Another Black man killed by cops ... this time by accident?

[MU82]

This clearly wasn't a shooting, but highlights much of the problem.

In the city I live in, the other day a 10-year old African American boy, was stopped and detained by cops while walking home from school. The reason, people called in saying a suspicious individual was trespassing.

His crime, taking a short cut to get home by cutting through the side yard of a house. He was detained and forced to sit on the curb and wait for his parents to come collect him.

White children are making that same walk, and cutting through the same yards with zero problem. And there is zero chance that if people even called the cops on the white children, that they would detain them.

Now that 10-year old thinks that because of the color of his skin, he will always be targeted by others, and the police.

It is a prime example of the existence of systemic racism in law enforcement.

Those who don't see it simply don't want to see it. And I get that. Folks don't want to believe in systemic racism because it's almost an impossible problem.

[MU82]

Another day ... another unnecessary physical altercation between police and a woman who was guilty only of Driving While Black ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/05/10/virginia-trooper-arrest-video/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F3246300%2F60995c459d2fdae3024a794d%2F5f8d147cae7e8a56e5b732a4%2F37%2F68%2F60995c459d2fdae3024a794d

Early on March 6, Juanisha C. Brooks was driving home on the Capital Beltway when she saw the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle behind her. At first she thought it was an ambulance, and she steered to the shoulder of an exit ramp to let it pass.

Brooks soon realized she was being pulled over, drove from the ramp to the first side street and stopped.

There, Brooks repeatedly asked Virginia State Police Trooper Robert G. Hindenlang why he had pulled her over, and Hindenlang repeatedly refused to say, dashboard-camera video from the trooper’s car shows. He did not tell her he had noticed her taillights were out as she drove. Instead, he told Brooks that if she would step outside, he would show her why she had been stopped. Brooks told the trooper she didn’t want to get out.

Hindenlang then unlocked Brooks’s door and dragged her out of the car, while Brooks loudly pleaded with him to stop, the video shows.The trooper spun her against the car and handcuffed her. When Brooks refused to take a sobriety test, after telling the trooper she had had one drink, Hindenlang told her, “You’re under arrest for driving under the influence.”

“Why were your eyes so watery when I pulled up?” Hindenlang asked her.

“Why were my eyes watering?” Brooks, who is Black, answered the trooper. “Because people are being shot by the police. I’m freaking nervous.”

At the Fairfax County jail, Brooks and her attorney said, she twice took a breathalyzer test. The results: a 0.0 blood alcohol level. So Hindenlang charged her with resisting arrest, eluding police, failing to have headlights on and reckless driving.

Brooks said she had forgotten to turn her headlights on that night and hadn’t noticed on the brightly lit Beltway. The Virginia General Assembly banned pulling people over for dark taillights, effective March 1, because it led to the type of pretextual traffic stops that can cause unnecessary conflict and consequences for otherwise law-abiding citizens.

After Brooks’s attorney, Patrick M. Blanch, provided the video to prosecutors, Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano dismissed all charges and called for state police to conduct an internal investigation. In a letter to police, he said that “the stop was without proper legal basis,” given the recent change in the law, and that the “dashcam footage does not provide a factual basis to support the warrants.”

Corinne Geller, the spokeswoman for the Virginia State Police, said the stop and arrest were proper. She said Hindenlang observed Brooks driving “without any headlights or taillights, tailgating other vehicles and making unsafe lane changes, which are indicators of an impaired driver and provided reasonable suspicion for the trooper to initiate a traffic stop.” Geller said Brooks was taken into custody “due to her persistent refusal to comply with the trooper’s requests” and because of the trooper’s suspicion that Brooks might have been driving under the influence.

Traffic stops are one of the most common places for citizens to interact with police. But because they have the potential to quickly turn confrontational, such as during the stop that led to the recent police killing of Daunte Wright in Minnesota, many jurisdictions are considering limits on what police may treat as a cause for stops or searches. Virginia lawmakers recently prohibited police from making stops for dark taillights, the smell of marijuana or something dangling from a rearview mirror. The D.C. Police Reform Commission has found that even in areas of the District where White residents are the majority, Black people make up a majority of police stops. Last week, the Minnesota legislature debated a bill limiting pretextual stops by police over minor infractions.

[Jockey]

As I have said before, police do this because they enjoy doing it. It is nothing more than cruel entertainment for them.

