POUGHKEEPSIE — The city of Poughkeepsie on Thursday approved a $400,000 settlement in a civil rights lawsuit brought by the mother of Jamelia Barnett and Julissa Dawkins, girls whose confrontation with city police in 2019 was captured in a 17-second video that went viral amid concerns about police brutality.
The incident unfolded March 11, 2019, when officers John Williams and Kevin VanWagner responded to a call at Church Street and Hammersley Avenue. According to the civil lawsuit, Barnett and Dawkins were spectators of a fight between students that spilled over from an earlier confrontation.
When Williams and VanWagner arrived on the scene, they “immediately barked profanity laced commands at the children present, despite the fact that the fight already ended,” the lawsuit alleged. In response, the sisters “exercised their right to express themselves and cursed back.”
That prompted VanWagner to attempt to arrest Dawkins, who was 12 years old at the time. When she did not comply, VanWagner picked her up and dropped her on the ground, “landing on top of her with the force of his entire body,” according to the lawsuit.
Barnett, then 15, tried to intervene but was grabbed by Williams and thrown to the ground, dislocating her shoulder and knocking her unconscious, according to the lawsuit.
The city has said no audio or video evidence from the incident show either officer using foul language with the girls, and that its investigation concluded that Barnett didn’t lose consciousness and didn’t request medical treatment. It also said VanWagner was shoved from behind by Barnett when he attempted to arrest Dawkins.
After their arrests, the girls were taken to the Poughkeepsie Police Department and held against their will, separately, with no parent, guardian or lawyer present, according to the lawsuit, which further claimed the police tried to intimidate the girls “into…
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