(Video) NCCU Held News Conference To Follow Up On Sept. 18 Incident
DURHAM, NC – North Carolina Central University (NCCU) held a news conference Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, as a follow-up to an incident that occurred on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. Neither of the victims were students at NCCU.
The news conference was led by Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., chancellor of North Carolina Central University, who expressed his condolences to families of the victims, and then stated:
“Let me assure everyone—the NCCU community and the public at large—that our campus is and remains a safe and healthy environment. While unforeseen tragedies such as these occur, this one took place too close to the heart of North Carolina Central University, where our students both live and learn. Over the past three years, we have invested more than $3 million in state-of-the-art security technology on our campus.
Violence of any kind anywhere is unconscionable. We are pleading with the City of Durham, Durham County, and North Carolina State officials to commit to devoting more resources and attention to combating the issues of crime in Durham. It is critical to protect the lives of individuals living and learning on our campus, those in the neighborhoods adjacent to NCCU, and residents in the greater Durham community. This is an important matter of health and public safety for our students, faculty, staff, and Durham residents. We will not live in fear or have our health and well-being at risk due to gun violence and crime. It has to stop today.”
Derrick C. Stanfield, president of NCCU’s Student Government Association, noted:
“Saturday’s occurrence is reflective of the growing issue of violence in the Durham community and its overflow onto our campus. I am confident in our university’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the members of our university community. The Student Government Association will continue to support and assist University Police in their efforts to continue to provide a safe environment for our students to learn.”
Durham Police Department (DPD) serves as the lead agency investigating the incident. The DPD news release is attached.
NCCU News Conference Sept. 20, 2021
The individuals who participated in the news conference order of appearance were:
Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye
Chancellor
North Carolina Central University
Chief Damon Williams
Chief of Police/Director of Public Safety, University Police
North Carolina Central University
Lt. Genavous Minor
Durham Police Department
Major Walter F. Tate, Jr.
Durham Police Department
Mr. Derrick Stanfield
President, Student Government Association
North Carolina Central University
About North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace. Consistently ranked as a top Historically Black College or University, NCCU’s flagship programs in the sciences, education, law, business, nursing and the arts prepare students for professions ranging from clinical research to information science. Founded in 1910, NCCU remains committed to diversity in and access to higher education. With a mission to investigate health disparities, the university’s two state-of-the-art research institutes give students real-world experience working alongside faculty researchers and pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry professionals. The university’s Strategic Plan 2019-2024, Charting a New Landscape for Student-Center Success, focuses on four areas: student access and success; innovation, research, and entrepreneurship; collaboration and partnerships; and institutional sustainability. Visit www.nccu.edu.