Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber said this week that he shared the concerns that have been raised about the arrest Saturday of a black university professor and the way she was treated by Princeton Police.
In a Feb. 9 letter to the editor to the student newspaper, Mr. Eisgruber said he and others in university administration contacted the professor, Imani Perry, and town officials in the aftermath of an incident that the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office is probing.
Ms. Perry was stopped by a white officer on Mercer Road Saturday morning for allegedly traveling 67 mph in a 45 zone. A check revealed she had a 2013 warrant for her arrest for two unpaid parking tickets. She was arrested and processed at police headquarters and released.
Afterward, Ms. Perry took to social media to share details of the arrest —including that she was handcuffed to a table and patted down by a male officer instead of a female officer who was available. Police have said the officer followed all the policies and procedures, although the incident has sparked concerns coming at a time of heightened focus on police tactics nationally.
“Many on our campus and around the country have expressed understandable concern about the arrest this past weekend of (Ms.) Perry, who is a respected scholar and beloved teacher at this University,” Mr. Eisgruber wrote in the Daily Princetonian. “They have been shocked that such an arrest could result from unpaid parking tickets. They have also been distressed about specific aspects of the arrest, including the fact that a pat-down was performed by a male officer and that Professor Perry was handcuffed to a desk after her arrest.”
“I share these concerns,” wrote Mr. Eisgruber, who called Mayor Liz Lempert on Sunday.
“The town officials responded rapidly and initiated an investigation that they have assured us will be thorough and fair. We welcome an investigation not only of the treatment of Professor Perry, but of the underlying policies, practices, and protocols that were applied,” he wrote in a letter posted Tuesday.
Police have said the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office would investigate the matter.