Cruelty is the point.

[Pakuni]

White guy in Texas murders two sheriff's deputies who were responding to dog complaint.
Was this dangerous criminal:
A. Gunned down by law enforcement officers who responded to the scene
B. Allowed to turn himself in after the town's mayor personally intervened to negotiate his peaceful surrender

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/2-texas-deputies-killed-in-west-texas-shootout-after-car-chase/

[Uncle Rico]

White guy in Texas murders two sheriff's deputies who were responding to dog complaint.
Was this dangerous criminal:
A. Gunned down by law enforcement officers who responded to the scene
B. Allowed to turn himself in after the town's mayor personally intervened to negotiate his peaceful surrender

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/2-texas-deputies-killed-in-west-texas-shootout-after-car-chase/

Why won’t OANN report this?

[Jockey]

White guy in Texas murders two sheriff's deputies who were responding to dog complaint.
Was this dangerous criminal:
A. Gunned down by law enforcement officers who responded to the scene
B. Allowed to turn himself in after the town's mayor personally intervened to negotiate his peaceful surrender

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/2-texas-deputies-killed-in-west-texas-shootout-after-car-chase/

Status quo for whites.

[mu_hilltopper]

White guy in Texas murders two sheriff's deputies who were responding to dog complaint.
Was this dangerous criminal:
A. Gunned down by law enforcement officers who responded to the scene
B. Allowed to turn himself in after the town's mayor personally intervened to negotiate his peaceful surrender

https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/2-texas-deputies-killed-in-west-texas-shootout-after-car-chase/

This is anecdotal, and given time, we'll find another anecdote with the races exchanged.

While I fully realize there is racism in policing .. and blacks are killed at 2x the rate as whites by police .. for every black person killed by the police, there's (almost) two whites killed by police.     

It's not like whites are being treated with kid gloves every time they have a police interaction. 

They're gunning plenty of whites down too.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

It's not like whites are being treated with kid gloves every time they have a police interaction. 

They're gunning plenty of whites down too.

That's not the point though. It's not about making sure Whites get gunned down too. It's showing that even in grievous situations like the murder of two police officers, it is possible for police officers to resolve the situation without killing the suspect (which should always be the goal). This goes against those that argue that officers had no choice but to kill a suspect. Sure, there are some times when that is true but not in every case I've seen it argued.

It also seems that White suspects are "handled with kid gloves" as you put it at a higher rate than Black suspects in similar situations. As you point out in your post, Blacks are gunned down at about 2x the rate as Whites, that is a problem.

[Jockey]

This is anecdotal, and given time, we'll find another anecdote with the races exchanged.

While I fully realize there is racism in policing .. and blacks are killed at 2x the rate as whites by police .. for every black person killed by the police, there's (almost) two whites killed by police.     

It's not like whites are being treated with kid gloves every time they have a police interaction. 

They're gunning plenty of whites down too.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/

You can google all kinds of videos of white guys refusing to comply with cops, threatening to murder cops, beating up cops, etc. that have a good outcome for the white guy.

Your 2-to-1 number of more whites getting shot doesn't seem quite so good when you consider that are almost 5 times as many whites than blacks.

I also wonder how many whites are shot with their hands in the air or shot in the back. I would bet the number is miniscule.

[mu_hilltopper]

That's not the point though. It's not about making sure Whites get gunned down too. It's showing that even in grievous situations like the murder of two police officers, it is possible for police officers to resolve the situation without killing the suspect (which should always be the goal). This goes against those that argue that officers had no choice but to kill a suspect. Sure, there are some times when that is true but not in every case I've seen it argued.

It also seems that White suspects are "handled with kid gloves" as you put it at a higher rate than Black suspects in similar situations. As you point out in your post, Blacks are gunned down at about 2x the rate as Whites, that is a problem.

This is why I called the original post anecdotal.  It is one police story.  I guarantee you, there exists another story about a black man who did something just as terrible who was allowed to surrender peacefully.  100s other stories like that, frankly.

Reading one story or watching one video doesn't paint a realistic picture.   

The issue needs study without emotion, prejudice, nor through a lens what topics are societally palatable to examine.

Blacks and Whites are gunned down by police at different rates.  "Because Racism" is the armchair quarterback answer.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

This is why I called the original post anecdotal.  It is one police story.  I guarantee you, there exists another story about a black man who did something just as terrible who was allowed to surrender peacefully.  100s other stories like that, frankly.

