Chikesia Clemons, the Black woman brutally arrested by Saraland officers at an Alabama Waffle House in April, has been found guilty of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, AL.com reported.
The ruling came during a late night trial in Mobile County on Monday, July 23, after Judge Mark Erwin determined “…the facts of the case met the legal definitions required to find a person guilty.” The outrage and high level of emotion that played in the months preceding the trial had little impact on the ruling, Erwin said.
Clemons was ordered to pay $400 in fines, in addition to her court costs, and sentenced to 10 days in jail, according to local station WRKG 5. The days are suspended for one year of informal probation, however.
Chikesia Clemons (WKRG 5 via screenshot)
Anger over the young woman’s arrest came after viral video of her being manhandled by three Saraland police officers, sparking calls for a boycott of the popular breakfast chain. Footage of the incident shows police wrestle Clemons to the ground as they try to arrest her, the scuffle causing her dress to slip and expose her breasts. At one point, an officer is heard threatening to break her arm.
The entire incident was reportedly sparked by a dispute with Waffle House employees over a surcharge for plastic utensils. Waffle House claimed Clemons was drunk and refused to leave after threatening employees.
A petition containing over 50,000 signatures was delivered to the Saraland district attorney last month, demanding the charges against Clemons be dropped. According to AL.com, the unrelated charges of harassment were dismissed after an alleged victim in her case did not show up to court.
After Monday’s ruling, Clemons tweeted that her heart was full of “rage and anger.”
Twitter screenshot.
Clemons and her attorney have since filed an appeal.
