Walter Scott (1965-2015) was a 50-year-old unarmed Black American man and father of four who was shot dead by a White police officer during a traffic stop. That was on April 4th 2015 in North Charleston, South Carolina. The killer cop was Michael T. Slager.
Officer Slager said that on Saturday April 4th he stopped Scott for a broken tail light on the Mercedes Benz he was driving. At some point during the stop, Scott took the officer’s taser gun. Officer Slager, in fear for his life, shot Scott. He then gave Scott CPR to try to save him.
Scott’s brother Anthony arrived at the scene. The police would not tell him why they killed his brother. Anthony Scott:
“This just doesn’t sound right. How do you lose your life at a traffic stop?”
Part of the traffic stop was caught on video by Feidin Santana on his phone. He was walking to work at the time.
The video shows Scott running away and Officer Slager shooting eight times at his back. Scott falls. Instead of giving CPR, Slager handcuffs him.
Officer Slager then goes to get a black object and drops it on the ground next to Scott. He does it like he has done it before. It is presumably the taser gun, dropped next to Scott to create “evidence” to support his lie, his lie to get away with murder.
Santana overcame his fears and gave the video to Scott’s family. Their lawyer gave it to the press.
And then, amazingly:
- Officer Slager was charged with murder – no grand jury necessary!
- Officer Slager was arrested – no protests necessary!
- Officer Slager was fired – no paid leave!
- The state took over the investigation – the police department was not trusted to investigate itself!
- The police chief was “sickened” by the video.
In short, the Normal Human Reactions that seem so strangely lacking in White people when an unarmed Black person is killed by the police (and yet they will go nuts over a Paula Deen or a Don Sterling for saying racist stuff).
Scott did have a warrant for his arrest. He was way behind on child support payments. But I doubt that is an offence punishable by death in the state of South Carolina.
North Charleston is about 47% Black and 37% White – yet the police force is about 80% White. No doubt because North Charleston only hires the “best” people.
There were two known complaints against Slager in the past. In September 2013 he tasered someone and slammed them to the ground for no good reason. The police department “exonerated” him of that complaint.
If found guilty of murder, Slager could get 30 years to life in prison. But that is a big if. After all, there was damning video in the cases of Eric Garner and Rodney King, and yet the police walked free. Phantom Caucasian Justice.
Just so you know: Over the past five years in South Carolina, police have shot 209 people. Not a single police officer was convicted of a crime.
– Abagond, 2015, 2017.
Update (April 13th): The Associated Press says there was no warrant for Scott’s arrest. NBC says there was.
Update (December 7th 2016): The trial ended in a hung jury. Ten White jurors and one Black juror voted to find Slager guilty of at least manslaughter, but, after four days, they were not able to persuade the remaining White juror, who said, “I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict,” – despite the video that shows Officer Slager shooting Scott in the back five times while he runs away!
See also:
- Eric Garner
- Phantom Caucasian Justice
- grand jury
- Racist Uncles
- background:
What I found so interesting also was how quick the North Charleston Police chief came forward to condemn this. Maybe he doesn’t want to happen to him what eventually happened to Ferguson’s police chief.
But then again, that was only after the video surfaced.
If the State of SC takes over, then maybe they will not need a DOJ probe.
Will they try to thuggify Walter Scott? That may be difficult if the police are not controlling the media.
One thing is sure — if the Police chief decides to pin it on this officer, that might not have the best result. White people like to pin racist behaviour on certain whites that are so obviously far gone. Then they can go back to continuing their own racist behaviour untouched. (that is, racist behaviour among whites can be pinned on a few bad apples; the vast majority are non-racist colour blind upstanding citizens. :P)
It will be interesting to follow this case.
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@ Jefe
Not to worry. The New York Times is already on it.
In the article they wrote when this first came out, they told us of Slager’s Coast Guard service but did NOT inform us of the complaints against him as a police officer.
Scott also served in the Coast Guard. The New York Times did NOT bring that up. Instead they combed through his police record going all the way back to 1987 when Scott was 22 or so.
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^^^
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Slager? As in the Dutch for Butcher, just a bit more domestic than Slayer? SANTA-na comes up with the evidence to get the murderer prosecuted? I could understand people might think it was made up, but coincidences exist.
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@ Jefe
Yeah. Maybe the police chief does not want to see his city in flames.
