An 18-year-old University of Memphis female student was involved with two physical altercations last week in Smith Hall dorm, according to campus police reports by officer Robert Frans and officer Kelly Straub.
Katecia Ingram and her girlfriend, Jakia Davis, who is not a student, had a personal disagreement that turned into a physical argument. Ingram said she called the police in hopes of them restoring order, and they arrested Davis upon arrival.
“We did get in a fight, but it wasn’t as big of a deal to me because it was something I’m used to – something I just deal with because she’s my girlfriend, and I do take care of her,” Ingram said. “I know she has outbursts.”
Ingram said she thought the police were just looking for someone to blame and take into custody.
“I called the police to see if they could get her help, but instead, they just took her to jail,” Ingram said. “They did a victim situation – trying to get me to press charges on her. That was far from what I wanted.”
Derek Myers, assistant chief of campus police, said, by law, all domestic assault cases must end in arresting the primary aggressor.
“If they cannot determine a primary aggressor, then both parties can be arrested,” Myers said. “In that case, the officers determined Ms. Davis to be the aggressor, and she was taken to jail.”
Ingram said the police released Davis from custody shortly after being charged with domestic assault.
Ingram said she took Davis in because Davis was homeless and suffers from sickle cell anemia. She has tried to get help from homeless shelters, but they wouldn’t take her, Ingram said. Ingram lived in the Smith Hall dorm, so Davis is not allowed to stay with her.
The U of M housing policy states: “residents may have an overnight guest of the same sex for a maximum of three nights per semester. The roommate must agree to host the guest, and the guest must be registered in advance with the appropriate Assistant Area Coordinator.”
Ingram said the living situation was not supposed to be permanent.
“We’re working on [finding Davis housing], but I’m just trying to find stable housing for the both of us, so we won’t have to have a problem with her staying on campus,” Ingram said.
Ingram was involved in another physical altercation five days later with her new roommate in Smith Hall. She moved into the new room after her previous dorm room had air conditioning issues, leaving the room as warm as 88 degrees, she said.
The new roommate, who could not be reached for comment, accused Ingram of slamming doors and trying to wake her up, Ingram said. The resident advisor was present during the start of the argument but left once it got heated.
“I wasn’t slamming doors just to wake her up,” Ingram said. “Two other girls came in there, and the girl walked up on me like she was going to hit me, and I just hit her, and I ran out of the room.”
Ingram said she was reported to campus police for smoking marijuana, but she denies it.
“I felt targeted … and they just wanted to harass me,” Ingram said. “I felt like the police really neglected that I was defending myself.”
Ingram said she thought the RA did not take the situation seriously, and dorm security could be better in her opinion. She was later relocated to a different Smith Hall room.
Myers said Ingram has not contacted campus police with a complaint on the officers.
