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Prosecutor Closes Investigation in Princeton Professor Arrest Case, Commends Police

Perry
Perry

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office has closed an internal affairs investigation into how a black professor from Princeton University was treated after she was pulled over by a Princeton Police patrolman two weeks ago.

Princeton University Professor Imani Perry was pulled over for allegedly speeding on Mercer Street just after 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6 and was arrested for an outstanding court warrant.

The president of Princeton University contacted Mayor Liz Lempert and Councilwoman Heather Howard after the incident, and called for an investigation. The matter was turned over to the Mercer County Prosecutor. The prosecutor’s office reviewed video evidence, police reports, and court documents.

“Based on the review, the officer’s conduct is to be commended, not criticized,”  First Assistant Prosecutor Doris Galuchie said.

A meeting was scheduled with Perry, but she cancelled. She said she would reschedule the meeting in the near future, but she never did, so the prosecutor’s office closed the investigation.

Perry allegedly was traveling at 67 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone. She was unable to produce her vehicle registration, and the police officer who pulled her over discovered her license was suspended and she had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court for two unpaid parking tickets. Perry was arrested, handcuffed, and taken to the police station. She posted bail and was released about an hour after she was pulled over.

The following day she detailed her ordeal on social media, saying the police treated her inappropriately and disproportionately.

“The fact of my blackness is not incidental to this matter,” she wrote.