Heather Ellis, a preacher’s daughter is in court Thursday over a three year dispute that happened at a Walmart in Missouri. Heather Ellis, now 24 is an African American woman who has been charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace, and faces up to 15 years in prison.
Customers said that Ellis cut in line at a Walmart, and some people in the store began to make racial slurs at her, the cashier refused to give her change back, and police were called. 5 (white) police officers and 4 witnesses at Walmart have the same story; that Ellis was belligerent and disturbing the peace.
The only video of the incident was taken outside the Walmart store and it shows a mob of people following the police officers back out to their car. Video of the incident has not been released.
Ellis, who was with her cousin at the time have very different stories about what happened. Ellis claims that the cashier wouldn’t give her change back and asked for her identification even though she was paying with cash, and the situation escalated from there. Ellis said she was discriminated against by the police officers at the scene, and that they passed a Ku Klux Klan card onto her (seen in the video below), and she viewed that as a threat.
Heather Ellis has no prior record of arrest, she is a preacher’s daughter, she is a school teacher, and she is currently engaged to a police officer. Ellis is being supported by a local civil liberties group that said that 13% of the population is African American, and that this case does show racial bias in the town.
Racism in the United States is still rampant especially in communities that are mostly white with a lower population of African American residents. In Utah, almost 90% of the population is white, and African Americans make up less than 1% of the population. Many African Americans feel uncomfortable in the state partly because they are such a small minority, and some have said because people stare at them.
The Missouri court may make a decision by Tuesday in the case.
Sources: CNN, Info Please.com, and the Heather Ellis Case.com
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Comments
I just seen the video and this young lady has a anger problem. She had NO right to do what she did. Counseling and Community service is what she should get. Bad girl Bad!
Did you goto college, this article is full of lies. She is in court becuase she assulted police officers, her being court has nothing to do with Racism. The only racist is Heather Ellis, who cut in front of white people in line at Walmart, acted like a child screaming and distrubing the peace. After the police arrived, she assulted the police. You need to pull your head out of your ass, must be something in the water in Utah because you totally misrepresented the facts in the case. I hope you are an unpaid writer, you suck.
She is now married to the highway patrolman, but had no connection to him at the time of the crime. She was a student, at the time of the crime. Not a teacher. But the headline, Teacher married to cop faces 15 years for cutting line sounds good. She was standing in one line, had her cousin stand in another, even though he wasn't buying anything. Then she jumped in line when her cousin got to the register, ignoring 5 people who were waiting. That much is agreed upon by all parties, including ellis. Race was never an issue, until ellis played that card,and protesters marched on the town and made it an issue, which in turn brought out the racist white people. As to her sentence, the maximum would be 15 years, but with no criminal record, she isnt in danger of recieving it. When the defendant and media slant the truth, the allegations of racism hold no weight. Ellis assualted two cops, thats what she is on trial for, not being rude and inconsiderate, which she was.
To Curt and Midtown, your comments give away your whiteness and stupidity.
CNN is so pathetic. This is why people don't watch. They portray this woman as some kind of an angel. Give me a break. If she had just left the store when asked there wouldn't have been a problem. I get sick of people screaming racism because it takes away from legitimate cases of racism.
Why in the world are we STILL playing this race garbage? This has absolutely nothing to do with the color of anyones skin. It is about someone disturbing the peace and assaulting a police officer. Either she did it or she did not. Nothing else matters.
I agree with Curt and Midtown.
Ellis is a racist. She is also manipulative and a disgrace of a human being. Clearly, her "preacher" father failed to instill into her a basic sense of dignity.
One thing is for sure; she will never be a doctor because she has been charged with a felony. It doesn't matter if she is found not guilty. All US medical schools refuse admission if someone has even been charged with a felony.
Of course, I'm sure Ellis will probably play the racist card with that one, too. Guess it doesn't help that majority of the members on the admission board are white.
Perhaps AC and his little skank announcer should also point out that she is unlikely to get 15 years in prison as a first time offender. But, of course, that doesn't matter when you're trying to use the news to sway public opinion.
Charge this bitch!!.. I can imagine how this woman thinks she is special because she is a preacher's daughter and an "educated" woman...bullshit. She needs to learn some humility. This woman obviously let school and church get in the way of her "real-life" education.
The other folks at Wallmart were obviously not going to put up with her lack of respect and sense of entitlement.
Heather Ellis is a liar! And CNN seems to be having problems with the facts of this case.
"I ain't going nowhere until I get my f****** change back"
Well, so much for being educated.
Oh, and some of the wildest girls I know are preacher's daughters.
I have seen some crazy behavior in Walmart, where the main objective is the almighty dollar...not race issues. She must have been acting really bad to have the cops called.
It's funny how people say race issues are not a problem anymore, and that she is the racist. I hope she walks away clean.
There is video from inside the store showing her push other customer's items onto the floor. She says she was all sweet and good and did nothing wrong...if that was the case then why is there video of her destroying WalMart's property (WalMart's until it is purchased by a customer, which couldn't happen cause she threw it on the floor).
If I was a juror, I would not be able to believe her side of the story on this fact alone, cause she insists that she didn't do that but the video shows otherwise.
Also, the video in the parking lot shows that she kicked the officers after she was handcuffed while they were trying to put her in the patrol car.
She is guilty, convict her.
