Supporters Launch #FreeSamba Campaign At East High
DENVER (CBS4) - Elhadji Samba Dioum is in serious trouble after his arrest in connection with an incident that closed school at East High School in Denver last Thursday.
Dioum, 19, faces charges of theft, attempted aggravated robbery and menacing. Police say he used a BB gun to threaten a student.
But some students and parents want you to know the Samba they know and respect; one they say would never intentionally commit a crime.
Stacie Alexander says she is one of several East families who have hosted Samba since he moved here from Senegal, Africa to play on the school's basketball team.
"My family and I have established a campaign 'I Support Samba.' He is polite, sensitive, fun, no one that would intentionally harm another human being," said Alexander.
Students have launched their own twitter campaign #FreeSamba.
"I think he shouldn't be in jail and they should let him go. He was just having fun, he didn't mean harm to anybody," said one student at East.
Another claims it was all a misunderstanding, "He was with friends and they were joking with one another."
Several parents of students at East are attorneys and have volunteered to represent Samba in court. Others are raising money to try and post bail for the student.
Still, the Denver District Attorney's office says the incident at East High School was a felony and released this statement:
The charges pass no judgment on how great a person or student he is the charges simply allege he committed these crimes, and that he is innocent until proven guilty.
Dioum is scheduled to be in court for a second advisement hearing on Thursday. Many students and parents say they will wear red and rally outside the courthouse in support of him.
Suzanne McCarroll is a general assignment reporter at CBS4. Her stories can regularly be seen on CBS4 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Connect with her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @SuzanneCBS4.