Reading one story or watching one video doesn't paint a realistic picture.   

The issue needs study without emotion, prejudice, nor through a lens what topics are societally palatable to examine.

Blacks and Whites are gunned down by police at different rates.  "Because Racism" is the armchair quarterback answer.

You missed the point again. This example flies in the face of those that say cops have no choice in a given situation, they must kill the suspect. And if you stack up those 100s of examples, you will find Whites "get treated with kid gloves" at a higher rate than Black suspects.

You also misunderstand what racism is. It does not matter if individual cops in individual situations held hate in their heart for people of color. By your own statistics, police kill Blacks at twice the rate of Whites. THAT is systemic racism. I'm sure there's a myriad of reasons for each individual case but if it adds up to Blacks being killed at twice the rate, it is a racist system.

It's not just about the shootings either. It's about the other interactions that have been posted here, Black children being detained for "trespassing" because they took a shortcut through a side yard, a woman getting forcibly dragged from her car having dim taillights. These happen at higher rates with Blacks than Whites. This doesn't even take into account the judicial system where Blacks get convicted at higher rates and receive harsher punishments for similar crimes. It's about the system that leads to these results, not the individual cops, they are symptoms, not the problem.

[MU82]

This is why I called the original post anecdotal.  It is one police story.  I guarantee you, there exists another story about a black man who did something just as terrible who was allowed to surrender peacefully.  100s other stories like that, frankly.

Reading one story or watching one video doesn't paint a realistic picture.   

The issue needs study without emotion, prejudice, nor through a lens what topics are societally palatable to examine.

Blacks and Whites are gunned down by police at different rates.  "Because Racism" is the armchair quarterback answer.

No, that's why we have statistics.

Whites commit more of these crimes, yet Blacks are more likely to get taken down forcefully.

As you yourself alluded to, it's systemic racism, and it's a major effen problem.

The Kenosha kid who is being hailed as a hero by some, Rittenhouse, would have been gunned down almost immediately by cops had he been Black. And the same people who are calling Rittenhouse a hero would have said, "Good! Blackie McBlackerson deserved it!"

A major effen problem.

[Pakuni]

"He died in a car crash."

https://apnews.com/article/ronald-greene-death-louisiana-eca021d8a54ec73598dd72b269826f7a

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

"He died in a car crash."

https://apnews.com/article/ronald-greene-death-louisiana-eca021d8a54ec73598dd72b269826f7a

Unconscionable and disgusting.

It's totally normal to tell a family that a person died on impact in a car crash....when they died over an hour later after being detained for over 45 minutes

[Galway Eagle]

"He died in a car crash."

https://apnews.com/article/ronald-greene-death-louisiana-eca021d8a54ec73598dd72b269826f7a

See this is one of the ones that I was referring to as truly messed up and worth protesting over.

[Jockey]

Those cops really seemed to enjoy it as they tortured and murdered this man. The video was as devastating as the video of George Floyd being tortured and murdered.

[real chili 83]

Three small kids, in separate incidents, shot in the head over the course of about 10 days.  One has passed.  Just tragic.

[Pakuni]

Three small kids, in separate incidents, shot in the head over the course of about 10 days.  One has passed.  Just tragic.

Is this the new "But what about black on black crime, blah blah blah"?
Any gun violence is a tragedy, and especially so when the victim is a child.
But it has absolutely nothing to do with police officers killing an unarmed person, then telling his family he died in a car crash and blocking the release of bodycam video proving otherwise for two years.

And if you really believe those shootings were a tragedy, then join the fight for laws and other measures that make it harder for people to obtain firearms, and advocate for policies and programs that have proven track records of reducing violent crime.
Unfortunately, it's typically the people who write posts like yours that often fight the hardest against measures to prevent these things.

[JWags85]

Those cops really seemed to enjoy it as they tortured and murdered this man. The video was as devastating as the video of George Floyd being tortured and murdered.

You don't actually believe this BS do you?  You post weekly about cops loving this or finding enjoyment in it.  They have no impulse control, they are bullies, and they are excessively punitive when they deem someone is "defying them".  Thats all true and a huge problem without some stupid sociopath angle of gleeful murder.  I bet you think parents that lose control and physically abuse their kids "enjoy" that too.

