Copwatch Re-releases Footage showing Berkeley Police Officer Marble Racially Profile Man
Ppressress Release
For Immediate Release
September 11, 2023
Copwatch Re-releases Footage showing Berkeley Police Officer Marble
Racially Profile Man at People’s Park in 2017
Local Copwatch activists were not surprised by allegations of racist violence and a federal lawsuit filed against Berkeley and Berkeley Police Sergeant David Marble. The recent lawsuit describes an incident on July 16, 2022, when Brian Lindhurst Jr was visiting a friend in Antioch, who happens to be a neighbor of Marble’s. The lawsuit alleges that Marble approached the men, used racial slurs, punched Lindhurst in the face and threatened him with a gun.
Berkeley Copwatch has identified footage of Marble from 2017 that clearly demonstrates his racial animus as he interrupts a young, Black man to say, “Don’t give me that ‘Black’ crap.” He proceeds to escalate the situation and falsely arrests the man, who is eventually released after being threatened with force and arrest.
This video corroborates Lindhurst’s account of racist violence. The video shows a situation of false arrest becoming escalated and increasingly dangerous for the detained man. The man was outraged because he knew his rights, knew that it was a false arrest and knew that it was racially motivated. To our knowledge, no complaint or lawsuit was ever filed in this situation.
According to Paul Kealoha Blake, the Copwatcher who recorded the original incident in 2017, “This is just one of the many times that I have encountered Marble on the street over the years. He is almost always messing with a person of color. It's hard to believe that BPD had no idea that this guy has such a racism problem.”
In a recent Berkeleyside article, Matthai Chakko claims that there are “systems of review, investigation and discipline built into our police operations.” In fact, BPD and the civilian oversight board, the Police Accountability Board (PAB), are not protecting the community from racist police violence. The Berkeley police often refuse to report and share information with outside agencies. The BPD continues to prevent the PAB from its investigations by withholding necessary information and access. This prevents PAB from fulfilling its charter to provide oversight and accountability of the BPD.
Berkeley Copwatch demands:
Officer Marble must be removed from the BPD so he can no longer intimidate, degrade and abuse our community.
The Berkeley City Council must address racism within BPD and release those who engage in it.
The Contra Costa District Attorney must review the incident and re-consider charging him with hate crimes as described by the plaintiff.
Attend City Council Meeting September 12, 2023
5:30 pm Rally and Speakout
CONTACT:
Andrea Prichett
Volunteer with Berkeley Copwatch
Phone: (510) 229-0527
andreaprichett@berkeley.net
