NORMAN — Officials at the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office released a video Tuesday showing a man being booked into the county jail
Marconia Kessee, 34, died Jan. 16 at the Cleveland County jail
A hospital physician cleared him before booking
A video taken from the sally port entrance shows officers carrying Marconia Kessee
from a Norman Police Department sport utility vehicle into the jail's intake room
shows officers going through the booking process
He then leans backward and swings his head
appearing to strike his head on the wall behind him
As officers attempt to subdue him and shield his head
jail staff would find Kessee unresponsive in his cell
Norman police arrested Kessee on a trespassing complaint after he refused to leave Norman Regional Hospital
Norman police spokeswoman Sarah Jensen said
His death is being investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
(KOKH) — After a review of body camera footage
Norman police say that two officer's interactions with a man outside a hospital did not lead to his death
On Jan. 16, police were dispatched to a disturbance in the waiting room at Norman Regional Hospital - Porter Campus
At the hospital police encountered 34-year-old Marconia Kessee. Kessee had been treated by medical staff and released from the hospital. Hospital security said that the man refused to leave the business and had assisted him into a wheelchair to escort him out of the waiting area
Master Police Officer Kyle Canaan and Officer Daniel Brown made contact with Kessee
The officers can be seen attempting to convince Kessee to go to a nearby shelter at the Salvation Army
Police say Kessee refused to leave the area and was cited for trespassing
He was then taken into custody and transported to the Cleveland County Detention Center
At the center he was determined to be fit by a hospital physcian
Kessee was then transported back to the hospital where he was pronounced dead
Norman Police Department Public Information Officer Sarah Jensen reports that a review of the body camera footage shows that the officer's followed "basic protocol"
"There is no indication at this time that the actions of the two officers contributed to the death of Kessee
the department has launched an administrative review of the actions and disparaging comments made by the two officers," Jensen said
Canaan has been with the department since 2009 while Brown has been an officer since 2013
Norman Police Department Chief Keith Humphrey issued condolences to the Kessee family
While other hot-button topics may have overtaken the forefront of America’s public consciousness
the actions of police officers that result in unnecessary deaths should still trouble everyone
The January death of Norman transient Marconia Kessee troubles us greatly
the 34-year-old Kessee died in the Cleveland County Jail after Norman Police Department officers arrested him at Norman Regional Hospital
Kessee had been discharged from the hospital but had lingered in a wheelchair
shaking as he moved and unable to stand up
Body camera footage published by the Norman Transcript shows officers Kyle Canaan and Daniel Brown quickly lost patience with Kessee
repeatedly cussed at him and belittled him in the final hours of a life they failed to help save
Flanked by an unidentified hospital security officer
the pair of Norman’s finest ultimately dragged the scared
One officer appeared to express amusement that Kessee’s “bare butt” was scraping the sidewalk
The 22-minute police body camera footage of Kessee’s trespassing arrest is painful to watch
Canaan and Brown talk down to the troubled man with an insensitive arrogance that taints their profession
The officers’ statements are thick with cynicism
and they refer to Kessee’s apparent psychosis and other unknown ailments as “bullshit,” at one point telling him to “get over yourself” and walk across the street to the homeless shelter
“Are you just putting on a show so you can have somewhere to stay?” one of the officers asks as Kessee shakes and falls while trying to stand
“You can’t just act like this to get back in the hospital,” another officer says
“That’s not how it works.”
The officers repeatedly express disbelief that the man was ill
“You can stop with the show,” one officer says
“It ain’t fooling a single person
I can tell you that,” another replies
As the pair of Norman police officers lay hands on a screaming Kessee
one notes: “I’m not above dragging you off this property.”
telling an onlooker that they are treating Kessee “… like a small child who doesn’t want to listen.”
