Husband pimps out his pregnant wife
Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 11:13AM
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| Heather Ellis claims officers told her to go back to the ghetto |
It was nearly three years ago when school teacher Heather Ellis was shopping with her cousin at a Wal-Mart in Kennett, Missouri. They split into two checkout lines, but Heather noticed her cousin's line was moving faster, so she went to join her.
Ellis had violated the time-honored elementary school rule against budging. But instead of adults being adults, all hell broke loose. The only question is who's responsible...
Witnesses say that when Ellis was confronted, she grew belligerent, pushing one customer and shoving her stuff out of the way. According to officer A.W. Fisher, Ellis refused multiple requests to leave the store. She swore at Fisher and said she would smack him if he forced her to leave. When police finally arrested her, she wouldn't stop fighting back. They say Heather kicked one cop in the shin and busted another's lip while resisting arrest.
But Heather tells an entirely different story. She claims she wanted to pay, but a manager and security guard told her to leave the store. As cops followed her to the parking lot, she claims they taunted her with racial slurs and told her to go back to the ghetto. Then the officers jumped her even though she wasn't resisting arrest.
En route to jail, she says she was thrown against a wall and that one cop tried to choke her.
The case has become a big deal in Missouri as she heads to trial Wednesday for assaulting officers, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. The NAACP held a rally in Kennett, where police found threatening letters along the route supposedly from the Ku Klux Klan. Detectives don't think they came from the actual Klan -- just some anonymous bigot. But the dueling allegations speak to the electricity of the case.
It's hard to ever discount racial allegations, especially in a small town in Missouri -- and particularly from a school teacher who's engaged to a Louisiana state trooper.
But her initial act of cutting in line also speaks to a sense of entitlement, arrogance and indifference. So it's not hard to fathom she'd throw a fit when confronted. But it is hard to believe so many witnesses are lying, and that they all happen to be racists conspiring to keep a young woman down. Especially when there's no evidence to back up her story.
Our question to you, dear reader: Was Heather Ellis harassed over her race, or is she just playing to race card to cover her own behavior?
UPDATE: The case that sparked a rally against racism ends when Heather Ellis pleads guilty to reduced charges.
The case became a fixture in the national media because Ellis was facing the possibility of 15 years. Though she never would have received anywhere close to that, it appears she knew she'd be convicted.
That's the only way to explain Ellis' guilty plea as a jury was about to rule on her fate. She pleaded to disturbing the peace and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors. All she'll get is a year of unsupervised probation, four days in jail, and a mandatory anger management course.
Though Wal-Mart surveillance cameras didn't show the entire incident, they did show Ellis moving another customer's merchandise and trying to kick police as they put her in a squad car.
Ellis is still blaming racist police, store managers, and customers for the incident. Given Kennett's history, it was enough to inflame people prior to the trial. Blacks and Hispanics have long complained about racial profiling in the city. And during a rally on Ellis' behalf, some people lined the road waving Confederate flags. The Land of Enlightenment this is not.
But not even her own lawyers tried to push race to the forefront during the trial. Our guess is the teacher was embarrassed after going ballistic at the store, worried that the incident would damage her career, and tried to pin it on race as a face-saving measure. And once the race card was stirred into full play, there was no going back.
Ironically, she was offered a better plea two years in which she would have only received probation.
I do believe that she is playing the race card to shake up the case against her and also gain support. I certainly agree that the initial act of cutting in line displays a level of entitlement and may possibly have had aggressive intentions behind it. She crossed an unwritten rule in society which applies to all walks of life and your skin color does not grant you an exception to that rule. So if she was willing to cut, I think she had either ill intentions or is just downright ignorant. Where are the security cameras anyway? Shouldn’t there be come surveying the registers? That may shed some light into the situation as well. I’m curious to see what comes of this…
Posted 11/16/2009 at 03:04:51 PMshe is playing the race card and I'm black
Posted 11/16/2009 at 04:26:13 PMShe was in the wrong to touch the coustomers stuff, so she deserved to be asked to leave. She was getting violent. The police were called because the security did not want to touch her. She should not have acted out violently this could have been settled in an adult way. If she had acted calm and not put up a fight then she would have the right to complain if people got violent with her. The race card can be used if there is unprovoked violence or verbal abuse.
