Ashley Buchanan was found not guilty of all charges.

Silence filled courtroom 1C of the Guilford County Courthouse on Aug. 29 as family, friends, and community activists listened to witnesses recount the incident in which Ashley Buchanan was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of assaulting a government official and resisting an officer.

Buchanan, a 2013 graduate of Bennett College for Women, was attending a graduation celebration in April at Sebastian Village when a noise complaint was placed and law enforcement responded. After a warning was issued and the on-duty security guards gave permission for the party to continue, a second complaint was placed and Greensboro Police Department was called in to disperse the party. 

When Buchanan attempted to enter a bedroom of the apartment to retrieve her personal belongings, she was stopped by a police officer that told her that he would get them for her.

That is when things got physical.

The police officer grabbed Buchanan. As she was trying to release her arm and reassure the officer that he did not have to grab her so forcefully, the officer pushed Buchanan to the ground as two other officers rushed to help pin her to the ground, according to Buchanan and eye witnesses.

“I do believe there was excessive force used,” said Bennett Alum and Mayor Pro Tem, Yvonne Johnson. “You should handle them and talk to them in a way that exhibits they are human beings.”

Although attendants of the party said that people were leaving and the music had been turned down by the time police arrived, an officer told a 911 operator, “They’re refusing to shut down.”

“My concern is that they were African-American young women, and the police department admitted that they very seldom arrested anyone for noise complaint,” said State Rep. Gladys Robinson. “Yet they went to Sebastian Village and arrested these young women.”

Buchanan and three other Bennett students filed complaints with the city alleging police misconduct and overreaction. Buchanan said police “strong-armed” them unnecessarily and her arresting officer “fabricated” a story that she slapped him in the face.

“The first time the officers took me downtown to the precinct I had no idea what I was being arrested with until I overheard my arresting [Officer Scarborough] speaking to another officer about what he was charging me with,” she said. “At that point my heart dropped when I heard the officer said I slapped him in the face and I wasn’t able to testify on my behalf about the false allegation”

“I don’t really believe the story,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to be out of your mind to slap a cop. She’s tiny.”

A town hall meeting was held Aug. 27 at the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel on the campus of Bennett to discuss the incident and raise awareness of police brutality. Robinson was the presider while Joyce Johnson of Beloved Community and Anita Earls of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice gave remarks.

“If she is found not guilty, there are grounds for a civil suit and possible claims for racial discrimination,” Earls said.

Greensboro is no stranger to police brutality. Incidents of misconduct have frequently been reported since the 1960s. And more recently, an unrelated incident occurred on April 16 at the same apartment complex.

The state rep. urges college students to be cautious in how they respond to law enforcement. Also, report any misconduct of law enforcement immediately.

“The feeling of hearing the words ‘not guilty’ is truly something unreal,” Buchanan said. “I knew all along I was telling the truth, but I also know how the system can be unfair at times.”

The recent Bennett grad hopes to encourage other students who may come in contact with law enforcement to learn their rights, what officers can and cannot do, as well as correct police protocol.

One officer was fired and another suspended for one day without pay. Another was ordered to receive counseling after the incident.

• Laci Ollison