Canton Police Arrest Protesters

by Adam Lynch
March 27, 2008

Canton police arrested demonstrators protesting racial profiling this morning after protesters allegedly violated a city permit.

ACLU Executive Director Nsombi Lambright said demonstrators had a permit for a stationary public rally, but violated that permit when participants began a march from the Madison County Courthouse to the sheriff’s office.

“We did not have a march permit, but even with that we told Chief (Robert) Winn and (Assistant) Chief (Bracey) Coleman that some people would be walking and others driving,” Lambright told the Jackson Free Press, adding that Canton police began arresting protesters when organizer David L. Archie challenged police to arrest them for violating their permit.

“They arrested them when Archie said on the microphone ‘They would just have to arrest us.’ They arrested them on what they said, not what they did,” Lambright said. “We were following the city ordinance. We were just walking, not out in the street, but on the sidewalk. They arrested 15 people, including senior citizens, a minor and a disabled woman.”

Flora resident Mary Sumler, a senior citizen who owns a restaurant in Canton, and organizer David Archie were among the arrested.

Organizers arranged the rally to protest alleged racial profiling by the Madison County Sheriff’s office.

Archie, who ran for the Ward 1 Jackson City Council seat in 2007, has argued for years that Madison County law enforcement officers pinpoint black drivers for traffic stops and arrests.

“Over the years since the election of Toby Trowbridge as sheriff of Madison County, numerous individuals have brought forth claims of harassment, intimidation, discrimination and outright brutality by the Madison County sheriff’s department,” Archie stated in a press release just prior to his March 27 arrest. “Racial profiling and deputy misconduct are widespread and well known.”

Trowbridge did not return calls but has denied targeting blacks and minorities in the past.

Lambright said law enforcement officers conducting arrests were members of Canton police.

Canton Police Chief Robert Winn also did not return calls.

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