Body worn camera video recovered from the Urbana Police Department shows that police officers and their supervisors seem to have contempt for the public’s right to oversight.  In the video, Sgt. James Cory Koker can be heard joking about how he should have told a concerned bystander that he would “come by to see what the fuck you’re doing” at his place of work as retribution for the bystander trying to observe the police.

The interaction took place during an incident in 2019 involving two black juvenile suspects.  When a resident nearby witnessed four white Urbana Police officers interrogating the two boys, he became concerned and walked down the sidewalk to observe.  Though the bystander was about fifty feet away from the officers, Sgt. Koker walked over to ask him what he wanted.  Koker explained to the bystander the reason for the stop (attempted theft) and that it was just a “standard routine investigation”.

After the bystander walked away, Koker and the other officers showed disdain for the resident and made fun of him.  Though the bystander had just walked around one time, Koker said he “was circling like a shark”, and Officer Ackerman seemed mildly paranoid when he told Koker that the bystander “keeps looking back at you.”

Koker:  “I should have been like, what are you doing tomorrow at 9am?  ‘I’ll be at work.’  Oh, I’ll come by to see what the fuck you’re doing.”

Officers Marcotte and Ackerman burst into laughter in response to their supervisor’s comment.

Chief Bryant Seraphin was made aware of the incident through a complaint sent to the Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB), but Seraphin refused to accept the complaint about Koker’s conduct, since it was witnessed on video rather than in-person.  The CPRB also refused to weigh in on Koker’s conduct.

In Illinois, state law provides any member of the public the right to observe and video record police officers while in the course of performing their public duty.  Urbana Police Policy reiterates this position.  It is notable that it was in fact concerned bystanders who brought to light the beating of Aleyah Lewis by Urbana Police officers in April of 2020, and that Sgt. Koker was also the supervisor in that incident.

A clipped video of the incident can be seen below (Check CU has blurred out some parts and is only posting a partial video to protect privacy).