AGENCY LEAVES OPINIONS TO JUSTICE

The FBI's 165-page investigative report of a police conflict with a crowd of about 150 people blends together sometimes conflicting views of more than 50 people on what happened in the 400 block of Good Hope Street last June.

But the combination of interviews, medical reports, police reports and witness lists gives no final opinion from the FBI on possible violations. This is left up to the U.S. Department of Justice, said FBI Agent Mike McComas.

The FBI was asked by Police Chief Rick Hetzel to conduct its investigation to see whether civil rights violations by police had occurred.

Many facts in the report have already come to light in preliminary hearings and trials involving other men charged in the near riot of June 11. But some interviews offer new information.

In his interview with the FBI, Greg Campbell stated that he was walking out of the Taste Bar and Restaurant that night when he was almost hit by a police car.

Campbell said he was walking across Good Hope Street at the time, and had only consumed one and a half beers.

He said the police "ticked me off," so he got into his truck and followed the patrol car.

Campbell further described being sprayed in the face with Mace when he refused to get out of his truck after flagging down the police officer to complain.

After he was out of the truck and had complied by placing his hands on the side, the same officer, Rollin Roberts, began poking him with his baton, Campbell said. When he attempted to turn around, Campbell was sprayed with Mace again, and then struck him in the head with the baton, says the report.

His brother, Kenneth, then ran over. Greg Campbell said he kicked Roberts in the chest, and when Roberts fell, he kicked him two or three times.

Then a friend offered to drive Greg Campbell to the hospital, where his head was bandaged and "cleaned up." He later received 13 stitches.

Greg Campbell went to the police station when a friend, Tracy Selvy, came to the hospital to tell him the police had beaten his brother.

At the police station he was not allowed to see his brother, but Kenneth Campbell's wife told him that her husband was "OK."

When Greg Campbell returned to the hospital, police found him and arrested him, he said.

Back at the police station, he said several officers used derogatory names in referring to him and others at the Taste.

Kenneth Campbell told the FBI he had run to where his brother had stopped his truck after someone said police were "jumping" on him.

He said he saw an officer swinging a baton, and he asked what was going on and if he could take his brother away. The officer didn't respond, and continued to swing, he said. Kenneth Campbell said he was also hit by the baton.

When the officer was knocked to the ground, Kenneth Campbell said he "swung at the officer with his hands."

Police reports described Kenneth Campbell stomping on Roberts.

Kenneth Campbell said he then ran down an alley and stopped, telling four or five police officers "you all got me." He said the officers tackled him, knocked him down, sprayed Mace in his face and cursed him.

At the police station, he said an officer spent about 20 minutes helping him wash the Mace out of his eyes.

FBI agents also spoke with 35 others who either lived near the Taste or were present at the time of the incident.

Michael Pryor, who owns the Taste, said the Campbells had been in his bar that night, but he had not seen any of the incidents that took place on the street. He did say that the Campbell brothers were not known to him as "party-goers."

Lawanda S. Williams, 28, described seeing police hitting Kenneth Campbell "in the face and chest with their fists" as he was in the alley. She had been at the Taste for "ladies night," she said.

Another woman, Marquetta R. Rush, 19, told the FBI that she heard one officer call Greg Campbell "nigger" and made him sit down in the street. Cheryl D. Porter, 27, also said police had called Greg Campbell by that word.

An FBI agent made attempts to speak with people at nine houses in the area, but no one answered the doors.

Most of the interviews were shown to have taken place between June 21 and July 7.

The report shows 18 law enforcement officers were interviewed or submitted reports.

It said in the investigation that Robert Rippee of Cape Girardeau police received 47 stitches to his ear and head to close a wound caused by a member of the crowd tossing part of a cinderblock.

Raymond M. Day, an officer with the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety, had responded to a call for assistance along with members of the state Highway Patrol, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department, and Jackson Police Department.

Day recalled members of the crowd yelling that they were "videotaping this police brutality." Day said he told one person that the video should be taken to the police chief if a problem exists.

Various profanities were directed at police along with statements like "You guys are going to pay," and "This isn't over yet."