Sheridan update/draft ms/upcoming mtg.

Justice for Sheridan Collective, 30.06.2004 20:14

A new group is coalescing to deal with issues of police brutality. These are the minutes from our first meeting, our next meeting time and our drafted mission statement.

Our next meeting time is: Thursday, July 1st, Borders Cafe, 3 p.m.
Open to the public, please attend! We are hoping to be the voice of the community, so the more who attend, the better!

After Thursday's meeting we will meet on Wednesday, July 7th to prepare for a rally outside the Mequon PD on July 10th.

Minutes:

*Introductions
*Discussion of the June 19th incident, what we know, what we don't know, what we WANT to know.
*Discussion of our goals: what we want accomplished in the short and long term (see mission statement draft).
*Discussion of the media's coverage of Sheridan's death (essentially, its been quite poor: no in depth look at that night's events, no demands for information, lots of coverage about Sheridan's past convictions) and the need for alternative media coverage.
*Discussion of a rally planned for Saturday the 10th, if we have no received information about Sheridan's death by that time.
*Discussion of the need for full community participation in our decisions and actions.
*Discussion surrounding the need to link Sheridan's death wth the larger issues of police brutality--especially in poor areas, where it is much more commonplace and tolerated.

If anyone has questions, comments, snide remarks etc, send them to the collectives contact (Nichali) at  nciaccio@uwm.edu

Also, feel free to comment on our draft mission statement. Thank you!

Mission Statement 06.30.04


On June 19th, Matthew Sheridan died in police custody. As concerned citizens and human beings, we are outraged at this gross negligence, as well as the police department’s failure to be forthcoming to the public regarding the circumstances surrounding his death.

We demand that the full details of Matthew Sheridan’s death be released, including the details of that night’s events, the full names of the police officers whose custody he was in, and his autopsy report. Also, we demand that those responsible for his death be held accountable, and that they be brought to justice in the same manner and by the same standards that any other citizen would be. The police are not above the law; they, too, must be held responsible for their actions. If anything, police officers should be judged by higher standards than other citizens, because they are public officials, paid and armed by tax dollars, whose very duty is to protect the public from violence and injustice. This instance is no exception.

We feel that it is essential to recognize that, despite how the media indirectly justifies the police’s aggressive actions, Sheridan’s personality and lifestyle are completely irrelevant. There is no excuse for what was done to him.

Also, we recognize this not as an isolated incident, but as a exemplary of a situation which has not uncommon in the past. Negligence by public authorities happens regularly in Milwaukee’s inner cities - that it has taken this issue to open our eyes to it in no way suggests that it is of greater importance than any other incident regarding the abuse of authority. We have come together to fight for justice - not only for Matthew Sheridan, but for all who have been subjected to police brutality, and we aim to increase awareness of this public danger, so that it may ultimately, one day, be erased entirely.

To this effect, we would like to declare Saturday, July 10th to be a day of protest for those affected by police brutality. Unless we feel that the Mequon police have fulfilled their responsibility to the public and our questions have been satisfactorily answered, we will demonstrate outside the Mequon police department.

e-mail:: nciaccio@uwm.edu

Finally someone wants to help 01.07.2004 - 08:42 I spoke with Matt's dad last night. He is thankful for the concern of this group. Nothing positive about Matthew was ever mentioned in the news media coverage. The only positive comments were read through his fathers tears at the end of the funeral mass. Matt was for all intents and purposes a normal 20 year old who was unfortunate enough to be singled out by the Mequon police as their target. Interestingly, at the funeral a woman who did not know the family introduced herself to John saying she was an attorney but also a Mequon mom and she continued by relaying similar accounts relating to her son to the point where she instructed him to not open the car door or window if he were ever pulled over by the Mequon police until she got there. When a friend of mine heard about this she recounted her nephews death at age 25 after being essentially "run down" by police in Grafton. After the police pursued him and he crashed into a tree a police officer was quoted as saying "He got away from me before I GOT HIM THIS TIME". Driving through Mequon on the day of the wake and funeral put a sense of unease into my innermost being. I feel terrible that this is how every day of Matthew's life must have been. When I think about looking at this talented, fun, and loving individuals body in the casket I couldn't help but see how helpless and alone he was at the mercy of the police who saw it fit to GO GET HIM. This makes me feel absolutely sick. Laurie> sheridan 02.07.2004 - 00:23 Where is the toxicology report? release it now!! Matt was clean there was no drugs in his system If the report is released on July 3rd it is the beginning of an attempt of a cover up. Justice for Matt!!! Jim> Stay tuned 02.07.2004 - 09:03 If you are outraged about this event, here is your chance to participate: the newly formed justice for Sheridan collective is organizing a rally for next week saturday, july 10th. We need all the help we can get though, so if you are interested in publicizing, art and design, etc, email nichali at  nciaccio@uwm.edu collective> Laurie... 23.07.2004 - 12:36 Laurie, my name is Evan Solochek and I am working on a story for the Shepherd-Express that deals with Matthew Sheridan's murder and the collective specifically but more generally with suburban police harassment and abuse. You posted a couple people who have had similar such run-ins with Mequon/Ozaukee police officers and I would really like to talk to you about any insight you can give me on the subject and, if possible, put me in contact with some of the people you mentioned in your post. Thank you very much. ~evan evan> e-mail:: esolochek@hotmail.com