Story by Brenda Box

"If it takes eight police to hold down one guy, then how the hell are they going to protect me?" That's what one participant asked as dozens rallied on Hal Greer Blvd, in front of the statue of Carter Woodson, to protest alleged Huntington police brutality.

Demonstrators, many of them Marshall University students, stood along the street, waving signs at passing motorists, and occasionally getting honks of approval or shouts and waves from cars and trucks.

Professor Phillip Carter was there with a group of his students from Marshall University.

"I'm here because I care," said Professor Carter. "There are systemic problems in our community…police brutality is just one of them."

Carter and others passed out videotapes to the crowd of the incident which took place in August in front of the Midnight Rodeo, where Adonis Newsome was arrested by
at least six Huntington Police Officers. A 911 dispatcher participating in a
ride along program was also involved in the melee.

"We have videotapes," said Carter. "Take it home, to your organization, your business - then you and your peers view this tape and you pass judgment on
whether or not this was excessive force."

"There is a need for a civilian police board…there is a need to address excessive force of the Huntington Police Department. Raise these questions and demand action," Carter told the crowd.

Reverend David Witherspoon of the First Baptist Church of Burlington, OH,
said police brutality is a Tri-State problem and not just confined to Huntington.

"It doesn't just happen to blacks, it happens to whites too. We are all getting tired of it. Where is the community? Where do we go from here? We have to make a stand and we all must come together."

Lee Anne Hall, a Marshall University student, wanted to know why the Huntington Police Department and the City Administration had not spoken out about the alleged brutality incident.

"Silence is not an answer. Silence is not a remedy. Everyone here has probably seen or experienced an incident with the police, and had no one to report it to.

Laura Forman of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition attended the rally to make a statement. "As a citizen, I'm concerned about a national trend toward police brutality. (OVEC) is a social justice group and we want to bring information about this situation to our members…and offer whatever we can do to help."

Amid calls for an independent community police review board, there were also calls for a federal review of the "Midnight Rodeo" incident. "Those kids won't get justice if the Huntington Police Department investigates," claimed John Cooney, "we need the Justice Department."

Cooney claims to have written letters to the Justice Department and television networks and he urged the protesters to do the same.

Professor Carter told HNN that the anti police brutality rallies would continue. "The faith community plans to hold one next week at a soon to be disclosed location. We need to continue to have one every week until something is done."