University of Alabama Student Alleges Racism After Assault Arrest
A University of Alabama student claims she is the victim of systemic racism after she was arrested for assault this week following an altercation with another student.
The student, 18-year-old Jamiah Stroud, was arrested Monday and charged with third-degree assault.
According to a warrant issued for her arrest, Stroud "recklessly caused physical injury to" the second student by pushing her into a cement wall at the UA dormitory Tutwiler Hall, causing her to need stitches.
Stroud, who is Black, shared a completely different story in a post to her Instagram, which has since been deleted.
According to her account, shared first by the University's student newspaper the Crimson White here, the alleged victim in this case was in a car that tried to run over Stroud and two others in the parking lot of the dorm on the evening of February 18th.
Stroud said the alleged victim got into an elevator with her, her cousin and another of their friends and called Stroud an expletive. Stroud said she "subtly pushed" the other girl before getting off the elevator and returning to her dorm room.
"10 minutes later I go back down the elevator to get my other friend and the elevator stops on the 11th floor," Stroud wrote on Instagram. "To my surprise the white girl has a bunch of napkins over her face and her face is bleeding. I stood in shock in the elevator as I over hear [sic] her telling her friends a story that contradicts what truly happened."
Stroud said the next day, she got a call from UAPD, who asked her to come in and speak to an investigator. She was reportedly informed that the other girl required 10 stitches and "couldn't remember what really happened."
The alleged victim then filed a sworn complaint with a district court magistrate, and a warrant was issued for Stroud's arrest.
The University of Alabama Police Department served the warrant but did not issue it and their own investigation into the matter is ongoing. Stroud was arrested and formally charged with third-degree assault, a Class A misdemanor, and later released on a $300 bond.
"UAPD investigated this incident, including statements from both individuals and opportunities for others to report what they witnessed," a University spokesperson said in a statement. "The incident was reported as an altercation between two individuals, and UAPD responded according to protocol. Neither the arrest warrant nor supporting deposition were filed by UAPD. The University’s Office of Student Conduct is continuing its broad investigation into the matter."
Although UAPD only served the warrant after it was issued by the courts, Stroud said on Instagram she believes her arrest is the result of racism.
"The UAPD and the University of Alabama created a case and believed the white girl with no evidence and didn't take my witnesses or story into account," she wrote. "This is America, the South, this is one of many ways racism shows up at the University of Alabama."
According to the Crimson White, Stroud will meet with the Office of Student Conduct Friday morning to discuss her future at the University and any potential punitive measures in the wake of the alleged assault.
Stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for updates on this case as they become available.
Editor's note: the Tuscaloosa Thread does not typically cover misdemeanor arrests or identify suspects accused of them, but chose to do so in this case because of Stroud's public allegations about her arrest. It is also Thread policy to refrain from naming the victim of any crime except in cases of homicide, and in order to protect the privacy of the second student in this case, she will not be identified here.