Posted 11/16/2009 at 05:17:57 PMSad to say i think she was playing the race card. I wouldnt go as far as to say that her line cutting was because she had a sense of entitlement, but it does look like a situation got out of hand and she wanted to blame it on racism. I live in Missouri, but in the city not the country, but I have lived in the country in Missouri and I've seen unjust things happen soley based on race. I can see, in a small town, people taking her line jumping to another level just because of her race, but I think her reaction is what caused the downward sloap which caused her arrest. Just my opinion though.
Posted 11/16/2009 at 05:35:37 PMOf course shes playing the race card... their are multiple witnesses at the store and their are multiple police to confirm these clams.
Posted 11/16/2009 at 05:50:36 PMYep, she's most definitely playing the race card. I think her mama forgot to teach her some manners! She was being rude, regardless of her skin color. Maybe she was having a bad day and just wanted to get out of the store but that's no excuse for her bad manners. I frequently shop with my cousin and I would NOT consider myself entitled to cut in line just because my cousin guessed herself into the faster check out lane. Once the law was called I think she just freaked out and went berserk.
Posted 11/16/2009 at 07:07:47 PMI want to see a video tape of the incident. I hope the WalMart has cameras. Also, I just cannot believe that so many witnesses had the same story. Are they all racist too?There are a lot of websites out there that are fueling the race card, and that is to make people angry. I want to see the tape before I make a decision, my gut tells me that is was NOT racism. this hurts actual racism cases because some seem to use it as the common excuse that people are completely numb to it!
Posted 11/16/2009 at 08:06:00 PMBecause I am a cheater and a lie - now that you are good and pissed my only way out is because I'm black. Where you black when you cut in line or only after everyone got pissed? How dare you use the race card on this case. Not a smart thing to do - you are defeating everyones efforts.
Posted 11/16/2009 at 08:46:30 PMof course she's playing the race card. she didn't think the woman behind her cousin would say anything about her cutting in line, but for anybody who's been in the lines at walmart, all you wanna do is get through it. if she would have been an adult, first of all, she wouldnt have cut in line and "expected" it to be ok to do so, and secondly, again, if she were an adult about it, she wouldnt have become belligerant when called on it. 15 years for cutting line?? no, she's facing 15 years for disrespecting and fighting against the police who had to be called for her own behavior. if she gets 15 years, she need only look in the mirror as to who's to blame.
Posted 11/16/2009 at 09:47:22 PMHello Pete, thanks for asking. It might be helpful if you provided us with a clear account of what happened, to get best results maybe even without spelling mistakes that take the sense out of whole sentences. I would be happy to answer your question then, but seeing that things just get ignored around here these days...
Your friend Eric
Posted 11/17/2009 at 03:37:22 AMI'd be willing to bet that 50 grand would make Heather feel all better.
Posted 11/17/2009 at 08:49:55 AMHow would you like that Heather? 20's 50's??
Or how about a book deal?
Or how about all the white people send you a check once a month, pay your rent, buy you a car, clean your house, watch your children and of course we will do your shopping for you since it's such a tough world out there being black and shopping at Walmart.
I have a better suggestion for you:
grow up and behave like an adult. Come to the realization that you are NOT special just because you're black.
The white man owes you NOTHING
Ann Marie,
Posted 11/17/2009 at 11:36:30 AMVery true! It is so gross to watch as the race card get played. They don't have scars on their back and we don't have whips in our hands. She cut in line and dared anyone to stop her. When something was being done about her behavior she automatically becomes a victim. Daring everyone again. This got out of hand because that is what she wanted. Complete chaos!
