Women: 'We Were Held at Gunpoint by Police'
posted 9:50 pm Wed November 21, 2007 - Washington
"They has their hands on their guns as if we just robbed a bank or something," said Shequana Burnett. The woman say several DC police officers stopped and harassed them as they were leaving work Tuesday night at the Kennedy Recreation Center. "They all got out of the car with guns and he approached the car and asked what we were doing here," said Rochelle Bradshaw. The women say they were about to lock the front gates at the center on 7th and O streets when police blocked the entrance with their unmarked cars.
"I'm scared, I'm shaking, I'm crying because she's on the ground, said Burnett.Showing their government ID's, the woman say they were asked by officers why they were at the school after hours. The women claim they were standing in front of the rec center after closing at 9 p.m. Bradshaw says she had an anxiety attack. "Then they stood around her and were laughing. By this time, she was on the ground."
The director of the center came out next and he says the officers weren't familiar with the Shaw neighborhood and didn't work in the area.
"Anyone with common sense can see that this is a playground... It was ridiculous," said John Borges, rec center director.
Bradshaw was checked out by paramedics, but both women still want answers. They say police eventually told them they could leave. The women filed a formal complaint with the police department along with an incident report. DC Police have not returned calls from ABC 7/NewsChannel 8.
Latest Comment on Women: 'We Were Held at Gunpoint by Police'
COMMON-SENSE
12:09 pm on 11/25/07
Now the Police arrive and do their job. Verify the women are legally on the property, no arrests, no use of force, no demeaning language and these two think they were harassed. Get a life! If someone had broken into the center they would be asking why aren't the Police doing their job.
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