Tag: Police

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New York Times: Tamir Rice Would Be Alive Today If He Had Been White

The New York Times editorial board condemns the shooting death of Cleveland teen Tamir Rice and the Cleveland officials who declined to charge the officer in the fatal shooting.

Tamir Rice of Cleveland would be alive today had he been a white 12-year-old playing with a toy gun in just about any middle-class neighborhood in the country on the afternoon of Nov. 22, 2014.

But Tamir, who was shot to death by a white police officer that day, had the misfortune of being black in a poor area of Cleveland, where the police have historically behaved as an occupying force that shoots first and asks questions later.

[snip]

The Police Department’s disregard for life was fully evident in the way the officers behaved after shooting Tamir. A surveillance video shows them standing by the child for four minutes without giving medical assistance, which was finally provided by an F.B.I. agent who happened to be in the neighborhood. Officer Frank Garmback, Officer Loehmann’s partner, nonetheless tackled the wounded boy’s 14-year-old sister as she tried to rush to his side. One can only imagine her suffering as she watched in handcuffs from the back seat of the squad car while her brother lay bleeding on the ground.

In addition to portraying the killing as a result of a tragic misunderstanding, prosecutors have also suggested the officer’s decision to kill Tamir was shaped by the fact that the surrounding neighborhood had a history of violence and that the boy appeared to be older than 12 because he was big for his age.

These arguments sidestep the history of violent, discriminatory police actions that led up to this boy’s death. They also have the reprehensible effect of shifting the responsibility for this death onto the shoulders of this very young victim.

It’s worth noting that since the officer involved in the shooting said Tamir “looked” 18 years old, and Ohio is an open carry state, why did he assume Tamir was a danger and shoot within seconds of arriving on the scene?

And where is the NRA defending the “right” of a person perceived to be an adult to carry a weapon in a state with open carry laws?

If Tamir had been a white teenage girl, he would be alive today. Period.

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Ohio: Grand Jury Declines To Indict Police For Shooting 12-Year-Old Tamir Rice

Ohio prosecutor Tim McGinty announces no charges for police who shot and killed 12 year old Tamir Rice

From CNN:

An Ohio grand jury has decided not to return an indictment in the 2014 police shooting death of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, prosecutor Tim McGinty said Monday.

Rice was holding a pellet gun when he was shot. It was “reasonable” to believe that the officer who killed the boy was facing a threat, McGinty said.

The officer was in training outside a Cleveland recreation center in November 2014. The shooting sparked controversy given Tamir’s age and the fact that he had a gun that resembled a handgun.

McGinty called Rice’s killing an “absolute tragedy.”

“But it was not, by the law that binds us, a crime,” he said. He said he has “heard the chants” that cry for justice for the boy.

“We too want justice for Tamir,” he said. But it would not be justice to bring charges against the officers involved in the shooting if those charges “could not be sustained.”That, however, “doesn’t mean the legal system is done,” he said. The civil courts may provide some accountability to the boy’s family “that they deserve,” McGinty said.

The shooting of a child should “never happen again,” he said, and he urged that toy gun manufacturers stop making their products look so much like real guns.

Tamir had been playing near the swings of a recreation center near his home when he was shot on November 22. He died a day later.

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Top 10 Scandals & Controversies Of 2015

End of the year means all those “Top 10” lists. I love “Top 10” Lists.

CNN shares this look back at the scandals and controversies of 2015.

Included on the list this year are “most hated man in America,” Martin Shkeli (who jacked the price of an HIV drug by 5000%) and Josh “Sanctity of Marriage” Duggar.

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Required Reading: “I Fit The Description”

Longtime art professor Steve Locke, of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, shares a chilling episode of being stopped by police because he “fit the description” of a recent crime.

On one hand, you might say, “Well, this is how the police work.”

But please click over and read his account of what went through his head at the time.

Because he “fit the description.”

If you are a white male in America, it may be very hard for you to understand why this is troubling.

An excerpt:

I noticed the police car in the public lot behind Centre Street. As I was walking away from my car, the cruiser followed me. I walked down Centre Street and was about to cross over to the burrito place and the officer got out of the car.

“Hey my man,” he said.

He unsnapped the holster of his gun.

I took my hands out of my pockets.

“Yes?” I said.

“Where you coming from?”

“Home.”

Where’s home?”

“Dedham.”

How’d you get here?”

“I drove.”

He was next to me now. Two other police cars pulled up. I was standing in from of the bank across the street from the burrito place. I was going to get lunch before I taught my 1:30 class. There were cops all around me.

I said nothing. I looked at the officer who addressed me. He was white, stocky, bearded.

“You weren’t over there, were you?” He pointed down Centre Street toward Hyde Square.

“No. I came from Dedham.”

“What’s your address?”

I told him.

“We had someone matching your description just try to break into a woman’s house.”

A second police officer stood next to me; white, tall, bearded. Two police cruisers passed and would continue to circle the block for the 35 minutes I was standing across the street from the burrito place.

“You fit the description,” the officer said. “Black male, knit hat, puffy coat. Do you have identification.”

“It’s in my wallet. May I reach into my pocket and get my wallet?”

“Yeah.”

I handed him my license. I told him it did not have my current address. He walked over to a police car. The other cop, taller, wearing sunglasses, told me that I fit the description of someone who broke into a woman’s house. Right down to the knit cap.

Barbara Sullivan made a knit cap for me. She knitted it in pinks and browns and blues and oranges and lime green. No one has a hat like this. It doesn’t fit any description that anyone would have. I looked at the second cop. I clasped my hands in front of me to stop them from shaking.