the public and NPD Chief Keith Humphrey are still waiting for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to conclude their reports on Kessee’s death
both public institutions designed to help Norman’s citizens failed Marconia Kessee and the greater community
The hospital did not treat Kessee as a patient whose life mattered
and the two Norman police officers exhibited a breathtaking ignorance of proper skills for helping someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis
While the officers’ actions are more heinous
the hospital’s abdication of responsibility is pathetic as well
If Norman Police Chief Keith Humphrey wants to offer his community more than mere words
he will take action when the investigation of officers Canaan and Brown has concluded
Their documented actions and attitudes show that they do not deserve to serve the city of Norman
As a result, the terminations of their careers would be a win-win. The community would be safer knowing that accountability exists in its police department
and Humphrey would be able to deliver a message about what standards he expects for the men and women he employs to serve and protect
being forced to resign could go a long way toward helping Canaan and Brown get over themselves
NORMAN, Okla.—“With a heart rate of 116 and complaining of an excruciating headache, my nephew, Marconia Kessee
was turned away from the hospital and arrested by the Norman Police Department for trespassing,” Michael Washington said
“Two hours later my nephew laid upon the cold concrete floor naked and dead.” Paperwork Washington has gathered showed the triage intake memo showing a heart rate of 116
Kessee also suffered from mental and other medical issues as well
“Normal heartbeats are between 60-100 beats a minute
And he’d been dead long before 9:30-9:45
That’s why they waited that long to check on him
On Sunday, Feb. 25, over 40 persons attended a protest in front of Norman Regional Hospital where Kessee was turned away. The Norman Police body cam of the cruel and unusual treatment of Marconia
was placed on Now This News where it has been shared and seen 4,367,000 times
I attended the rally in support of American Indian Movement-Indian Territory Chapter (AIM-IT). Also Red Dirt Defense, Carnalismo National Brown Berets, Norman Citizens for Racial Justice
and Our Revolution Oklahoma came to stand in support and push for justice
There were calls and chants for the immediate resignation of the privatized Norman Regional Hospital president and attending physician
as well for the two Norman police officers and personnel at Cleveland County jail
“My nephew was undressed and shoved into a cold cell naked,” Washington exclaimed to the protestors
which meant the jail personnel were to check on him every fifteen minutes
Yet log sheets [show] they [jail personnel] waited over an hour to check on him
We demand justice in the untimely and uncalled-for death of my nephew and we’ll not rest until hospital president Richie Splitt and treating physician Steven Roberts are both fired
On the police body cams one can hear the belittling comments
“dog,” “faking,” and that “he was putting on a show.” The video depicts a clear medical emergency with Marconia
“You are not going back into the hospital.” Video footage shows the police dragging him off the property
“No human being should be treated like that
especially by public servants such as the police,” Washington shouted out to the protestors
OU Daily, the University of Oklahoma student newspaper, stated that Norman Citizens for Racial Justice had called Norman Regional Hospital negligent
they said the Norman police officers “treated Marconia with extreme cruelty
“When are the police going to be held accountable
When are the doctors and nurses going to be held accountable
They are the people that have jobs to help serve us
and they are not doing it.” Topaum cited her own medical professional work with five degrees
“No nurse should ever release a patient with 116 heart rate and complaining of headaches.” The proper procedure is immediate transfer to an emergency room with EKG monitoring to be placed on the patient
Her husband, Michael Topaum, sang a Kiowa Honoring Song for Marconia
Local Oklahoma City members of Brown Berets de Cemanahuac. reminded the crowd of several key factors. First, persons of color, brown- or black-skinned folks are treated much differently than white persons. Cochimiqui Cuetachtli said, “Look at how Magdiel Sanchez was treated
And now we are here again for this with Marconia; when will it stop?”
“Why is Norman even attempting to get militarized weapons and vehicles
here in Norman?” The crowd’s laughter and accolades were heard loudly over this statement
Sarah Jensen
a spokesperson for the Norman Police Department
previously said that there was an internal investigation into the officers’ disparaging comments and actions
Officers Kyle Canaan and Daniel Brown have been placed on paid suspension since the body camera footage was released
please tell me what kind of black leadership do we have here in Oklahoma
I asked this question because not one black church
reached out to our family after the horrific untimely death of my nephew in the Cleveland County Jail
March 11th the protesting continued at the Norman Police department
“We demand that officers Kyle Canaan and Daniel Brown be fired immediately
I’m sure we all know why we want those two fired
Just go back and watch the video footage of the body camera worn by the officer at Norman Regional Hospital
They treated Marconia like he was an animal
and we’re not going to stand for it.”
About 40 persons showed up with the above mentioned groups showing solidarity and support
The Norman Police Department police were not outside during the protest
Yet they did test their car sirens during the protest as if to disrupt the hearing of the speakers
another protest is planned at the Cleveland County jail
Washington is planning a public celebration
“We’re going to remember all those killed by the police in May,” Washington said
“We want to memorialize those individuals and let others know their loved ones will not be forgotten.”
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Minors were at house party in Marconia di Pisticci in southern Basilicata region
Italian police have arrested four people in connection with the alleged gang-rape of two British girls in the south of the country.
The rape reportedly took place on Monday night at a house party in Marconia di Pisticci, a town of about 8,000 people in the Matera area of the Basilicata region.
The four men, from Pisticci, are accused of rape and grievous bodily harm.
Their arrests and custody were ordered by the Matera prosecutor, Angelo Onorati, owing to the “brutality, severity and savagery of the violence committed, in devious ways, that could be repeated against other women”.
The men arrested are aged between 19 and 23, police said during a press conference in Matera on Friday. Another four men, yet to be identified, are also alleged to have taken part in the group rape, which reportedly occurred in the garden of a villa where the party was taking place.
Police authorities in Matera said on Thursday: “On the night between 7-8 September, in Marconia di Pisticci, sexual violence was committed against two foreign minors who were at a party in a villa. The investigative unit of Matera police headquarters has begun investigations in coordination with the public prosecutor’s office.”
Reports in the local press claim the girls, who were in the seaside town on holiday, were slapped and punched before being raped by more than one person.
The girls reported the alleged rape after calling an ambulance and being admitted to Madonna della Grazie hospital in Matera. They were in a state of shock and marks on their bodies showed signs of violence, according to the reports. The news agency Adnkronos said the girls had since been discharged from hospital.
