Somali Police Officer in Trouble

[Holac]

Zahra Abu is sworn in as a Portland police officer on Jan. 8, 2016. Staff photo by Gabe Souza

A 24-year-old Portland police officer has been charged with five misdemeanors, including assault and battery, after being arrested Saturday night at a concert venue in Worcester, Massachusetts. Worcester police said Zahra Munye Abu, of Portland, is also facing charges of trespassing, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. Abu caused a disturbance while attending a Ja Rule and Ashanti concert at the Palladium Nightclub on Main Street, said Worcester police Sgt. Kerry F. Hazelhurst. “The nightclub was hosting several live musical acts,” Hazelhurst said in an email. “She was (given) several opportunities to leave and refused. Eventually she was placed under arrest.”

 

A Deering High School student in 2011, Zahra Munye Abu went on to study criminal justice and women-and-gender issues and is now a police officer in Portland. Her arraignment in the concert disturbance is scheduled Wednesday. Staff photo by John Ewing

Worcester police would not provide more details about the incident, and members of Abu’s family declined to comment when contacted by phone at their home. “The Portland Police Department was notified late Saturday night of the arrest of Police Officer Zahra Abu in Worcester, Massachusetts,” Sauschuck said in an email. “This issue will be dealt with as a personnel matter from this point forward, so I will have no further comment.”  Chris Besaw, the Palladium general manager, declined to comment about the arrest or what occurred before local police became involved.  Abu was bailed out of jail at 1 a.m. Sunday, Hazelhurst said. He did not know the bail amount. She is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Worcester District Court. Abu is a high-profile member of the Portland police force because she is the first member of Maine’s Somali immigrant community to become a police officer in Maine.

 

She was born to Somali parents in a Kenyan refugee camp and has lived in Portland since she was 2 years old. She graduated from Deering High School in Portland and studied criminal justice and women-and-gender issues at the University of Southern Maine. If convicted, Abu faces a maximum penalty of up to 2½ years in a county jail on the assault and battery and the resisting arrest charges. Each of the other charges include less severe maximum penalties.

[Holac]

I remember seeing her graduation pictures a while back. Not a good news for the Portland Somali community. Power can get to your head sometimes. 

[maakhiri1]

Very true, Alcohol must be involved, Not sure, why like indigenous  red Indian community, SOMALI and Alcohol don't go together.

 

While others drink and behave, SOMALIS go mad.

[Holac]

I doubt it Maakhiri. But if it is true and she was gorging on alcohol in public knowing the weight on her shoulders and how much her poor family suffered to escape poverty and war to bring her here, then she is not very bright. Feel bad for the Abu family. 

 

We Somalis have a deep misunderstanding of what it means to "have fun".  

 

 

[maakhiri1]

Holac, normal people, unless they have psychotic episode(which means not guilty), don't do the above charges, unless under the influence of Alcohol or drugs.

 

 

[Alpha Blondy]

On 19/01/2018 at 12:22 AM, maakhiri1 said:

Very true, Alcohol must be involved, Not sure, why like indigenous  red Indian community, SOMALI and Alcohol don't go together.

 

While others drink and behave, SOMALIS go mad.

 

speak for yourself and don't insult this police person. We don't know the facts here. it's good to avoid assumptions.  

[maakhiri1]

On 1/20/2018 at 12:25 PM, Alpha Blondy said:

 

speak for yourself and don't insult this police person. We don't know the facts here. it's good to avoid assumptions.  

 

 

 

lol, take easy on the bottle, NO good for u, else would end like her,    I lived long enough to tell things miles away,