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NCCU sophomore mistakenly jailed for 'doing the right thing'
WRAL ^ | February 26, 2014 | WRAL Staff

Posted on 02/28/2014 10:39:54 AM PST by Altariel

DURHAM, N.C. — A 20-year-old sophomore communications major at North Carolina Central University, Lewis James Little sat in the Durham County jail for a month last year after he did what he says he thought was the right thing.

He and several friends had been visiting the home of a childhood friend on Melbourne Street in east Durham on the night of June 21, 2013, when, he says, they discovered 25-year-old Michael Lee dead in the middle of the road.

"I called the police – when none of the other guys were even thinking about it – trying to do the right thing, and it pretty much started from there," Lewis said.

Twenty minutes after officers arrived, he was handcuffed and later jailed under a $1.425 million bond on burglary, kidnapping and several other criminal charges in connection with a break-in at a nearby home.

*****

Little had been wrongly accused, and even though the case was dismissed, the damage was already done. Since then, he says, he has had issues finding both housing and employment.

(Excerpt) Read more at wral.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; feos; leosoutofcontrol; nccu; northcarolina
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To: JimRed

I’m a little surprised at the comments here. The kid clearly did the right thing. AND, after having had that experience, the only negative comment he has is about the consequences — of the people who wrongly accused him and jailed him for a month he says “You can assume a lot just from looking at my face and dreads. I was in basketball shorts and flip flops,” Little said. “Something like that happening to them – I can kind of understand that maybe they would jump to conclusions.”

He hasn’t sued anybody or cried racism or done anything else at all negative or ugly.

I know a lot of people of all races, who are a lot older than this guy, who would have been way way angrier and less rational. I think the kid is a gentleman. In the end, that’ll be enough.

Plus now, if somebody googles him, at least they’ll come up with this story too. That’ll help.

There’s no reason for anybody to be saying anything about this young man that’s not a compliment.


21 posted on 02/28/2014 11:03:19 AM PST by JOHN ADAMS
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To: JimRed

That is how he looked at the time of his arrest. The photo in the article is how he looks now, when he is being presented to the press.


22 posted on 02/28/2014 11:05:19 AM PST by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation Continues)
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To: dennisw

Gasp! He looks terrifying! Jeez, just looks like a nice normal young man.


23 posted on 02/28/2014 11:08:19 AM PST by andyk (I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)
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To: BuffaloJack

1. NEVER involve police.
2. NEVER involve lawyers.
3. If you ignore rule 1 and involve police, ALWAYS involve lawyers.


24 posted on 02/28/2014 11:09:32 AM PST by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: andyk

Read down... he is an engineering student. He has dreadlocks but but this doesn’t mean much these days. I have met non-angry black guys with them and he looks like one


25 posted on 02/28/2014 11:12:13 AM PST by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything -- Buddhist monk)
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To: JOHN ADAMS
He hasn’t sued anybody or cried racism or done anything else at all negative or ugly.

He hasn't sued anybody or cried racism yet.

Maybe he never will, but he sure seems to be getting prepped as the new racism poster boy. His 3 week incarceration occurred last June. Why is he getting shopped around to all of the news outlets now?

26 posted on 02/28/2014 11:16:20 AM PST by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation Continues)
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To: Cyber Liberty
A more successful option would be for Little to get his record expunged, and while he is considering the option, Little says he doesn't think the burden should be on him to clear his name.

and getting a record expunged is expensive... especially for a young guy without a job...

27 posted on 02/28/2014 11:21:33 AM PST by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: 2banana
Housing = dorm room

expensive...

28 posted on 02/28/2014 11:22:29 AM PST by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: Oliviaforever

then you didn’t read the story.
“I called the police – when none of the other guys were even thinking about it – trying to do the right thing, and it pretty much started from there,” Lewis said.

Twenty minutes after officers arrived, he was handcuffed and later jailed under a $1.425 million bond on burglary, kidnapping and several other criminal charges in connection with a break-in at a nearby home.

“You can do good your whole life and like that, (you’re in jail under) a million-dollar bond,” he said. “It was kind of like a dream. I kept waking up, like, ‘I can’t believe I’m in here.’ I kind of felt defeated.”

Then, on July 15, a corrections officer told him he was free to go. The Durham prosecutor working the case dropped the charges and apologized to Little.

A witness in the home invasion had identified Little as one of three men who broke in, but statements to police called into question that identification, authorities say.


29 posted on 02/28/2014 11:22:31 AM PST by wiggen (The teacher card. When the racism card just won't work.)
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To: JOHN ADAMS
I’m a little surprised at the comments here.

sadly, i am a little surprised that you are a little surprised at the comments here... :(

30 posted on 02/28/2014 11:24:21 AM PST by latina4dubya (when i have money i buy books... if i have anything left, i buy 6-inch heels and a bottle of wine...)
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To: JimRed

See the background? Mug shot. He’s dazed. Probably something like shock. At least you bothered to look. Many don’g really care to know the truth when a picture can fill in their pre conceived notions.


31 posted on 02/28/2014 11:25:00 AM PST by wiggen (The teacher card. When the racism card just won't work.)
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It's February 28th

Do You Know Where Your Donation Is?


Click The Pic To Donate

Please Donate Now

32 posted on 02/28/2014 11:25:50 AM PST by DJ MacWoW (The Fed Gov is not one ring to rule them all)
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To: Altariel

Why is it that in the US potential employers can find out whether or not you have been arrested? In the UK, you only have to disclose your dealings with the law if you’ve either accepted a police caution (i.e. owned up to an offence) or been convicted by a magistrate or a jury. Merely being arrested isn’t good enough. How is it even constitutional to be punished for a crime for which you haven’t even been charged, never mind convicted?


33 posted on 02/28/2014 11:25:58 AM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
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To: JOHN ADAMS
"The District Attorney who presided over his case apologized for the inconvenience".

He hasn’t sued anybody or cried racism or done anything else at all negative or ugly

I'm not big on suing or crying racism - but in this case, he might have a justifiable claim for both.

34 posted on 02/28/2014 11:27:35 AM PST by ozarkgirl
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To: Dan(9698)

The silver lining is that all the cops were safe.


35 posted on 02/28/2014 11:27:42 AM PST by luvbach1 (We are finished)
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To: Steely Tom

It’s Mangum, not Magnum!


36 posted on 02/28/2014 11:34:25 AM PST by eastforker (Cruz for steam in 2016)
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To: Bubba_Leroy

Because he’s fighting the fire with fire, duh. Prospective employers googling his name will now find at least one corrective article from the venue it occurred in.

My guess is he’s taking steps to “fix the internet”. By contacting various new organizations that have published articles on him and asking them to add an update or correction on the story on their news sites.

It’s probably much cheaper than hiring a lawyer to get the record expunged which wouldn’t fix the internet problem anyway.

I wish him well.


37 posted on 02/28/2014 11:36:00 AM PST by Valpal1 (If the police can t solve a problem with violence, they ll find a way to fix it with brute force)
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To: latina4dubya

I don’t think your post was meant for me...


38 posted on 02/28/2014 11:38:11 AM PST by Cyber Liberty (H.L. Mencken: "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.")
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To: Dan(9698)

Were you to actually read the article, you would find that the kid has no redress against the police.

What he would actually like to do is have the police expunge his record. Not so easy, that will be on his dime too.

He also lost a semester of class sitting in jail for a month. How would you like it if he were your son?


39 posted on 02/28/2014 11:47:04 AM PST by zek157
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To: Oliviaforever

Really Olivia??


40 posted on 02/28/2014 11:47:30 AM PST by zek157
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