How Purdue got to cop apologizing, Daniels vowing review of use of force on campus and an ‘ACAB’ cleanup
In the wake of a special prosecutor’s report into arrest that went viral: Police officer apologizes. Student thanks Purdue. Mitch Daniels promises changes. All in a tidy release from the university.
Today’s edition is sponsored by The Long Center for the Performing Arts, which is bringing America to Lafayette for the first concert in the new Loeb Stadium. For details, scroll through today’s Based in Lafayette reporting project.
It became clear Tuesday why the players involved in a Feb. 4 arrest didn’t pick up phones Monday, after a special prosecutor decided a Purdue police officer’s use of force was justified and the student who was wrestled and ground into a snow pile during a reported domestic incident wouldn’t face charges.
The collection of people involved collaborated on a joint statement sent Tuesday morning, in which Purdue Officer Jon Selke – relegated to administrative duty pending training on de-escalating situations – apologized, Purdue junior Adonis Tuggle and his attorney were complimenting university officials for their support, and Purdue President Mitch Daniels was promising a new look at policing practices on campus.
There were no further comments, at least not publicly, beyond the message sent to everyone with a Purdue email account.
Meanwhile, Purdue facilities crews were power washing two campus landmarks – the base of the Bell Tower and the Engineering Fountain – to remove red spray paint that tagged each one with “ACAB.” Translation: All Cops Are Bastards.
Purdue police were looking for two suspects seen early Tuesday morning, Tim Doty, a university spokesman, said. The Purdue Exponent reported that police logs said security cameras showed two men wearing black, hoods up and wearing face masks. As of Tuesday afternoon, there had been no arrests.
Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings – appointed special prosecutor in the case after it went viral, with a one-minute Instagram video of Selke using his body and forearm to pin Tuggle to the ground – determined after a two-month review that Selke’s actions weren’t out of line or criminal. Cummings said Selke’s attempt to handcuff Tuggle, a Black student arguing with his girlfriend outside a car on a south campus street, probably could have used “more time attempting to de-escalate the situation.” But Cummings, a former police officer and longtime prosecutor in Madison County, said that based on all the video from the scene, Selke should have been “commended, not vilified” for how he handled the situation.
(Cummings released 30 minutes of video from Selke’s body cam. Purdue has promised to release body cam and dashboard camera footage from other officers who arrived on the scene. On Tuesday, Purdue indicated that would happen “as soon as appropriate redactions have been made under public records law.”)
Cummings also said he could have charged Tuggle for resisting arrest, among other things that night, but didn’t at the request of Purdue officials, Selke and the mother of the woman involved in the argument with Tuggle.
For more on all that, here’s a broader look at Cummings’ report, his comments and how Tuggle’s Feb. 4 arrest wound up generating hundreds of thousands of views on Instagram and questions about the Black student, staff and faculty experience on campus:
In Purdue’s release, the university said Tuggle and Selke met in a private meeting on campus. When that meeting happened wasn’t specified, and Doty said he didn’t know the date. But the university, through its letter, said the two “discussed the manner in which the incident escalated and the impact the incident has had on Adonis, his family, and the Purdue community, particularly Black Boilermakers.”
Daniels said in prepared statements that the university was “glad for (Cummings’) forbearance in not proceeding with charges against Adonis.”
“Notwithstanding the legal considerations, we believe this was an incident that escalated too quickly in the distinctive context of our campus environment,” Daniels said.
Among Purdue’s moves: Selke was temporarily assigned to administrative services until he could participate in what the university called comprehensive training, including a focus on de-escalation protocols, before going back on patrol.
Here’s how the rest of the joint statement released by Purdue played out.
Daniels said:
“We recognize this is an outcome that no member of the Purdue community should expect in light of our high aspirations for community policing at Purdue, which have the primary aim of ensuring a safe and positive experience for our students on campus. We deeply regret what happened, and we’re grateful for our community’s patience as we, alongside Adonis, Officer Jon Selke and their families, have worked to gain a better understanding of what occurred that night and a reconciliation among the parties to the incident.
“We’re proud of the fact that PUPD has no record of this type of incident occurring in the past. It was an aberration and must remain so. ‘Zero’ is the only acceptable number of such incidents at Purdue. We’ve directed several definitive steps to reduce the chance that anything of this kind ever occurs in the future.”
Selke said:
“I apologize for the impact of my actions on the night of Feb. 4, 2022. I have privately spoken with Adonis and his mother, Ms. Cornelia Dawson, to express my sincere apologies to them. I fully acknowledge how my actions and the images of this event have called into question the safety and belonging of Purdue’s Black community. I am very sorry for that.”
Tuggle said:
“I’m grateful to President Daniels and Purdue University leadership for the support I have received over the past few weeks. Through this experience I’ve come to understand that Purdue and PUPD are committed to positive community policing and providing a healthy and safe environment for Black Boilermakers. I recently had the opportunity to meet Officer Selke and learn more about his background and his family, and to understand his own personal history and service in the military and as a PUPD officer. We had a productive conversation, and I’m committed to working with him, the Purdue police, my fellow students and the broader university community to forge a positive path forward.”
Andrew Stroth, a Chicago-based attorney for the Tuggle family, specializes in civil rights cases dealing with used of force by police officers. Early in the investigation, Stroth said, “Whether it's George Floyd knee on the neck, or Adonis with an officer's elbow in his throat, again, it's just another act of violence against a Black person in America. And in this case, to make matters worse, it took place on Purdue's campus.” Even then, Stroth said he and the family were waiting for the rest of the video footage to get to the truth. On Tuesday, in the statement released by the university, Stroth said:
“I am grateful to President Daniels, Trustee Don Thompson, and Purdue’s leadership not only for taking proactive and meaningful steps to ensure Adonis feels welcome and safe on campus, but also for pledging to look at the way PUPD approaches community policing. As I reviewed this case, it was clear Purdue does not have a record of racist policing toward students. But I have never seen an institution respond so swiftly and positively with this kind of commitment to evaluating potential process improvements, which I think will only build on the efforts of Purdue’s Equity Task Force to create a welcoming living and learning environment for Black students on Purdue’s campus.”
Daniels said the university would conduct “an immediate external review of the Purdue University Police Department’s use of force policy and de-escalation training program, followed by an action plan and metrics designed to prevent a recurrence of this type of incident.”
He also said Black student leader representation would be included on search committees for Purdue police leadership positions in a “continued commitment to recruiting a diverse police force.”
Timelines on those action items weren’t immediately available.
Thanks to The Long Center for the Performing Arts for its support and sponsorship of today’s edition of Based in Lafayette. For details about upcoming shows, including America for Loeb Stadium’s inaugural concert, on June 30, click the link below.
Have a story idea for upcoming editions? Send them to me: davebangert1@gmail.com. For news during the day, follow on Twitter: @davebangert.
I am incredibly impressed how well Mitch Daniels has handled this story. I was critical of Purdue for not releasing the body cam sooner. Now I know the reason why. Purdue under President Daniels was doing a lot behind the scenes to calm a volatile situation. Has any other incident involving the police and use of force ended like this anywhere? It is incredible in todays world. Both the police officer and the young man met and agreed to see things from each others perspective. They both had enough maturity and guidance to acknowledge their roles. Quite an impressive outcome by Purdue and Daniels. We may learn more as more info is released, but this seems to me the best possible outcome for all of us. The police can use more training (can't we all!) is a key outcome and one the police seem to agree with. Mitch Daniels continues to show why he is considered the best candidate for President who never ran for President. Purdue is lucky to have him here.