Ferguson: Female Pastor Dragged by Police, Arrested During Peaceful Protest for Michael Brown as Grand Jury Deliberates
A female pastor was reportedly left shaken and in pain after being manhandled and arrested by police on Wednesday, during what she says was a peaceful protest in Ferguson, Missouri.
Rev. Rebecca Ragland of Ferguson's Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion was reportedly arrested for blocking a street outside police headquarters and she recently spoke out about her ordeal.
The 46-year-old mother of two gathered with around 15 other protesters to showcase support for the late Michael Brown and despite it being a peaceful demonstration, she and four others were arrested. Ragland claims protesters were actually in the process of dispersing when police suddenly moved in.
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"I was completely stunned … I was grabbed so hard that I fell to the ground. Then I was just being yanked and it was pretty rough. I'm hurting today," pastor Ragland told Daily Mail shortly after her arrest. "I think everybody was completely shocked. We were dispersing at that point. Then they came down so I turned around and I thought, 'Well I'm a de-escalator so I need to stay at the front.'"
Despite her efforts to maintain peace between protesters and the St. Louis county police, Ragland was taken into custody and booked, which she said was an "uneasy" process.
The minister is among hundreds who have taken to the streets of Ferguson since Aug. 9, demanding justice for Brown.
The 18-year-old was fatally shot by officer Darren Wilson after he robbed a Qick Trip convenience store and what exactly transpired during the incident remains a point of contention.
A grand jury is deciding whether or not to indict Wilson, who claims he shot Brown in self defense.
Earlier this week, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency in Ferguson and again activated the National Guard in preparation for a grand jury's verdict.
Ragland will continue protesting despite her humiliating arrest, because she believes "it's what Jesus would do."
"My role is to advocate for justice and to advocate for peace and for change in a system that has for too long needed to change," she said. "There is plenty of evidence to suggest that people of color are treated in a discriminatory fashion by our justice system. I think that that is sufficient reason for those of us of conscience to stand with the protesters. It's what Jesus would do."
