All
of us must be willing to take our stories forward for there to ever
be justice.
West
Hollywood, CA, USA -- Fitting The Description founder and
executive director Charles Belk issued the following statement about
the detainment and handcuffing of entertainer Wyclef Jean because he
was "fitting the description" and his call for a formal
investigation into the matter by the West Hollywood Station of the
Los Angeles County Sheriff Department.
"It's
inspiring to hear that Wyclef Jean is calling for a formal
investigation. More attention needs to continuously be brought to
those incidents like Wyclef's, because it gives society a chance to
possibly disclose the underlying cause. We seem to focus on only
those incidents where an apparently innocent Black man ends up dead,
and at that point, while you may or may not have some video, you
indeed only have one side of the story, because, unfortunately, the
other side can't be told. I was fortunate to be able to tell my side
of the story, and to see someone with the celebrity status of Wyclef
be willing to take his story forward in search of the truth is what
we always should do. All of us, need to take our stories forward.
Don't think that just because you're not a famous entertainer or a
"Hollywood Producer", that people won't listen. They WILL
listen. Social media is definitely listening, and it has millions of
ears! We have to all be willing to get M.A.D., and Make A Difference.
I strongly encourage the new commander of the West Hollywood Station,
Captain Sergio A. Aloma, and West Hollywood Mayor Lauren Meister to
honor Mr. Jean's request and launch an investigation immediately."
On
August 22, 2014, Charles Belk was mistakenly identified as an armed
bank robber because he fit the description of a tall, bald, Black
male. Although Belk was held on the curb in handcuffs for 45 minutes,
and then arrested and held under a $100,000 bail for 6 hours, he was
later released as innocent. Since his arrest, Charles Belk, a
long-time West Hollywood-adjacent resident, launched a nationwide
effort, #AutoErase, through the non-profit Fitting The Description,
to educate and inform those about the perils of wrongful arrest
records, and engage legislation to alleviate the burden and costs
incurred by the innocent to remove those arrest records. The
legislation has been signed into law in four states and is now
current legislation in 14 states.
About
Fitting The Description
Fitting
The Description, a 501.c.3, tax exempt, non-profit organization, was
established to help build awareness of wrongful detentions and
arrests that occur each day because an individual "fit the
description." The organization helps educate and inform others
about the perils of wrongful arrests records, and advocates for
alleviating the burden and costs incurred by the innocent to remove
those arrest records.
Media
Contact:
Mark
Williams
Fitting
The Description Inc.
PO
Box 93181
Los
Angeles, CA 90093
213-632-6390
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