Heather Ellis and the Bizarre Walmart Incident

By Charles S. Mombo

Heather Ellis and Family Photos Credit: Corey Noles

CNN News reported last night that Heather Ellis, a 24 year-old African American Xavier University graduate could face fifteen years behind bars for assaulting police officers and resisting arrest after she cut the line at Wal-Mart store in Kennett, Missouri. On Nov. 18, her case went to trial in Dunklin County, Mo., on two felony and two misdemeanor charges.

For some reason, I just can’t seem to wrap my brains around this bizarre incident which happened more than two years ago.

We at Chocolate City can not intelligently speak on this story since we have not yet made contact with reliable sources in Kennett. However, in my opinion, the Justice Department needs to get involve ASAP so as to avoid another “arrest related incident” thus putting a strain on an already ramshackle race relation between Blacks and Whites in America.

Although there are lots of things we do not know about Ellis’ story and the Wal-Mart incident, we however; know that Kennett is a stronghold for the KKK. We recently received a photograph from a Kennett resident in which a protest was held on a small street with KKK members demonstrating against Ms. Ellis and the St. Louis defense attorney Scott "Free" Rosenblum who is endeavoring to clear Ellis' name.

According to the Associate Press (AP):

Witnesses have told authorities Ellis cut in front of waiting customers at the Wal-Mart in Kennett on Jan. 6, 2007, shoved merchandise already placed on a conveyor belt out of the way, and became belligerent when confronted, according to court filings.

Ellis maintains she was merely joining her cousin, whose checkout line was moving more quickly. She claimed in a written complaint to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People that she was then pushed by a white customer, hassled by store employees, called racial slurs and physically mistreated by Kennett police officers.

Police say in court documents that Ellis refused requests to calm down and leave the property, allegedly kicking one's shin and splitting another's lip.

The AP report also added:

Police officers found threatening letters the size of business cards scattered along the route that said the Ku Klux Klan had paid a visit and 'the next visit will not be social,'" reports the AP. "Dunklin County Prosecutor Stephen Sokoloff said the cards were removed and the source investigated but never discovered. He said he doubts the cards actually were from the KKK; he knows of no KKK presence in the area.

Where in the World is Kennett, Missouri?

According to the Kennett Missouri Chamber of Commerce’s website – Kennett is a friendly rural community that embraces traditional family values, provides excellent education opportunities and offers the perfect setting for family living.

As of 2009, Kennett's population is 10,749 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of -2.75 percent.

The estimated Black/African American population in Kennett, Missouri is 1,494, which is 13.3 percent of the total population in town. The estimated White population in the Kennett community is 9,508, which is 84.4 percent of the total population. The Hispanic population in the Kennett community was 202, or 1.8 percent of the total population.

At the time of the last survey, 4,819 people in the community had a high school degree, or 65.9 of the population which is below the national average of 80.40%.

870 people in Kennett had a Bachelor’s degree or higher, which represented 11.9 of the total population which is also below the national average of 24.40%. The unemployment rate in Kennett is 12.20 percent. Violent crimes in Kennett which include offenses such as murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault are 2 times above national average. Property crimes in Kennett which include offenses such as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson are 2.5 times the national average.