I hope the Judge doesn't let the "but I was young and stupid and this is my first offense" sway him. I highly doubt that her first criminal offense was in ASSAULTING police officers...
There is video from inside the store showing her push other customer's items onto the floor. She says she was all sweet and good and did nothing wrong...if that was the case then why is there video of her destroying WalMart's property (WalMart's until it is purchased by a customer, which couldn't happen cause she threw it on the floor).
If I was a juror, I would not be able to believe her side of the story on this fact alone, cause she insists that she didn't do that but the video shows otherwise.
Also, the video in the parking lot shows that she kicked the officers after she was handcuffed while they were trying to put her in the patrol car.
She is guilty, convict her.
I hope the Judge doesn't let the "but I was young and stupid and this is my first offense" sway him. I highly doubt that her first criminal offense was in ASSAULTING police officers...
Heather Ellis has a history of becoming violent . Police and court records are still public records in this country . Take a look at just ONE page of her record from ONE day !
08DU-CR00039-01 - STATE VS HEATHER RENAE ELLIS
Charge/Judgment
Description: Assault/Attempt Assault On L/E, C/O, E/P, Hwy Wkr, P&P (By Means Other Than Deadly Weapon/Dangerous Instrument/Physcl I { Felony C RSMo: 565.082 }
Date: 01/06/2007 Code: 1311300
OCN: L1002988 Arresting Agency: KENNETT PD
Next Charge/Judgment
Description: Assault/Attempt Assault On L/E, C/O, E/P, Hwy Wkr, P&P (By Means Other Than Deadly Weapon/Dangerous Instrument/Physcl I { Felony C RSMo: 565.082 }
Date: 01/06/2007 Code: 1311300
OCN: L1002988 Arresting Agency: KENNETT PD
Next Charge/Judgment
Description: Peace Disturbance, First Offense { Misdemeanor B RSMo: 574.010 }
Date: 01/06/2007 Code: 3401200
OCN: L1002988 Arresting Agency: KENNETT PD
Next Charge/Judgment
Description: Resistin
To all the comments: I think that if you weren't there you shouldn't speak. No one knows what was said or done back & forth to make this issue become so huge. If you've never lived in the area you wouldn't know how racist it is. Talk what you know. Everyone shows their true color when they're a third party with a fake name infront of a computer screen.
Marci, you are so wrong...but you are so darned gorgeous that it doesn't matter. I don't know if I'm lightheaded from looking at your pic up top, or just a little dumber from having read your piece. I mean that. Really. You're friggin' hot and should be doing something else other misinterpreting the news.
See? You're so beautiful that I left the "than" out of my last sentence, and I forgot to point out @Teresa_AA: I think the charges you have listed are the charges she is currently being tried for. 01/06/2007 should be your first clue. If you really missed that, I hope you're as pretty as Marci at least...but I doubt it.
I cannot believe these people at Walmarts are being so rude to customers based on race??? I could'nt tell you how many times my husband and me have gotten into two different lanes and joined the other one who ever got to the register first... This trial is going to alienate too many people from ever going to a Walmart again. The same thing happened to me when I went to buy contacts at the Walmart Vision Center. They told me on the phone that they took my insurance and the lady ran my insurance card through 4 times, then said the card did not work so, I had to pay full price, I asked her if she had a degree in opthamalogy, or optometry and she said she had no education at all, she was just someone off the street, wearing a white coat pretending to be a "doctor". She even put her fingers in my daughters eyes. I got upset and left the store and never have gotten the contacts I paid for... That store is a rip off!!!
The Walmarts are known for not elevating woman or minorities to higher positions and they were started in one of the most white-washed areas in Arkansas. Right now the employees are trying to get a Union started so people that work at their stores can get salaries above the poverty level and get insurance for their employees. I think they are trying to take the emphasis off their own shortcomings and put the media on this tragic case instead... They tried to accuse me of stealing those sunglasses that fell into the bottom of my buggy when the display fell over but they dropped all the accusations after they realized I had a degree in Housing and Interior Design and Mother of Children who played football for University of Arkansas and Engineering Student and never had one bad mark on my record... I think the Walmarts are into Insurance Fraud thats why they ran my card through 4 times and I have never gotten my contacts!!!
Why the race issue? Act out and commit a crime and you get punished. Scream, Curse, and Fight and you might get sent to jail. I say charge anyone acting like her...white, black or other. Also, how about dropping the African American and just being American. Labels of color create division where the common bond of being American joins us together. Support the correct actions of people and don't just take a side do to a matching of races.
All I can provide is my personal opinion. She reacted badly and when confronted became combatant and rude (allegedly). The best way for her to get out of the situation? Use the race card - after all, you can only be a racist if you are white.
This type of behavior is what continues to "fuel racism" in America.
It is funny that aferican Americans always pull the race card. Frankly Amercians at sick of it.
Have seen people cut in line at a foodline,store, airport "lone adults " but in line for children and handicapped ,parking a car in lot but in a Walmart narrow isle 2 woman were on other and direction and one was down kneeling looking at something I waited a bit then said nicely soft spoken excuse me please I dont want to bump you with my cart in going past and this black woman raised up and gave me a real smart comment like I was being rude because I was white .I don't judge all black this one but it was uncalled for ........................
Boy, I have to agree the crowd shopping at Watmart...over load of people all the time, and many rude people...boy I have to say..If you don't have the patient, don't shop there... If you shope at Watmart, please be patient....
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