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@ teddy1975
Wow.
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South Carolina has indicted four white policemen for brutality since last year. This is my birth place and is along the narrow strip of land between Savannah, Ga. and Charleston, SC where slaves were “welcomed” to the new world. I live on a little island in between… that the black former slaves took over and made their own after the “civil” war. North Charleston is a hop, skip and a jump for me, should this “runaway slave” killer get off for being a “blue brother/ slave catcher” for the 1%. Me pissed, yeah? Indictments mean nothing. I’ll be in North Charleston for A14, for sure.
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Yep, I think the North Charleston Police chief does not want to see his city get burned to the ground and get broadcast to the whole world. Tear gas, batons, looting, tanks, the National Guard in North Charleston? If that happened, it would not bode well for him. Better to pin it on a single offender to play the role of the racist uncle and blow over quickly so that North Charleston can resume its natural normal (and racist) self.
It would lead to more effective reorganization if the State or Federal govt found a pattern in the North Charleston police department and not pinned on this single murderous cop, but on an institutional problem. That would not bode well for the police chief either.
Any more development on Tamir Rice in Cleveland? I have not seen any development on that.
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I’ve been reading comments about this latest killing and it’s sickening. Some idiots are pulling everything from their behinds saying he shouldn’t have run away from that cop. They must’ve seen something else that I didn’t see. My gosh! Mr. Scott was murdered in cold blood! RIP Mr. Scott. 😦
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I wonder why Scott ran in the first place…maybe he had experienced brutality from cops before. I wouldn’t be surprised what with his numerous run ins with the police. What’s the north charlestons pd reputation?
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The horrific cell phone video sheds a beam of light on Mike Brown’s killing last August. Notice the similarities. Shootist Darren Wilson stopped Mike Brown for walking in the street. Shootist Michael Thomas Slager pulled over Walter Scott for a faulty brake light. Wilson said that Brown tried to take his gun. Slager said that Scott tried to take his stun gun. Wilson said that he feared for his life. Slager said that he feared for his life. Both Brown and Scott ran from the police because they probably feared for their lives as well. Wilson shot Brown six times, mostly in the front of the body, with one bullet entering the top of his head apparently as he fell from the previous shots. The video shows Slager firing eight times at Scott’s back. Scott fell to the ground. The fearful so-called officers, Wilson and Slager, are alive and Brown and Scott are dead. Unfortunately, Wilson was not charged with murder. Officials in South Carolina filed a murder charge against Slager three days after Scott’s shooting, fortunately.
If this horrific video had not been recorded Michael Thomas Slager would still be patrolling the streets of North Charleston. Slager would be called an American hero by White people, and, of course, Slager would have been funded thousands of dollars by his people (White people) for killing another Black man. Enough said.
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@ leigh204
I’ve read ill-comments about Walter Scott’s killing and, yes, I agree with you – it is sickening. But for those idiots to rhetorically comment on Scott’s killing says a whole lot about the immorality that exists across America and the world over. Although I don’t make bets but I can surely bet anyone that the same idiots that said he shouldn’t have run away from that cop are the SAME idiots who root for the White guys who run away from the police in the reality TV show called ‘Cops’.
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Michael Cooper said:
This. ^
It’s the video that has made the reaction possible. Not just that it showed the murder, but also that it showed the throw-down of the taser. The video and the cautionary example of Ferguson make it expedient to sacrifice this one killer cop for the sake of PR. That is all. No police chiefs were “sickened”, no officials were shocked. Circumstances forced them into a damage limitation exercise.
Without the video it would have been business as usual. I doubt that any proportionate justice will occur.
And let’s not forget the accessories after the fact who tried to help the murderer cover it up.
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The North Charleston police department’s reaction looks like damage control to avoid becoming another Ferguson and subject of another DOJ probe. It’s OK to have a sacrificial lamb.
This is certainly not the first time something like that happened there. What happened to the prior cases?
Their swift and condemnation reaction will enable them to keep the power structure and history of institutional racism in check.
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The negative comments about Walter Scott, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown etc etc etc have nothing to do with the facts of the cases. Even where some of the victim-blaming may contain details that are factually correct, that is irrelevant. It is a ritual of denial and blame that cares nothing for facts. It is automatic and poisonous.
