion
• Be Determined- Maintain your strength and never allow anyone to get in your way
• Self-Motivation- Since you do not have the support, Tell Yourself  "I CAN DO THIS WITH OR WITH OUT YOU."
• Have Discipline- Even when you have a million other things to do, stay on TASK
• Focus- There will be distractions, but keep your eyes on the PRIZE
• GET OUT OF YOUR WAY- Some of us have dreams and we are the reason those dreams never become a reality, step to the side, have some courage and faith and "JUST DO IT"

We all know what happened when Tyler Perry followed his Dreams, the rest is history. So I encourage you to step forward with your best foot and GET STARTED. Whatever it is you wish to accomplish, GET STARTED, don't wait for others, don't procrastinate and don't lose sight. Ready, Set, GO!!!

Thank You for reading and I hope I  have inspired you to FOLLOW your HEART.