[Jockey]

Three small kids, in separate incidents, shot in the head over the course of about 10 days.  One has passed.  Just tragic.

So you seem to be equating cops with gang members. I finally found something that I can agree with you on.

But, your point seems to be that since some blacks commit terrible acts, police should be able to kill other blacks at will.

[Jockey]

You don't actually believe this BS do you?  You post weekly about cops loving this or finding enjoyment in it.  They have no impulse control, they are bullies, and they are excessively punitive when they deem someone is "defying them".  Thats all true and a huge problem without some stupid sociopath angle of gleeful murder.  I bet you think parents that lose control and physically abuse their kids "enjoy" that too.

Wags, watch the video. Listen to what the cops say. That is what I base my opinion on.

Some sick parents DO enjoy abusing their kids. Some sick cops enjoy abusing black men. There is plenty of proof if you are interested. One quick example? Sterling Brown in Milwaukee, where once the cop realized he was an NBA player, threated to stomp on his ankle. That is sociopathic and cruel.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Three small kids, in separate incidents, shot in the head over the course of about 10 days.  One has passed.  Just tragic.

I'm glad we agree that the insanely easy access to guns needs to be rectified.

[JWags85]

Wags, watch the video. Listen to what the cops say. That is what I base my opinion on.

Some sick parents DO enjoy abusing their kids. Some sick cops enjoy abusing black men. There is plenty of proof if you are interested. One quick example? Sterling Brown in Milwaukee, where once the cop realized he was an NBA player, threated to stomp on his ankle. That is sociopathic and cruel.

I watched the video.  I didn't read it as "enjoying it".  I interpreted as hotheads were pissed that someone ran from them so they took out their anger, frustration, whatever, on a man well beyond the pale and well after he was under control.  That doesn't make it any less pathetic or criminal, but you act like they are high fiving each other laughing as they taze him.

The Sterling Brown incident.  Again, pathetic policing, but threatening to stomp his ankle?  That was "I don't give a crap if you're a famous athlete, im in control here"  Its not cruelty for sport, its need for power and superiority and abuse of it.

You literally said a page ago that cops "love" harassing black kids when someone calls them about trespassing.  There is plenty of crap that needs to be fixed about systemic racism in policing and other toxicity without some exaggerating depiction of them as a caricature of a Southern plantation owner from a bad movie.  Its blatant projection

Again, none of this is defense of their actions or horrific policing, just framing it all in the proper light.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Three small kids, in separate incidents, shot in the head over the course of about 10 days.  One has passed.  Just tragic.

Chili, you are better than this.

[Pakuni]

I watched the video.  I didn't read it as "enjoying it".  I interpreted as hotheads were pissed that someone ran from them so they took out their anger, frustration, whatever, on a man well beyond the pale and well after he was under control.  That doesn't make it any less pathetic or criminal, but you act like they are high fiving each other laughing as they taze him.

The Sterling Brown incident.  Again, pathetic policing, but threatening to stomp his ankle?  That was "I don't give a crap if you're a famous athlete, im in control here"  Its not cruelty for sport, its need for power and superiority and abuse of it.

You literally said a page ago that cops "love" harassing black kids when someone calls them about trespassing.  There is plenty of crap that needs to be fixed about systemic racism in policing and other toxicity without some exaggerating depiction of them as a caricature of a Southern plantation owner from a bad movie.  Its blatant projection

Again, none of this is defense of their actions or horrific policing, just framing it all in the proper light.

I wouldn't say they never enjoy it. These two seemed to take some glee in roughing up a 73-year-old woman.

Two former Colorado police officers face charges after they violently arrested a 73-year-old woman with dementia last summer—and then laughed while watching gruesome body-cam footage of the incident back at the police station.

Surveillance footage released last month revealed that after the arrest—in which Hopp tackled Garner to the ground and handcuffed her against his cruiser—the officers went back to the station and watched their body-cam footage of the incident as Garner sat in a cell for hours.
“Ready for the pop?” Hopp said to Jalali and other officers as they gathered to watch. “What popped?” another officer asked.
“I think it was her shoulder,” Hopp replied, before later adding: “I can’t believe I threw a 73-year-old on the ground.”

“It’s like live TV... Body-cams are my favorite thing to watch, I could watch livestream body-cams all day,” Jalali said in the footage.


https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-loveland-officers-austin-hopp-daria-jalali-charged-for-karen-garner-arrest