One word fits the tape of the Aurora police arresting 12-year-old Cassidy Rice and her mom, Loree McCormick-Rice.
Ugly.
The quality of the grainy black-and- white videotape is awful. But the subject matter is much, much worse.
Bad enough to make you wonder what Rice and her mother did to deserve being manhandled in a supermarket parking lot, pushed to the pavement and, in the little girl’s case, roughed up enough to break a collarbone.
Surely they must have robbed someone or done something violent to beget such a violent response.
At one point, the video shows several officers hovering over the 12-year-old, restraining her. When she’s placed facedown and handcuffed, the child tries to roll over and an officer pushes her roughly down.
In the background, her mother appears to beg passing cars for help.
Then, after McCormick-Rice sees her daughter cuffed, the mother climbs into her car and refuses to get out. So it’s her turn. On the tape, the cops appear to pull her out. They take her to the ground, cuffing her and leading her off, as well.
Police charged mother and daughter with resisting arrest, obstruction and failure to obey an order.
For what, you’re still asking?
Well, the Rices, who are African- American, say they were reacting to Aurora police Sgt. Charles DeShazer dropping an “N” bomb on them outside a King Soopers and later cursing at them as they left the store.
According to a police report, DeShazer was working off-duty as a private security guard. He denies using racial epithets. He does admit asking McCormick-Rice why she was parked in a handicapped parking space. A severe asthmatic, McCormick-Rice showed DeShazer her handicapped parking sticker.
McCormick-Rice felt the officer was harassing her. She claims DeShazer responded to that accusation by calling her the “N” word.
The videotape shows that McCormick-Rice went into the supermarket and complained to the manager. But later, on her way out of the parking lot, a shouting match occurred between DeShazer and the Rices that led to the mother and daughter being physically taken down, Cassidy injured and both arrested.
Why a city already racked with black-and-white tensions felt compelled to take this racially inflammatory incident to court remains unanswered. The Aurora city attorney’s office, which will prosecute, says it does not comment on pending criminal cases.
David Lane, the Rices’ lawyer, says the criminal charges are an attempt to head off a civil lawsuit for police brutality.
One person sitting in the courtroom nailed the issue cold:
“It’s sad,” she said, “because you can’t trust the people you’re supposed to trust.”
McCormick-Rice’s trial was delayed last week after Municipal Judge Shawn Day let the city add a disturbing the peace charge.
“Basically, she was causing a riot in the store,” assistant city attorney Tim Joyce told the judge.
He turned and threatened McCormick-Rice’s supporters with removal from the courtroom when they gasped collectively at his characterization.
Joyce’s hyperbole was not just irresponsible, given the racially strained atmosphere, it was absurd. For starters, it’s the judge’s job, not Joyce’s, to maintain order in the court. Beyond bullyboy tactics, Joyce talked about “a riot” minutes after everyone in the courtroom had watched videotape of dozens of shoppers walking past McCormick-Rice as she complained angrily to the store manager.
Most people looked at her and kept moving. Two people paused briefly, as if listening. No one rioted.
Once more, the troubling question arose:
Where was the behavior that led to police violence that traumatized and humiliated a woman and broke her daughter’s collarbone?
Aurora has promised to call six witnesses when McCormick-Rice’s case goes to court in December. No word yet on how many prosecution witnesses will testify against 12-year-old Cassidy Rice, who trembled and wept as she watched the videotape of herself being set upon by police.
Maybe trial testimony can make sense of this prosecution.
Here’s hoping.
All Aurora has right now is an ugly visual record faintly reminiscent of Rodney King.
Jim Spencer’s column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 303-954-1771 or jspencer@denverpost.com.
