Yassin Terou files complaint with University of Tennessee police over his arrest

Yassin Terou has filed a complaint with the University of Tennessee Police Department over his arrest May 15 on campus and is asking the department to investigate.

Terou told Knox News he asked the agency to keep all evidence and body camera video related to his arrest. He posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that his complaint was about "what happened during the arrest."

University of Tennessee Police Department Chief Sean Patterson confirmed the complaint. "We will follow our process and investigate any concerns brought to our attention. ... Per policy, we do not release the complaint form until the investigation is complete," he wrote to Knox News.

Terou was hospitalized for an injury before he was booked at the jail that night. He and 10 other pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested on misdemeanor trespass charges when they gathered on university property outside the front of the College of Law.

The university had previously established time, place and manner rules for the demonstrators from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day on a portion of the student union property directly across Cumberland Avenue and warned demonstrators who moved to other university property they faced arrest. Such restrictions pass constitutional muster, legal experts told Knox News.

Terou, a Syrian refugee earned American citizenship in 2020, is the well-known owner of Yassin's Falafel House restaurants. His downtown restaurant was celebrated by Reader's Digest in 2018 as the "Nicest Place in America," and he received the 2018 Peace Award from the Rotary Club of Knoxville. Knox News named him its Person of the Year in 2018.

Terou's arraignment is set for May 23 in Knox County court.

Terou is member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Tennessee's Religious Studies Department. The board is a group of community members who help raise money for research, according to the university's website. Since his arrest, a page featuring Terou has been taken down from the department's website.

University spokesperson Kerry Gardner said she did not know whether the department had severed its affiliation with Terou but said she would check and get back to Knox News.

Terou said he's grateful for the outpouring of support from the community since the arrest. He said he will continue to march with local demonstrators, mostly students, who have demonstrated on behalf of Palestinians almost every day since May 1.

It's been "more than what I can dream about," he said.

What happens when a complaint is filed with the university police department?

The supervisor of the subject of the complaint, in most cases, conducts the investigation, according to information on the department's website. The investigation may be conducted by the department’s internal affairs unit if the allegations rise to a serious nature. Usually this means incidents that "could result in demotion, termination or criminal charges," the website says.

The agency reviews facts of the incident by interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence. The findings are reported through the chain of command to determine an outcome.

UTPD complaints can be filed by calling 865-974-3114, by emailing the internal affairs unit at utpolice@utk.edu, or in person by filling out a form at the department office on 1101 Cumberland Ave.

Areena Arora, data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com. Follow her on X @AreenaArora.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Yassin Terou files complaint with University of Tennessee police