She's playing the race card, and should get an extra 6 months just for that. Her followers are so much worse, though.
Thier take on the story is that Heather is going to jail for 15 years for cutting in line. The busted lip, the kick, the abuse of other customers - none of that matters because she's black.
I hope she ends up with jail time. Not a lot, just enough to show her that in the real world, adults must live up to the consequences of thier actions.
Posted 11/17/2009 at 03:35:48 PMIt is hardly a sense of entitlement to cut in line; it's just considered rude. And while throwing "a fit" and shoving items while in line is also very rude and infantile, it's a bit much to proclaim that a next logical step would be an assault on a police officer. What I do not understand is, if she was finally persuaded to leave the store, why did the police arrest her in the parking lot?
Is she playing the race card? I cannot say (not being familiar with the area, but the kkk cards are disturbingly revealing). However, I have been known to hold a place in an opposing line while shopping with my mother with one of us then moving over to the faster lane. However I will make sure to never do that in a Wal-Mart in Missouri.
Posted 11/17/2009 at 06:45:37 PMThere are many times when there is an incedent that is based on racism,and this isn't one of those cases.Queen Ellis has the same diva attitude taht many American women have. What did we think was going to happen when our society keeps letting women get away with things such as murdering there children etc. It's not just Black women , but white women also. This woman must be made an example of because we are getting too stupid in this country. By the way I am a Black Pre Med student also and if she is found guilty, then that will be one less person I will have to compete against.
Posted 11/17/2009 at 09:01:36 PMNo boubt a doubt it...I smell race card all over this dog. When we can't take responsibility for our actions, it is always nice to pull out the race card to get ourselves out of trouble. But, all this means is she is gonna walk. Like all the rest, these politicians don't want to touch this stink with a ten foot pole; (it doesn't wash off with soap and water)and they will pay dearly for it in future elections. So, the cowards will cave in just as they always do and it will invite more of the same behavior. You may as well get ready for it. So much for justice!!
Posted 11/18/2009 at 05:22:05 PMI would see what the best plea bargin that a lawyer could get is.I would not be hard headed and plead innocent with that many wittness.She can swallow her pride and get a sweet deal are go to jail for a long time.The choice is hers.
Posted 11/18/2009 at 06:20:35 PMI do think that she is playing the race card, I have seen this too often. Especially in minorities, I am hispanic and I see this in my own race. Everytime they get busted for something they get everybody involved, LULAC, NAACP all these advocacy groups who sometimes are trying to help out criminals just because they say they were were treated poorly because of their race. Its just crazy
Posted 11/19/2009 at 11:56:07 AMBETTER QUESTION: How in the hell did she land that teaching position with Central School District?!? She obviously had an arrest record and pending felony charges before leaving college. As an educator, I know they performed a background check on her prior to her hiring. Way to go Central!
Posted 11/19/2009 at 08:22:02 PMIf the arresting officers were black, I'm sure there would be no issue here.
Posted 11/20/2009 at 08:35:26 AMOh, the race card is being played and she will win. She was wrong to cut in front of someone, no manners, no class and should be ashamed of her self to lie like she is. I agree, mo scars on her back and no whip in my hand I OWE HER NOTHING! I get so sick of people using the color of their skin to cover their bad actions. I am white and have a Mexican daughter NEVER did I let her use the color of her skin to get ahead. She went to college on her grades not skin color!
