KENNETT, MO (KAIT) – Supporters from across the country converged on the Dunklin County Courthouse Monday to voice public outrage against the Kennett Police Department and Dunklin County Prosecutor’s Office. Heather Ellis, 24, cut in line at the Kennett Wal-Mart on January 6, 2007 and created a disturbance after police were called, court documents said. According to court filings, Ellis assaulted two white police officers who told her to leave the premises. She was arrested on two felony counts of assaulting a police officer and two misdemeanor violations.
Ellis, a black school teacher in Louisiana, was in college at the time of her arrest. She charges customers and police officers as being racially disingenuous.
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Counter protestors also watched the march as it traveled down First Street. Counter protestors [sic] were holding Confederate flags with swastikas and skulls.
See the whole article here: http://www.kait8.com/global/story.asp?s=11517159
If there was any question about the racist atmosphere in Kennett, MO, the last quoted paragraph should help put things in perspective for you. And if you read the comments to the article, it should remove all doubt. The sad part is that these bigoted rednecks don't even realize that they are racist. The racist, fascist atmosphere permeates the entire region. They are indoctrinated in church, in school and in their homes.
As noted in the above article snippets, at the protest rally prior to the trial counter protesters showed up waving confederate flags and swastikas just to prove that the aren't prejudice. Morons.
I'll add this from personal experience: There is no doubt in my mind that most of the local law enforcement around here is racist. And hand in hand with their racism goes their fascism. However, I don't think that the prosecutor, Steve Sokoloff, is a racist. At least not overtly. He's simply a fascist. He definitely allows his personal feelings and convictions to interfere with the execution of his duties. He pursues personal vendetta's at the bench. He also allow "his buddies" to walk free on identical charges to those he sends away for years.
UPDATE:
Heather Ellis plead guilty to two misdemeanors and received 4 days in county jail, 1 year unsupervised probation, and mandatory anger management classes. The plea was reached after it was disclosed that the officers and witnesses in the case had a private conference together prior to the trial. It is speculated that this time was used to "get their stories straight". In fact, witness testimony included information that was not included in the original police reports suggesting that their stories were embellished for trial. Let's hope that the various anti-discrimination organizations who have been drawn to this case keep a close eye on this town and county. This story is not over. But the story is not about Heather Ellis. It is about a clan of racist bigots and their nepotistic, isolationist, white supremacist, Christian Fascist behavior.
