Officer apologizes for having stuffed gorilla on car (Accused of racism)

Officer Darrell Shaw approached a bar on hip-hop music night with the gorilla on his grille, but he says it wasn't a racist act

Patrons in the mostly African American crowd at Ringlers Pub's Mello Monday show last week found the action offensive and racist. Some used their cell phones to take photos of the police cruiser with the animal attached.

"I think everyone was kind of shocked," said Clyde Fulkerson, Ringlers manager. "It's just another stupid incident. It's either a real ignorant, insensitive policeman or an insensitive, racist policeman."

When Foxworth learned of the incident through media reports Saturday, he asked the Independent Police Review Division and the Portland Police Bureau's internal affairs division to initiate an investigation. As of Monday, no one had filed a complaint with the police review division, but its director appealed to the public to contact the division with information.

"We've opened a case and will attempt to make contacts with witnesses," said Richard Rosenthal, review division director.

Central Precinct Officer Darrell Shaw, who will mark his 10th year as a bureau member in December, will remain on duty while an investigation continues.

Shaw apologized to Foxworth on Monday morning in a meeting at the chief's office. Shaw was accompanied by Robert King, president of the Portland Police Association, and a fellow unidentified officer who assisted in placing the stuffed toy on Shaw's car.

"The officers wanted the chief to know and understand the series of events that led up to them being at the call," King said. "They personally never construed it as being offensive but now understand why people could be concerned."

Timeline of events According to police, the incident began at 12:59 a.m. Tuesday, when police were called out to the Helen M. Swindells building at 16 N.W. Broadway on a report of an intoxicated man. The man was not there when police arrived.

A second call to police at 1:21 a.m. sent Shaw to Mary's Club, a strip club at 129 S.W. Broadway, on a disturbance involving a drunken man.

Shaw led an intoxicated Robert Fowlkes, 35, out of the club, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of his patrol car. Fowlkes, a familiar face to police, is known to carry a stuffed gorilla with him downtown. As usual, he had it that morning.

Shaw told the chief the gorilla was "soaking wet, and smelling like urine and vomit," according to Foxworth. The officer did not want to put the stuffed animal in his car, or even in the trunk, because he feared it would contaminate his personal belongings and leave an odor. Instead, with the help of another unidentified officer at the scene, he attached it to the front grille of the car, and drove with the stuffed animal there to a detoxification center, where he dropped off Fowlkes.

Emergency dispatch records show Shaw was dispatched to Ringlers on a report of a disturbance at 2:04 a.m. At 2:34 a.m., a second call came in about a fight outside the club, Foxworth said.

Club patrons and staff said they saw the police car with the gorilla attached drive up to the bar and park alongside it, on West Burnside Street, the manager said. By then, other police cars were already at the bar on an alleged purse-snatching, the bar manager said.

"The police officer in the patrol car with the stuffed monkey never came into the building," Fulkerson said. "He simply showed up and parked outside."

Several people, including DJ Mello Cee, who hosts the Mello Mondays nights at Ringlers Pub, were outraged by the display of the stuffed gorilla.

"Not the smartest thing" King, on behalf of Shaw and another officer who assisted him in placing the stuffed animal in the car's grille, said it was not intended to incite anyone.

"The officers both apologized to the chief and said they realized that it's not the smartest thing they have ever done. That it was silly and unfortunate, and they never intended it to be offensive to anybody," King said. "While they may have thought amongst themselves there was some humor to it, in hindsight, they realize the impact it could have and were sorry."

After leaving Ringlers early that morning, Shaw drove by Fowlkes' residence to drop off the gorilla. Fowlkes' neighbor, James Austin, said he was outside and took the stuffed animal inside and left it with the night manager. Austin said he didn't notice anything unusual about the stuffed animal, or whether it reeked of anything.

"I didn't notice that," Austin said. "I just took it. I wasn't paying attention."

