Charges against Gurpal Singh Gill Dropped by DA of Roseburg Oregon – PAHS Press Release

Released by Punjabi American Heritage Society, Yuba City, California
Release by Kulwant Singh Johl
 
Many individuals and Sikh organizations have been working tirelessly to have charges dropped against Gurpal Singh Gill, an Amritdhari Sikh Truck Driver from Yuba City who was treated brutally by Oregon Police trooper. This was the 17th incident in the last three years that Amritdhari Sikh trucker has faced similar situation. The incident of alleged police brutality involving a Sikh truck driver has shocked and outraged the Yuba-Sutter Sikh community. On September 1, Gurpal Singh Gill (44) left Yuba City for Tacoma (Washington) at about 8:30 am. Driving his Peterbilt truck, Gill was towing a refrigerated trailer loaded with produce. Gill has been driving for two years and this was his first to the Pacific Northwest. At about 4:45pm, about 10 miles short of Roseburg, he was stopped by a trooper of the Oregon State Police- Oregon’s equivalent of the California Highway Patrol. "Near Exit 106, about 10-12 miles south of Roseburg, I observed a police car in my rear view mirrors. The car came alongside, then fell back and signaled me to stop, which I promptly did," says Gill. The car was driven by Oregon State Police Trooper Kevin Bennett. Gill said that Bennett came to the driver’s side door and ordered him to open. Bennett then allegedly took out his pistol and ordered Gill to disembark from his truck. He told Gill he was under arrest for carrying a ‘concealed weapon’- Gill’s personal kirpan, a symbolic item which Gill carries as one of the 5 K’s, ordained by the Sikh religion.

To handle this situation many other Amritdhari Sikhs, carry a letter from the Stockton City council. This letter explains the concept of the 5 K’s. Gill showed the police officer the letter which Bennett dismissed saying it had no relevance in Oregon. Gill said that Bennett then ordered him to lie on the ground face down. "He then pushed his knee into my back, handcuffed me pressing my face into the ground," said Gill.  Gill’s injuries on his face and shoulder are a testimony to the brute force inflicted upon him. Gill also complains of back pain.

Gill was then made to sit in the police car while Bennett searched his truck. Meanwhile two other officers showed up. Gill was told he had been pulled over for a missing registration plate and pouring a liquid out of his truck. The two officers reviewed the video recording and subsequently released Gill. They took his mini-kirpan and gave him a citation.
 
Mr. Gill contacted Punjabi American Heritage Society on September 3rd, 2004. Dr. Jasbir Singh Kang immediately contacted Sikh Coalition which has handled similar cases nation wide. He also contacted local and national media to highlight this case. The local American news paper Appeal Democrat carried a front page story highlighting this case.  This story was carried by many national and ethnic news paper and web sites.  Many Sikh organizations came to rescue of Mr. Gill. The Sikhs Coalition contacted DA office in Roseburg. Dr. J.P. Singh of Sikh Center of Bay Area pleaded this case to US
Department of Justice (Diane Schneider) and United Sikhs contacted the ACLU in Roseburg. The case of a concealed weapon was dropped but Mr. Gill continues to suffer from both physical and emotional trauma.
 
The Sikh community needs to look for permanent solution to this type of problem. We need to seek for legislative solution to honor articles of the Sikh faith including the Kirpan so we do not waste our recourses on similar situations in future. We need to send copy of the documentary Mistaken Identity to all police departments in USA and make efforts to train different state and federal law enforcement agencies about Sikh identity and articles of Sikh faith. Also efforts need to be made to have Sikhism added to curriculum of schools districts, colleges, and universities as part of world religions and history courses.
 
Mr. Gurpal Singh Gill would like to thank every one who helped him, including Sikh Coalition, Punjabi American Heritage Society, United Sikhs, Sikh Center of Bay Area, US Department of Justice, ACLU Roseburg, and the American and South Asian Media.
Mr. Gill would also like to thank Sikh leaders, local community members, Sikh Gurdwaras and local Christian Church members for their emotional support.
 
Here is a link for story from local paper 
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/2004/10/02/news/local_news/news2.txt

Released by
Kulwant Singh Johl
Punjabi American Heritage Society