Notre Dame Students Arrested at Denny’s Claim Race a Factor

Two black Notre Dame students arrested by off-duty police officers working security at a local Denny’s said Wednesday the incident was racially motivated and they were manhandled by the cops.

Tiffany Johnson said an officer used pepper spray on her while she was handcuffed in the back of a closed squad car, and April Allen said a third woman arrested had her nose bloodied when an officer slammed the woman’s head into a trunk.

The freshmen were arrested along with two other friends early Feb. 27 by two Roseland police officers over a sign that had been knocked off the restaurant wall.

Denny’s officials, stung by a series of incidents with minority customers, said Wednesday they had fired the officers for acting without involving the restaurant’s management. Denny’s paid $45.7 million in 1994 to settle a discrimination suit by black customers.

“We weren’t doing anything,” Allen said. “What they did was not logical, so you have to think [race] was a factor.”

Allen, Johnson and seven friends were waiting for a table early Feb. 27 at the restaurant about a mile from campus when Johnson said she tried to reattach a sign that had fallen off the wall. Johnson said after she hit the sign twice to make its adhesive stick, the two officers began questioning the group.

The officers cited the four students for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, and three were released on $100 bond. But Johnson was cited for a felony and was held overnight at the county jail.

St. Joseph County Prosecutor Chris Toth said a videotape shows the students were not the aggressors in the incident. He elected not to press charges against the four students and will ask the court to expunge their arrest records.

The university said it planned to speak with local authorities and Denny’s management to ensure such incidents don’t happen again.