Read the entire post from Steve Locke here.

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President Obama Blasts Fox News For Distorting Support For Police

Speaking to the Congressional Black Caucus this past Saturday night, President Obama made a point to call Fox News out for repeatedly distorting his support for police officers.

For a long time now, Fox News has portrayed Obama as unsupportive and divisive when it comes to police officers and the communities they serve.

From the transcript:

“I want to repeat – because somehow this never shows up on Fox News. I want to repeat – because I’ve said it a lot, unwaveringly, all the time: Our law enforcement officers do outstanding work in an incredibly difficult and dangerous job. They put their lives on the line for our safety. We appreciate them and we love them. That’s why my Task Force on 21st Century Policing made a set of recommendations that I want to see implemented to improve their safety, as well as to make sure that our criminal justice system is being applied fairly. Officers show uncommon bravery in our communities every single day. They deserve our respect. […]

“So I just want to repeat, because somehow this never gets on the TV: There is no contradiction between us caring about our law enforcement officers and also making sure that our laws are applied fairly. Do not make this as an either/or proposition. This is a both/and proposition. We want to protect our police officers. We’ll do a better job doing it if our communities can feel confident that they are being treated fairly. I hope I’m making that clear. I hope I’m making that clear.”

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NYPD Releases Video Showing Tackle & Cuffing Of Tennis Star James Blake

Earlier this week I reported on the disturbing treatment tennis star James Blake received at the hands of the New York Police Department.

In a case of mistaken identity, an undercover cop rushed Blake, tackled him, then slammed him to the ground and handcuffed him for 15 minutes. The cop never identified himself as a police officer. Eventually other officers were on the scene and they realized they had mistaken Blake for snother man being sought for identity theft.

Finally, Blake received an apology from the Chief of Police and the Mayor, but the cop who body slammed him to the ground never apologized. Not even a simple, “hey man, my bad.”

Identity theft is basically a white collar crime. There was clearly no sense that Blake was or would be violent. Some have wondered if the cop would have used the same force against a white man.

It’s also come to light that the officer, James Frascatore, has had a record of complaints.

The New York Police Department Friday released video showing the cop’s “detaining technique” with Blake, USA Today reported. Watch this and imagine this is your innocent son, peacefully checking his email while waiting for friends, and then this happens.  With no explanation.

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Spanish Police Officers Marry In Full Dress Uniform To Cheers

One of the first nations to embrace marriage equality back in 2005, Spain continues to do the LGBT community proud.

Madrid Pride is an enormously successful celebration, and the country is very accepting of same-sex marriage.

However, I still get a tingle seeing the wedding of two Catalan police officers, Chema and Jonathan, see such an embrace. And could they be any more handsome?

(Full dress uniform. Swoon….)

Speaking with Spanish radio station Canal Sur, Chema said they have many gay friends on the police force, adding:

“If it helps someone who is being bullied in school for their sexual orientation to see it as something normal, then that’s great.”

“It’s not something that should be hidden just because you belong to a particular institution.”

Congrats to a happy, beautiful couple!

(h/t Gay Star News)

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Tennis Great James Blake Tackled & Slammed To The Ground After Being Mistaken For ID Theft Suspect

James Blake, once ranked 4th in the world of professional tennis, was mistaken for a suspect in an identity theft crime, tackled, slammed to the ground and handcuffed by plainclothes police officers.

After fifteen minutes of being handcuffed, the five police officers involved realized they were mistaken. The first officer, who tackled him, slammed him to the ground and cuffed him, never said a word of apology.

The NY Daily News reports:

The incident occurred around noon in front of the Grand Hyatt on East 42 St., as Blake, a 35-year-old African-American who attended Harvard before going on tour, was waiting for a car to take him to Flushing Meadows, where he was making corporate appearances for Time-Warner Cable.

“It was definitely scary and definitely crazy,” said Blake, who was once ranked No. 4 in the world and was among the most popular U.S. players of his generation. He suffered a cut to his left elbow and bruises to his left leg.

Asked if he considered it a case of racial profiling, Blake said, “I don’t know if it’s as simple as that. To me it’s as simple as unnecessary police force, no matter what my race is. In my mind there’s probably a race factor involved, but no matter what there’s no reason for anybody to do that to anybody.

“You’d think they could say, ‘Hey, we want to talk to you. We are looking into something. I was just standing there. I wasn’t running. It’s not even close (to be okay). It’s blatantly unnecessary. You would think at some point they would get the memo that this isn’t okay, but it seems that there’s no stopping it.”

So, this isn’t hard, Mr. First Cop. You make a mistake, at least say you’re sorry. You tackle someone, slam them to the ground, handcuff them – and then when it’s clear you’re in the wrong you walk on with no word of apology?

Oh, did I mention he’s black? And yes, all the officers were white.

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Cincinnati: Body Cam Video Released In Connection To Shooting Death Of Samuel DuBose

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WARNING: This video contains graphic content. Watch the full bodycam footage of the shooting incident that resulted in the death of Samuel Dubose on July 19th.
Posted by msnbc on Wednesday, July 29, 2015

University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing was indicted Wednesday on a murder charge for fatally shooting Samuel DuBose during a traffic stop July 19.

Samuel DuBose was stopped for not having a front license plate.

The footage above is from Officer Tensing’s body cam.

Things escalate at about the 2:15 mark.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters issued this statement after releasing the body cam video to the public: “It’s an absolute tragedy that anyone would behave in this manner. It was senseless. It’s just horrible. He purposefully killed him.”

Officer Tensing originally said DuBose tried to run him down and he feared he would get “sucked up under the car.”

Read more about the case here.