Inside the Niles courtroom where Ivery Cross, 25, was arraigned Thursday, supporters of the Niles police officer filled nearly all of the seats surrounding him.

Outside the courtroom they vehemently defended him.

“I’ve been knowing this man for maybe about 10 years and I don’t believe for one second that he committed anything on this level and I am here to support him 100 percent,” said the Rev. Edward Pinkney, president of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in Berrien County.

He was among those supporters in court Thursday afternoon to show support for Cross, who was officially charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct and one count of obstruction of justice. With his bond increased to $250,000 Cross offered a glance to those who sat behind him, before being led away by deputies with the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.

Pinkney, who said he is often present for court proceedings at the north county courthouse in St. Joseph, said he was specifically asked to be present for the arraignment.

He said he hopes more people will come out in support of the officer.

“This says that we are going to support this young man and we believe that he’s innocent,” he said. “We believe that it never happened. We believe it’s something they created.”

The Niles Police Department was hit with heavy criticism from Cross’ supporters.

Joseph and Sheryl Barnes were also present during court proceedings. Speaking to the press, Barnes became emotional as she described her feelings toward the court system’s treatment of Cross compared to other offenders. She and her husband claimed his 94-year-old mother had also been a victim of rape in 2004 and her offender had gone free.

“A 94-year-old woman was raped and this court did nothing about it,” she said. “This court did nothing. Now they want to do this.”

Pinkney said he spends a considerable amount of time studying the proceedings in Berrien County’s north county courthouse. It’s inside the court system, he said, where he sees a difference in the way African-American and white offenders are treated.

“I court-watch in Berrien County every single day … it’s important that people be there to see exactly what’s going on,” he said. “The reason it goes on is we allow it to go on.”

With Thursday’s events sparking such an emotional reaction, asked what he’d like to see as a result, Pinkney said, “I want to see justice come to this for the simple reason … just for the judge to increase this young man’s bond to $250,000. A law enforcement officer. And that’s just an allegation, you don’t get $250,000 if you murder somebody.

“Most of them (law enforcement officers) would be given the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “Most of them would be released on their own recognizance.”

South Bend defense attorney Andre Gammage will represent Cross.

According to a profile for Gammage, the South Bend native graduated from Valparaiso Law School in 1988 and has been practicing in the South Bend area for 20 years.