Imani Perry also makes changes to other social media accounts while gaining the support of the African American Studies department at Princeton
PRINCETON - The Princeton University professor who said she was mistreated by Princeton police shut down her Twitter account Wednesday and made changes to other social media citing hacking attempts and harassment.
Imani Perry, who accused Princeton Police of mistreatment during her arrest on Saturday stemming from unpaid parking tickets, said on her Facebook page that she had received more than a dozen requests to reset her password from her Twitter account, prompting fears that her account was being hacked.
Perry posted several messages to the account during the week that cited ongoing harassment from detractors. Perry also made changes to her Facebook page, changing her name from Imani to "Nia" Perry.
It was Perry's Twitter account where on Sunday she first publicly announced that she was mistreated by Princeton police when she was arrested and charged with an outstanding warrant stemming from unpaid parking tickets.
Princeton police have denied there was any mistreatment and have said Perry was treated the same way anyone in her situation would be.
The African American Studies department at Princeton also on Wednesday released a letter expressing their "unequivocal support" for Perry.
"We were outraged to hear of her treatment at the hands of the Princeton police: that a male officer subjected her to a pat-down in the presence of a female officer and that she was handcuffed to a table after her arrest for an unpaid parking ticket,'' the letter reads.
The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office is examining the arrest after Police Chief Nicholas Sutter requested the review to ensure objectivity.
Princeton U. professor claims mistreatment in parking ticket arrest
Perry on Monday released a lengthy statement on her Facebook page, expressing that there were racial undertones to her interaction with police.
"The police treated me inappropriately and disproportionately," Perry wrote. "The fact of my blackness is not incidental to this matter."
Sutter has said Perry was clocked driving 67 mph on Mercer Road in a 45 mph zone and she was stopped by police around 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Officers found an outstanding warrant for two parking tickets dating back to 2013 and that she was driving on a suspended Pennsylvania license. She was arrested, searched and handcuffed, the chief has said.
Perry was taken to the police station and handcuffed to a steel bar, "as every arrestee is,'' and she was released on $130 bail, Sutter has said.
"I realize the policies or procedures can upset people," Sutter said. "I get that and I'm completely symptethic to it. But from my persepective, this is how everyone is treated -- every single person who has this exact situation."
Princeton U. professor claims mistreatment during arrest | Your commentsThe incident has garnered national headlines and attracted the attention of Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber, who penned a letter to the Daily Princetonian, the college newspaper, on Tuesday.
In it, Eisgruber said college community members have been "shocked'' by the arrest of Perry, who he described as a "respected scholar and beloved teacher."
Eisgruber said he was equally concerned that a male officer searched Perry before her arrest and that she was handcuffed while at the police station.
Keith Brown may be reached at kbrown@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBrownTrenton. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.