Greensboro, N.C. – On March 8, 2010, Byron Meadows and Lankford Protective Services, a security agency that contracts with the City of Greensboro, agreed to pay $13,500 to Russel Kilfoil, a member of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN), who was assaulted and detained while waiting for a bus the night of July 2, 2008.
Kilfoil was punched in the face by Meadows, a Lankford Protective Services employee. Meadows claimed Kilfoil was smoking in the wrong place at the Depot and displayed an “attitudinal posture.” He further claimed he had not punched Kilfoil, but attempted to execute an arm bar, and that this action was justified under the circumstances.
Meadows’s claims were refuted by the security footage of the event. In December 2008 the Greensboro Human Relations Department concluded that there was reasonable cause to believe that discrimination played a role in the incident. Kilfoil is a young man of Puerto Rican descent.
Kilfoil was represented by Southern Coalition for Social Justice staff attorney, Chris Brook free of charge. In December 2008, the Greensboro Collaborative retained the legal services of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, a non-profit community lawyering organization based in Durham, NC. The Greensboro Collaborative is comprised of the Beloved Community Center, the Pulpit Forum, and Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation of Greensboro (ALKQN).
One of the Collaborative’s primary concerns was continued harassment of the Latin Kings by the Greensboro Police Department’s Anti-Gang Task Force. In June 2008, the leader of the Kings, Jorge Cornell, called for peace and an end to violence on the streets of Greensboro.
Since that time violence directed at the Kings and harassment by the Anti-Gang Task Force and other law enforcement entities has escalated. Members of the Task Force follow King members home and around town, and have repeatedly harassed members at their places of work – actions that have led to ALKQN members losing their jobs.
In March 2009 the Pulpit Forum Clergy and the Beloved Community Center submitted a document to the city entitled “A Paradigm Shift,” which Rev. Nelson Johnson describes as follows:
“Specifically, it proposed that street groups of young people, some of whom self-identify as gangs, could be seen and worked with as a resource for community safety, community justice, and greater community unity.”
SCSJ will continue to provide representation to the Greensboro Collaborative and individuals affiliated with the Latin Kings in matters involving police misconduct, discrimination, and violations of human rights
Staff attorney Chris Brook stated, “…this is not only an excellent result for Russ, but also sends a clear message to Lankford Protective Services that such treatment of individuals is unacceptable.”
“SCSJ played a huge role in helping me set right what happened to me as I waited for the bus that evening,” said Russell Kilfoil.
Contact:
Chris Brook, staff attorney;
Chris@SCSJ.org; 919.323.3380 ext.111 or 919.928.2444
