PREGNANT BLACK SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SAYS SHE WAS ABUSED BY COPS

ERIC L WESSON, KANSAS CITY CALL - Family members of a pregnant woman are still outraged over the treatment she received which stemmed from a call from department store security guards to the Independence, Mo., police department which allege that she was stealing cars in their parking lot.

The family of Mrs. Yvette Hayes, a wife, a local principal, mother of two and expecting mother, feel that she was racially profiled by J.C. Penny's security and Independence police officers who may have exceeded their discretion when they aimed a weapon at her, forced her to lay on the ground on her stomach during a felony stop on the suspicion of her stealing cars in the parking lot of J.C. Penny.

As The Call reported earlier this summer, Mrs. Hayes had picked her two children up from vacation bible school and had followed her sister out to J.C. Penny in Independence. She had stayed in her vehicle because one of her children was sleep and the other one was drawing. This refutes the allegations made by J.C. Penny's security that Ms. Hayes had gotten out of her vehicle and was looking at cars in the parking lot. "I never got out of my car," Mrs. Hayes said.

According to Marvin L. Lyman, the family spokesperson, there are several issues of concern the family has. "The Independence Police department cannot supply videotape from the lead police car," said Lyman. "After reviewing the complete tapes of both responding police vehicles, we have ascertained that the lead car video was operational prior to and after the stoppage of Mrs. Hayes. After the officers released her they can be heard saying on the rear car's audio that they have to cover their ass and that Mrs. Hayes was obviously pregnant," Lyman said.