Unit Four Officials “Disappointed & Saddened” By Centennial Protest Incident

Champaign school officials say they are “disappointed and saddened” by Thursday’s incident in which a motorist tried to drive her car through a group of students protesting outside Centennial High School.

No one was injured in the incident, but the car suffered damage. An 18 year old student was detained and then released by Champaign Police for allegedly causing the damage.

A statement from the Unit Four school district says the event began as a peaceful protest against the recent grand jury decisions not to indict two white police officers in the killings of two unarmed black men, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City. As planned, the protest was held inside the high school, but the district says some of the students decided on their own to take the protest to the street outside, where the incident with the car occurred.

Unit Four officials says discussions are taking place with students and staff about how to exercise their rights appropriately in the future.

Champaign Police say their investigation is continuing, and are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them or Champaign County Crime Stoppers.