A court hearing is set for Nov. 6 for University of North Carolina at Greensboro student Alisia Rea, who was seen in a viral video earlier this month being physically restrained by several UNCG police officers, while questioning officers’ treatment of her boyfriend, Greensboro resident Quinten Thomas.
Rea is charged with resisting a public officer and assault on a government official. Thomas is charged for stopping on a highway, resisting a public officer and driving with a revoked license. Both Rea and Thomas are Black. They are receiving legal counsel from attorneys at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Thomas’ court date is also set for Nov. 6.
UNC-Greensboro responded to outrage over the video that showed university police officers’ cursing at Thomas and restraining Rea during a traffic stop. The university posted a statement, signed by UNCG police chief Chris Jasso, to its website stating it is looking into the incident. But Jasso ultimately defended the officers’ actions.
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“During the interaction, a UNCG student approached the car and, despite repeated warnings to step back, put her hand on an officer’s shoulder to separate him from the driver,” Jasso wrote.
“After being told numerous times to back up, the student finally gave the officers room to eventually take the driver into custody. As is routinely done on campus, officers asked her to identify herself so they could refer her through the University conduct process.”
“The student refused to provide that information until she received the officers’ badge numbers, which our department does not use. We do, however, have our names clearly visible on our uniforms. After multiple warnings, she tried to leave the scene and resisted officers’ efforts to detain her. Controlled force was used to safely restrain her.”
The start of the video posted to social media shows a male officer, who can be identified by his nametag as UNCG Police Officer Cristian Ortiz but is not named in the incident report of the arrests, attempting to grab Thomas out of the driver’s seat of his vehicle, Carolina Public Press previously reported. Thomas told Ortiz to let go of him so he could step out of the car.
Ortiz let go of Thomas, and Thomas repeatedly asked the officers to back up from the driver’s side so he could step out. Ortiz shouted at Ortiz, telling him to, “Get out of the f—ing car right now, man!”
“Can you back up?” Thomas said in the video. “I do not feel safe getting out of the car with you guys hovering over me right now.”
After the UNCG officers eventually arrested Thomas, Rea began asking questions about his arrest and whether the officers read Thomas his rights. In a FAQ section of the university’s most recent statement on the matter, the university said, “Miranda rights apply only before officers begin a custodial interrogation. Without both ‘custody’ and ‘interrogation’ Miranda warnings are not applicable. … The individuals who were arrested were provided with Miranda warnings at the police department before they were questioned.”
Ortiz then told Rea he needed her name because she was interfering with the officers’ investigation. Rea did not give her name and asked for Ortiz’ badge number. She moved off the street onto the sidewalk, where Ortiz followed her to continue asking for her name.
After Rea asked for Ortiz’s badge number multiple times, he responded that officers do not have them. The UNCG spokesperson confirmed to CPP that UNCG Police do not have badge numbers. After Rea not providing her name, Ortiz said, “You’re going to jail, too.” As Rea began walking away, officers followed her and told her to stop. All three officers can be seen attempting to restrain her.
Rea fell to the ground after struggling to break their grasp and is seen on her stomach on the sidewalk as officers proceeded with the arrest. Additional footage filmed by a bystander shows all three officers on top of Rea. She asked the officers several times to remove their hands from her neck.
Jasso defended the department’s reputation on campus and cautioned the community against social media posts regarding the altercation. A review of the situation is underway, he said.
“Our police department has spent years building trust across our campus through consistent service, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to student safety,” Jasso wrote.
“We know maintaining that trust requires openness and a continued willingness to listen and learn from our community. We ask everyone to be mindful that much of what appears on social media is incomplete, speculative, or simply false. A full review of the incident is underway to ensure our procedures align with our commitment to fairness, safety, and mutual respect.”
State Sen. Michael Garrett, D-Guilford, responded to the videos from UNCG in an Instagram Threads post calling for an investigation into the situation that he said “spiraled into a scene that no parent, no constituent, and no North Carolinian should have to witness.”
“As Guilford County’s Senator, I am calling for an immediate, thorough, and transparent investigation by the UNC system leadership into the actions of these officers,” Garrett wrote.
“But I write to you today not just as an elected official, but as a parent who understands the weight that sits on the chest of every Black mother and father in our community, the suffocating fear that a routine encounter with law enforcement could become a funeral instead of a homecoming.”
Garrett wrote he is monitoring the situation and informing the Attorney General’s office of the altercation to determine if the situation calls for state-level review. Garrett did not respond to requests for further comment from CPP.
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