According to investigators, the girls attended the party accompanied by an older sister of one of the pair. Soon after arriving at what was said to have been a birthday celebration open to anyone, they were approached by two of the suspects.
The girls immediately told the sister of one what had happened and reported the incident to police after returning home.
Giuseppe Rago, a lawyer for the girls, described the violence committed against them as “unprecedented”.
“They are girls with a strong character, they have been heartened by their families and are confident in the work of justice. They hope to soon recover and forget what happened … we would never have thought that such wickedness could happen here,” he told Adnkronos.
Italian police have arrested four suspects in connection with the violent gang-rape of two underaged British girls at a birthday party in a small town in the country's south.
The incident allegedly happened Monday night at a house party in Marconia di Pisticci, a town of some 12,000 inhabitants in Italy's mountainous Basilicata region.
"The two victims were reportedly approached by two young men who seemed to have taken advantage of their physical state, possibly due to alcohol," said Pietro Argentino, public prosecutor in the nearby city of Matera.
"Two others arrived later and the rapes happened in a field next to the villa," Argentino told the AGI news agency.
The girls, one of who is said to have relatives in the town near the Gulf of Taranto, were allegedly slapped and punched before being gang-raped, local news reports said.
Both aged around 15, they told their parents what happened when they later arrived home and were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Matera.
Police arrested four men, all from Marconia di Pisticci and some of whom had criminal records. They are all between 19 and 23 years old.
Four other men are also being sought in the case.
"What happened is extremely serious, and we hope the judicial authority will do justice to the girls and their parents for what they had to endure," their lawyer Giuseppe Rago said.
"The girls are certainly not well," he told the AGI news agency.
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This Page Has Washed AwayLooks like this page has disappeared with the tide — perhaps it’s buried in the sand at Vazon or drifting off Petit Port
presided over by Parliamentary Secretary Helen D'Amato
Margaret Mortimer Girls' Junior Lyceum of Sta Lucija chose to transport the audience at the Maria Assumpta Secondary School hall to the fabulous lands of the Arabian Nights
After a short introduction and welcome speech by fourth formers Bernice Grech and Melanie Galea
Then followed the musical Selections from the Arabian Nights
a very colourful and lively interpretation of two of the most popular tales - Aladdin and Ali Baba
the musical had elements of drama and humour
choreography and singing that did credit both to the young performers and to their teachers
Janice Schembri and Marconia Camilleri were responsible for the choreography
while the singing was under the direction of Ms Debono
The set design was entrusted to Mr Cardinali
also constructed the set which had a colourful Eastern flavour
A number of teachers and parents were responsible for the beautiful costumes and for the young performers' hairstyles and make-up
gave a very full and interesting overview of the students' achievements during the previous scholastic year
She also made detailed reference to the school's Development Plan and the development targets for the current scholastic year
She stressed the importance of values in the students' lives
Mrs D'Amato spoke about the need for the students to go on aiming high
Quoting two lines from songs sung by the school choir
she urged the students to keep on having dreams and doing their best to make them come true
She also encouraged parents to support their children
The distribution of prizes brought to an end another memorable evening in the calendar of Margaret Mortimer Girls' Junior Lyceum
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Staff and administration at Margaret Mortimer Girls' Junior Lyceum
had a whale of a time as they prepared for the final week at school before the Christmas holidays
Many activities were prepared as students were given a taste of other different aspects of education
Students were taken to see many cribs around Valletta
Luqa and Qormi - cribs prepared by local people
The girls admired the beauty of these cribs and learnt about the dedication and perseverance needed over many months to complete them
Stefania Briffa and Claudia Mifsud prepared a quiz in which each form and its representatives participated enthusiastically
Students were in for a surprise when teachers participated in games that were held at school
with a five-a-side football match being the highlight of the afternoon
Forms 1 and 2 students watched a film at St Julian's
while a different film was shown to the older third
The excitement was high when they were taken to see the panto The Three Musketeers
This is a traditional annual invitation by head of school Maria Ciappara which helps strengthen unity and collaboration between the two schools
It also encourages students to learn to appreciate the talents of other students
Another highlight this year was the school's Christmas party which was different - only healthy food was prepared
The school's campaign to promote healthier eating proved to be a great success
A big thank-you goes to the organisers - Marconia Camilleri and Tania Caruana - and to all teachers and their assistants who co-operated fully to promote this initiative
But Christmas is not just about having fun and going places or about decorating and partying
While these things do brighten up our lives
a time to stop and remember the message of good news that the Lord brought us
a time to remember that He came for us all and that it is up to us to see Him in those around us
students were grouped and allocated to a number of institutes and old people's homes
bought presents for and spent time with the elderly
Many an old person could not hold back their tears at the sight of these young persons wanting to spend time with them and liven up their day
continued this initiative by carrying out more social work at various institutes and helped with fund-raising during other charity campaigns
Special thanks also go to the chief organisers
namely the middle management team - John Treeby
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