Two students arrested in BCC cotton ball incident
The two were released from the Boone County Jail after posting bond.
Published March 3, 2010
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Sean D. Fitzgerald
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Zachary E. Tucker
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Students walk over cotton balls strewn across the sidewalk Friday afternoon in front of the Black Culture Center. The vandalism, which occurred between 1:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday morning, is believed by some to be a racially motivated.
Two students were arrested on suspicion of hate crimes and second-degree tampering Tuesday for allegedly dropping cotton balls outside the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center last week.
Senior psychology major Zachary Tucker and freshman political science major Sean Fitzgerald were arrested and then released from the Boone County Jail after posting $4,500 in bond.
According to an MU Police Department news release, the two students were arrested at approximately 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after receiving an anonymous tip.
In an e-mail to students Wednesday morning, Chancellor Brady Deaton temporarily suspended both Tucker and Fitzgerald for their alleged involvement in the incident.
Deaton said he determined temporary suspension was in the best interest of the university community.
Tucker and Fitzgerald were members of Navy ROTC and had been in the midshipmen program throughout their time at MU, according to a Navy ROTC news release.
Although the Department of Residential Life refused to comment, sophomores Mary Peterson and Leonard Barrett, former residents of Gillett residence hall, said Tucker served as a peer adviser there during the 2008-09 academic year.
The MU directory lists Fitzgerald as a resident of Laws residence hall.
BCC Director Nathan Stephens said he believed MUPD officers did what they felt was necessary.
“I think that for the purposes of campus safety, there is some closure,” Stephens said. “I know some students were bothered by it. There was some relief in that regard.”
Lisa White, Legion of Black Collegians vice president, said she was glad MUPD handled the crime as a serious incident.
“My initial reaction to the arrest was one of surprise,” White said. “Although the incident has received tremendous attention, it can still be seen in many eyes as minor. Instead the MUPD decided to take action and seek out the felons.”
Stay with The Maneater for continued reporting on this story, and read previous reporting here and here.
Comments (6)
8:50 p.m., March 7, 2010
Alfred Welsh said:
I'd call it more of a prank than a "crime". What's sad and disgusting is that most blacks have no sense of humor. And what ever happened to equal justice under the law? What if this had been a couple of blacks just wanting to create an excuse for mandatory "diversity" courses? Do you think there'd be talk about prosecution? I seriously doubt it. It seems like what we need right now is a White Civil Rights movement and a White History month! Of the 4743 lynchings blacks like to point to during the "black holocaust" from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's, over a thousand were whites, and in California only 2 lynchings out of 43 were blacks. And in a mere three year period in the early 1990's there were 15,000 black on white rapes compared to 900 white on black. Adjusted for percentage of the population that's over a thousand times as many blacks raping whites than the other way around! So the score has been more than evened at this point. The lynchings of course were for the precise purpose of avoiding the kind of rape holocaust that has now been unleashed against white women. I welcome any civil responses by those interested in calling into question the facts that I have cited in an attempt to let them speak for themselves.
4:11 p.m., March 8, 2010
ratso said:
This is insane. Criminal charges for throwing cotton balls on the ground.
6:18 p.m., March 8, 2010
ShyGirl said:
First off, I believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty. These guys haven’t had a trail yet or anything, and thus far I’m okay with the disciplinary actions taken thus far. Whether you want to call it a crime or prank or whatever that is not really the issue. Things may begin as a harmless prank and can manifest into something more harmful. I’m an African American female student and when I heard about the incident I was more annoyed than angry. I though that the incident was immature. We live in 2010 and go to school where we embrace diversity and are continuing to learn from one another. I also know that racism is alive and breathing, but we have come a long way over the decades. To Mr. Welsh, I think that your comments are over the top. I don’t appreciate “most blacks have no sense of humor” comment. Just to let you know, I had many friends that are from all different backgrounds that were upset about the incident. And all the statistics you mentioned don’t really prove anything. Instead of bashing or targeting African Americans and turning the situation, lets focus on the immature people that pulled this “prank” and on ways that we can bring unity to the students on campus.
9:06 a.m., March 9, 2010
Nightshade said:
So much for freedom of expression and speech. Guess its a one way road if you don't like the speech and its coming from a white person. Was this a stupid prank HELL YES. Is this a crime maybe under littering so unless we are so god damn scared of being non PC that we have to make Hate Littering Crimes this is just stupid and a complete over reaction. Talk about a waste of court time and police resources. Welcome to 2010 where being a douchebag isn't allowed under the Bill of Rights anymore.
4:58 p.m., Feb. 16, 2011
havbrush said:
The poster, Alfred Walsh that posted this: "Of the 4743 lynchings blacks like to point to during the "black holocaust" from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's, over a thousand were whites, and in California only 2 lynchings out of 43 were blacks. And in a mere three year period in the early 1990's there were 15,000 black on white rapes compared to 900 white on black. Adjusted for percentage of the population that's over a thousand times as many blacks raping whites than the other way around! So the score has been more than evened at this point. The lynchings of course were for the precise purpose of avoiding the kind of rape holocaust that has now been unleashed against white women," is really showing his own racism. I don't believe those figures for one minute. And as for the black holocaust you mentioned,that term refers to the millions of Africans who died and were thrown overboard during the 300 years of the slave trade, not some minimized lynching figures someone conjured up.
8:51 p.m., March 4, 2010
Anonymous said:
I was a former resident of Gillett and can confirm that not only was Tucker a PA in Gillett last year, he was fired for coming back drunk one evening. He also had a myriad of other issues during his time in Gillett including a student filing a complaint about him to res. life which ended up getting him banned from the fourth floor except when he was on call.