COMPLAINTS ALLEGE POLICE MISBEHAVIOR

A complaint has been filed with the Cape Girardeau Police Department regarding police behavior during the arrest of two brothers in an incident that turned into a melee Friday morning.

Rose Campbell, a sister of the men, filed the complaint, which was forwarded to Police Chief Rick Hetzel. She also has filed federal complaints with the Department of Justice and FBI alleging unnecessary verbal and physical abuse by officers during the incident that occurred in the 300 block of Good Hope.

The brothers, Greg Campbell, 35, and Kenny Campbell, 34, both were charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest after the incident. The Campbells and six police officers were injured.

Eight other Cape Girardeau residents also were arrested and charged with rioting for allegedly throwing rocks, cinder blocks and other debris at officers who were attempting to take the brothers into custody.

Members of the Campbell family said more local, state and federal complaints are to come. "We'll be using every means to get this looked at," said Teresa Campbell, Kenneth Campbell's wife.

Family members said they hope their complaints and an independent, external investigation of the matter will prove that missteps by the police sparked the behavior of the brothers and others arrested in the incident.

"As far as Kenny going down there where Greg was, he's supposed to go down and see about his brother if he thinks something's wrong," said Herschel Campbell, their father. "And I know (others involved) weren't going to stand there and let them beat my boys."

The brothers are homeowners and taxpayers, not thugs looking to fight the police, said family members. Greg Campbell, employed as an assistant supervisor with facilities management at Southeast Missouri State University, is married and has worked 11 years at the university. Kenneth Campbell, an employee of HWI for many years, is married and the father of three children.

"The way they are slandering their character -- they are not those types of people," said Delia "Niesy" Campbell, a sister. "They are not a menace to society. They work in this community, they're homeowners, they're husbands and parents. They're not malicious people who would just jump out and attack the police."

Delia Campbell said the incident is unsettling not only because family members are involved but because she wants to work in law enforcement after graduating from college next May. She is a junior criminal-justice major at Southeast Missouri State University.

"It infuriates me," she said. Police "didn't follow procedure. I wouldn't know how to handle working with someone like that."

Family members said they will continue to work through proper channels to get complaints filed and others involved in their mission to free their brothers. They also said they want black residents of the city to unite.

Said Delia Campbell, "In the future we are trying to set up a coalition that's on one accord to fight this thing for the freedom of my brothers and everybody that was arrested.

"We need to fight this thing," she said. "I'm a resident of the south side, I'm a homeowner, I have two sons. I don't want to worry about if this is going to happen just because I reside here."

Teresa Campbell agreed. She said black residents should stand up for each other. They also need to work together to elect officials they believe will respect all residents of Cape Girardeau, she said.