Video Shows Cops Pointing Guns At Students On NJ College Campus

GLASSBORO, NJ — A video that has gone viral captures local police officers pointing guns at two Rowan University students.

The university is now working with students who may have been traumatized by the situation, which turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.

Altaif Hassan told nj.com he was “never so sure he was going to die.” He said he was giving a friend a ride when he noticed a police car with its lights on behind him. He said a cop had his gun aimed at him.

A Rowan University spokesperson said the stop was a case of mistaken identity, but Glassboro Police Chief Franklin Brown offered a different account of the incident late Wednesday afternoon.

According to the police report provided by Brown, Hassan and Roberson were in a car that was outside a retail store in the Collegetown Shopping Center on North Delsea Drive when a man pointed a gun at the car. The man, described as a heavyset black man with puffy hair, then got into the driver's seat, an eyewitness told police that were already on the scene investigating an unrelated shoplifting incident.

The eyewitness described the car as a black Dodge Charger and pointed it out to police officers as it left the shopping center, according to police. Officers maintained direct visual contact with the vehicle until it was eventually stopped in the area of North Campus Drive on the property of Rowan University where further investigation was conducted, police said.

"During this incident, the on-scene officers utilized their training and followed established protocol to ensure the safety of everyone involved in this incident," according to the police report. "At the conclusion of the investigation, no handgun was located within the vehicle and the young male and female occupants were provided with the details of why this action was taken. The occupants, who are Rowan University Students, were compliant with the officers’ directions and the situation was resolved without further incident.

"Officers have an obligation to investigate when this type of information is provided regarding a serious threat of an alleged armed subject in our community for the safety of all involved including the people that are subject of the investigation."

The police department posted footage that was taken at the shopping center using body-worn cameras on its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon. That post is embedded below.

Rowan University spokesperson Joe Cardona previously told Patch the car the 21-year-old student from Trenton and 18-year-old Giavanna Roberson were in matched the description of a car that had just been involved in an armed robbery. Brown said there was no armed robbery in progress at the time.

“The way they responded is the way they would respond to a vehicle they suspected might have armed individuals inside,” Cardona said.

Cardona said the Rowan University Police Department heard the call come over the scanner and responded for backup. Students who were in the area near the university’s recreation center captured part of the incident on video, which has gone viral and can be seen below.

In the video, Hassan is seen getting out of the car and walking backwards at the officer’s command. The video pans back to the officer, who is pulling out his gun. Hassan backs up to the car and kneels down. Then, the other officer approaches him and handcuffs him. He then pulls him back to the car, where the video shows that there are two officers pointing guns at the car with Roberson still inside.

Roberson then gets out of the car and also begins walking backwards. The sequence is repeated, with Roberson kneeling down and the officer handcuffing her. He appears to begin bringing her back to the vicinity where Hassan was when the video ends.

“Am I not supposed to feel safe on my own campus?” Hassan said, according to NBC. “There's students all around and guns are being pointed at a car in the middle of the crowd!”

The university is concerned that all students on campus will feel the same way.

“Obviously the students involved were traumatized, but so were the students who saw it,” Cardona said. “ … The incident mirrors the conversation that has been going on nationally.”

He said the university wants to help the students work through what they’re feeling. It has been reaching out to groups of people to see how they are handling the situation. The same day the incident happened, the university sent out an alert to students explaining the situation. The students had reached out to Rowan’s Student Government Association in the wake of the encounter, according to a Twitter post from the SGA that can be found below.

“As per our mission, the Rowan University Student Government Association is responsible for acting as a student voice for the campus community, serving as an outlet for student concerns and investigating solutions to various issues that affect the campus as a whole,” the SGA said. “We would like to assure the entire student body that the SGA Executive Board is taking the appropriate steps to fulfill these obligations in the wake of this incident.”

It also offered counseling to anyone who was shaken by the situation. Below is an official statement from the university on the incident and an upcoming forum that will be held at the student center Friday morning, Oct. 5, 11 a.m.:

“As many of you no doubt have heard from friends or seen on social media or television, Glassboro police on Monday pulled over two Rowan University students on our Glassboro campus. The police determined on location that the students were not involved in the incident that resulted in the vehicle stop.

“While Glassboro is still investigating the circumstances that led to officers stopping our students, the manner in which they made the stop has troubled some of the University community. We recognize that this event has shaken many members of our Rowan family, including those who witnessed the stop. Since Monday, University officials have been working with the students involved in the incident, including offering services to those impacted by the stop.

“The incident also has sparked a broader conversation about race relations, specifically in the area of law enforcement. Our administration, including our Public Safety leadership, welcomes this dialogue as we continue to work to ensure all of our students, employees and guests not only are safe but also receive equitable treatment. Rowan’s leadership has been working with the Student Government Association to address not only what happened on our campus but also facilitate a dialogue about the ongoing national conversation concerning race and law enforcement.

“Please join us on Friday, Oct. 5, at 11 a.m. in the Student Center ballroom to discuss this critical topic during an open forum co-sponsored by the Student Government Association and the Office of Social Justice and Inclusion.

“If you have questions or would like to share your concerns, please email officeofthepresident@rowan.edu or call 856-256-4100.”

Image via YouTube video