Posted 11/20/2009 at 03:09:31 PMWhere's Jackson & Sharpton on this one? Prolly 'cause they see an obese nutjob with a bad weave; I'm running too, pal. Heather also wrote the NAACP, she wants everyone involved! But the misleading headlines, 15 Years for Jumping Line when it's 15 Years for Assaulting Cops, Resisting Arrest & Disturbing the Peace. Jumbo was given every courtesy & opportunity to leave the store & drive off but she's abusing Black Pride. This is a small, quiet town where folks treat each other decently and her fat behind is trying to split it down the middle ... Heather is the perfect definition for Hate Crime as she's the one churning it up. And for that stunt add time to her conviction & include a double-wide cell for that gargantuan ass. Oh, yes, the KKK calling cards that magically appeared. That's just Heather's huge ego (and another black buddy) trying to garner sympathy. The constant screech of racism makes my ears bleed; it's blimps like Heather who are the true racists.
Posted 11/20/2009 at 04:07:19 PMHeather lost it but I don't believe she started the fight.
She may have only had a few items to buy and the person behind her should have realized that the cousin was holding her place in line. Heather could have explained that to the other customer behind her. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't. You are allowed to hold a place in line for another person.
If my husband is standing in line and I come along with more items to purchase that is really no one's bussiness. unless it's a big shopping cart full of food. And depending upon the person they may or may not say anything. This happens frequently in NYC and people don't make a big deal over it most of the time because they don't want end up fighting.
This doesn't excuse Heather's behavior she should have had better control over her temper and been adult enough to walk away. And to continue arguing with security and the Police was really stupid and detrimental.
Sometimes you have to be the bigger person and cut people some slack,(even if you don't like the color of their skin or think they're assholes) take the higher road and avoid starting an argument which can easily escalate to fighting and physical violence. In the end it's worth it and you'll feel better about yourself.
I do think Heather is playing the race card with the Police. They may have physically assaulted her as a result of her assaulting them, and I think they would assault a white person who was out of control too.
I don't think she should go to jail she was young she may have been PMSing, she may have a violent streak, but who doesn't and many young people make those kind of mistakes.
I would fine her, make her do community service, and make her take an anger management course.
Posted 11/20/2009 at 04:50:56 PMRacism is not a game, so I hate the term "race card". True rascism does exist. However, Heather was wrong, wrong, wrong. It's rude to cut in line. However, I also believe that the cops were probably mean to her because of her race and her behavior. She acted stupidly and disrespectful so she was treated as though she was stupid and deserved to be disrespected. The NAACP really needs to pick their battles better or just go out of business.
Posted 11/20/2009 at 08:30:20 PMWhen you accept a plea bargain things ain't going your way, you're guilty of something. She'll be serving 4 days in jail, anger management & probation for 1 year -- but it's a cake walk if you read more about that. BUT ALL RACISM BULLSHIT CHARGES ARE NONEXISTENT. *dies laughing* And dang! I just read the police report; I can't believe they didn't tase her ass (it may have taken several guns to bring buffalo down). I mean this bitch wouldn't STFU and willfully & continually disrupted a business. Video shows her fat arm shoving items repeatedly off the conveyor belt but more video is coming. What a cnt! :D
Posted 11/20/2009 at 09:30:59 PMOh, yes. And Heather has to stay out of trouble for one year. You go, girl!
Posted 11/20/2009 at 09:43:33 PMOf course she is playing the race card! She was in the wrong and knew it and when she got confronted, she lost it! Cutting in line is a big no no! I was taught that at a VERY early age! Hello.......taking turns, sharing, it ties in with not cutting!
I agree with other comments. If they had been black cops, this wouldn't have been a race issue. And I 100% agree. I'm not holding a whip and she has no scars. I'm tired of it always coming back to slavery! I had nothing to do with it!
But. I am really curious that NAACP, jesse jackson, and al sharpton aren't all over this! Maybe its because they know it stupid and sets back everything the good people (of all colors I might add) have worked for for 100's of years: EQUALITY in everything. You act stupid and out of control, well sit there and have your cake and eat it too, sweetie!
Posted 11/22/2009 at 05:45:33 AMI am not saying this to dig but blacks are well known for cutting lines. Have seen it and heard about it for years. And it does reflect an attitude.
