Collinwood student indicted for assault, resisting arrest during protest
Published: Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 8:36 PM
by James W. Wade III
May 13, 2010 changed the lives of the Bronaugh family after the two sisters were arrested for a confrontation with police during a protest, outside Collinwood High School, over cutbacks in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
When the officers tried to arrest Collinwood student DeAsia Bronaugh, 16 at the time of the incident, and her 19 year old sister Destiny Bruno got involved. Police took them both into custody for supposedly resisting arrest.
Outrage spread throughout the city as the video of the racist assault became public. About 40 students and other activists defiantly marched to the police station, chanting all the way. Many told of police abuses which occur regularly outside the school and nearby.
Destiny was indicted last week for assault and resisting arrest.
She was attacked by police without them asking for ID to know if she was a student or not. The excessive force used on these girls made many comment as they watched the video on You Tube.
In a phone interview with their mother, she expressed the anger she has been going through since the incident.
“I would like people to watch the video and judge for yourself. They sent officers wearing bullet proof vests, slamming my kids,” said Tina Bronaugh.
DeAsia, 17, has not been charged with anything so far while a Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Judge dismissed the curfew case against her.
One of Collinwood’s teachers wrote a note saying that supposedly both girls came back in the school after she asked them to and security at the school put them out for police to allegedly harass them.
Other students were also given citations for violating daytime curfew and were suspended from school for five days. Walkout organizer, Seth Barlekamp, and another student were brutally interrogated inside the school by police, who supposedly threatened to have Barklekamp institutionalized.
His mother was also said to be threatened with arrest if the protests continued.
All of the students who participated in the walkout, with the exception of Barlekamp, are African-American, as are the majority of students at Collinwood High and in the Cleveland Public School District.
Destiny goes back to court on July 1, at 8:30 a.m. and the family is planning a rally on the steps of the Justice Center at 8 a.m. Attorney Terry Gilbert is representing both girls in their cases.
Additionally, a Bronaugh Girls Benevolent Fund has been established. You can go into any KeyBank location to make your deposit to assist with the legal fees.
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