Fowlkes said Monday he was pleased to have his "Monkey Boy," which he bought for a quarter at a thrift shop three months ago, back in his small one-bedroom room at the Swindells building. "I like him because he's like man's best friend," he said.

Shaw, during his previous patrol assignment at Northeast Precinct, had a sustained complaint for unsatisfactory performance. Details of that could not be obtained Monday.

Upon learning of the incident, Foxworth said he had "deep concerns," but after meeting with the officers involved, he said some of his questions were answered and he has a "deeper perspective" on what occurred. Yet, he said the incident still warrants a full investigation to collect all the facts before any conclusions are made.

I never considered using animals to point out racial differences, now I know, thanks to all those offended people.

I was similarly educated my first year of college...

Picture Book Cover Called Offensive, Will Be Replaced
By Hyun Soo Kim
News Editor

At the last minute, President Charles M. Vest asked the Technology Community Association to stop distribution of its Freshman Picture Book, because he felt its cover drawing of a monkey could be perceived as racist by African Americans. Publishing the books with new covers will delay the delivery of the books until Monday night.

Lori A. Weldon '95, who was in charge of producing the picture books, said that the delay will hurt sales.

The original cover shows a monkey wearing glasses, dressed in a cap and a lab coat with a pocket protector, and holding a calculator. The monkey has one arm raised and is asking a question: "What does 'intuitively obvious' mean?!"

"The concern about the picture was that the symbolism of a monkey type of creature has traditionally been used negatively in a racist manner in the United States to depict African Americans," said Susan D. Allen, assistant dean for residence and campus activities.

"The caption added to that [perception]. There are three videos produced at MIT that are titled 'Intuitively Obvious' done by Black, Hispanic, and Asian MIT students respectively on what it is like to be a Black, Hispanic, or an Asian at MIT," Allen said.

The videos were produced in the past two years and they have been shown on MIT cable and shown to various student and administrative groups, Allen said.

The TCA, a student-run and funded nonprofit organization, produces the Freshman Picture Books. Risa H. Wechsler '96, who helped to design the cover for TCA, said that there was no particular reason why the monkey was chosen.

"It was done by a freelance artist. The picture is from an old book of fairy tales, and was modified slightly so it would be more relevant to MIT. The åintuitively obvious' caption is a general comical expression used at MIT. It is a frustrating answer given to students who don't understand things," Wechsler said. "It was a relevant comment to MIT life."

Wechsler added that she had not known that MIT produced videos titled "Intuitively Obvious."

Lori A. Weldon '95, who was in charge of producing the picture book, said that she was surprised that anyone found the cover offensive.

Vest, who convened a meeting Tuesday to discuss the cover with TCA, did not say who brought up the complaint. "I had received no complaint because the pictures had not yet been circulated," he said.

Wechsler speculated that an administrator pointed out the possibility of misinterpretation of the cover. Vest takes responsibility

President Vest stopped the distribution of the picture books with the original cover because the cover "could be misinterpreted as racially derogatory."

"Experiences on many campuses, including ours, clearly indicate such events have caused substantial anguish within the student body and community, despite the fact that no ill will was intended," Vest said.

Weldon said that Vest offered TCA two options. "They said to either sell them without the covers or not sell [the Picture Books] at all," she said.

"I thought - they can't do this. This is censorship, this is wrong," Weldon said. But Weldon suggested a way around the administration's stance. "I suggested printing new covers and that the administration pay for it," she said.

Vest took up her suggestion. "I took responsibility for the decision to replace the cover before its distribution and offered to pay the costs of printing and binding the new cover," he said. Weldon said that delaying the selling of the picture books will mean that the TCA will take a loss.

"When freshmen do not see it during registration in the first two days of [Residence and Orientation Week], the books don't sell well. The only next opportunity to sell them is Activities Midway," she said.

The new covers of the picture book have a plain white background and a black oval centered on the page. Weldon said that she and Wechsler did not have enough time to design a more complex cover.

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