Posted 11/23/2009 at 12:34:24 PMMan, I hope she isn't at wal-mart or any other stores for black friday! Could you imagine what she would be like then?!?!
Posted 11/24/2009 at 12:30:22 AM4 days in jaik AT HER CONVENIENCE, 2 hours of anger managegement - also at her convenience, assault charges dropped. So she let the jury deliberate for 2.5 hours before she finally saw some realm of reality and made a plea deal 'because all the witnesses had been coached.' So she'll be back in baton rouge at Central High after Thanksgiving break, serve her 4 day sentance at either spring break or this summer. I'd still like to know how she plans on keeping that teaching job with a conviction record? Not in Central, sweetheart. Maybe EBRP, and STILL doubtful. She has to wait a year to even appeal for an expunged record. Hope she's got a fall-back career to education, because she comitted career suicide.
Posted 11/25/2009 at 11:22:42 AMwhites INVENTED playing the race card- slavery/racism/jim crow based on entitlement and white skin privilege - now all of a sudden when they behave in a racist manner as whites commonly do.. they holler" oh no we are innocent.. youre playing "the race card"
Posted 11/28/2009 at 05:17:35 PM- ironic huh?
Yeah, I'm gonna have to go with Kwumey on this one. The one thing I hate about this site is that each and every time there is a crime reported with an african-american perpetrator, the board lights up with "oh, look at what blacky did!" comments from mealy-mouthed, sheep-mounting, sub-mental hillbillies who seem intent on turning every report on this page into a race issue. But when a white person commits these same acts, or worse, all the inbreds are too busy at the Walmart or in the back-room having their way with sissy to comment about the fact that...(shocker!)...white people commit crimes to.
So tell 'em Kwumey, but don't make the mistake of taking them seriously. They're not worth it.
Posted 11/28/2009 at 06:55:56 PMThank you Gaggy and well stated!! Look at the plethora of these sick white kiddie rapers in the news and funny how you never hear from CRACKER NATION saying " yeah theses white boys are all sick pedos"
Posted 11/29/2009 at 11:06:57 AMBecause when its whites doing sick nasty ** funnys how the race issue NEVER comes up huh?
And yes these racist pecks are not worth it... I agree
this is my first time venturing on this sight. as you can tell from the name, yes I'm black. now to comment on this situation, remember that she was engaged to an state trooper. now saying that in mind he may have gotten her out of trouble before in the past and she may have thought that he could have gotten her out of this situation before it escalated. when it comes to the attitude of this situation it's not a black or white thing it's an ignorant thing that comes in all races. now anybody out there who is either married, dating, related or friends with a cop have tried to call on them for help with a situation even if you were in the wrong. now I'm not justifying what she did. but the whole situation was blown out of proportation on both ends.
Posted 11/30/2009 at 08:46:54 PMUm, ok look at the title of this story. We were pretty much asked to comment on was she innocent or playin the race card. Then when we do comment that she was in fact playin the race card, as the majority (black and white) have agreed, we are being racist? I don't care what color she was. She acted like a brat and pulled the race card. She got what she deserved.
And no offense kwumey, I am tired of it all being against white people. I don't care what color you are, if you commit a crime, I comment on that, not the color. And I had nothing to do with slavery or jim crow laws, so quit blaming me for them. EVERY race has racist people. I don't know how many times I have been laughed at because I don't speak spanish and have been called racist names for being a white girl. But if I went up to someone who didn't speak english, laughed at them, and called them nasty names, boy I'm a racist! But its ok for them to do it to me? I don't think so. If its racist for me to do it, then it should be racist for them too.
Like I said, I don't care what color you are. There are some racist people of every color, just like there are criminals of every color. I don't give a crap what color you are, its the crime you have done that bothers me.
Call me racist all you want, I don't care. But would a racist be married to a man who is half mexican and half white? I don't think so, especailly when the mexican population where I live are some of the most racist people I have ever heard of.
Posted 12/02/2009 at 01:49:03 AM