One cannot argue with those kinds of commentators. Pointing out numerous bullets in the back of a victim who was running will not register beyond triggering a counter claim that the killer cop somehow “felt threatened”. Pure ritual.
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I think your final statement — “Not a single police officer was convicted of a crime” — may not go far enough. I thought I read somewhere that not a single internal investigation resulted in a finding that an officer had acted wrongly.
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“A new report by ThinkProgress.com unearthed disturbing figures when it came to the number of police-related deaths that occurred in America in the month of March alone.
Just last month, in the 31 days of March, police in the United States killed more people than the UK did in the entire 20th century. In fact, it was twice as many; police in the UK only killed 52 people during that 100 year period.
According to the report by ThinkProgess, in March alone, 111 people died during police encounters — 36 more than the previous month.
This high number in March increased the average for police killings from every 8.5 hours, to nearly 1 police killing every 6.5 hours in the US.
China, whose population is 4 and 1/2 times the size of the United States, recorded 12 killings by law enforcement officers in 2014.
On average, US police kill people at a rate 70 times higher than any of the other first world countries as they “protect and serve” the American citizens.”
(It’s ironic how many here, and worldwide, still believe that the USA is THE bastion of Freedom.)
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?466603-U.S.-Police-Kill-More-Civilians-in-March-than-UK-Police-Killed-in-100-Years&p=5596717
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re: Abagond
It might be instructive to compare how different news agencies cover this. I just saw that CNN mentioned Scott’s Coast Guard record.
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@Michael Cooper
“If this horrific video had not been recorded Michael Thomas Slager would still be patrolling the streets of North Charleston. Slager would be called an American hero by White people, and, of course, Slager would have been funded thousands of dollars by his people (White people) for killing another Black man. Enough said.”
worth saying again
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Too bad no cameras were around to film Miriam Carey’s assassination on the Washington mall. Very similar circumstances. Fleeing driver shot several times in the back.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/08/us/miriam-carey-autopsy/index.html
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Petitions:
“The online fundraising platform Indiegogo is enabling Officer Michael Slager to profit in the aftermath of killing Walter Scott, an unarmed Black man that Slager shot eight times while he was trying to run away.
Join our campaign demanding that Indiegogo remove ALL Michael Slager fundraising pages from their platform immediately. So far Indiegogo is refusing to do so.”
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/indiegogo/?sp_ref=114347251.176.12472.o.1.2&referring
“Subject: When the media protects killer cops
The Post and Courier reporter Andrew Knapp’s initial article on the shooting tries and convicts the victim, Walter Scott, by overemphasizing Michael Slager’s version of events, as well as Scott’s irrelevant criminal record.
His piece exemplifies a media landscape that blindly trusts the word of law enforcement, and inadequately examines police brutality cases. In turn, this media culture fuels the violent and racist culture of policing that endangers the lives of Black folks every day.”
Demand the Post and Courier issue a public apology immediately. http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/scott_postcourier/?sp_ref=114360220.176.12470.e.0.2&referring_akid=4270.2267999.nGsG3t&source=em_sp
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@jefe…“What I found so interesting also was how quick the North Charleston Police chief came forward to condemn this. Maybe he doesn’t want to happen to him what eventually happened to Ferguson’s police chief.
But then again, that was only after the video surfaced.
If the State of SC takes over, then maybe they will not need a DOJ probe.”
Pt. 1: I just moved back home last May after 40 years and live about 10-15 minutes from the scene. I left last Friday to visit the husband in FL cuz I just needed to recharge because I’d begun to get frustrated. It seemed my people, despite a very vocal NAACP president, had been either so beaten down they’d given up on standing up or, for those who’d “moved on up,” held pretty much the same attitudes as the white folk, that the problem was us (I remember talking to a family member when I first got back about the case I linked to below and was told, “With these knuckleheads running around, what would happen if we didn’t have the cops?” My reply was, “A lot fewer dead Black folk”). No matter the meetings I’ve attended over the last near-year, I didn’t ever get the feeling there’d be any Ferguson-like protests, ever.
But I’m pretty sure that was one of the reasons why the mayor & police chief moved so quickly to condemn AFTER THE VIDEO SURFACED but, “business as usual” had already begun from the day of the murder (Sat.) until then. As Abagond pointed out, the NYT was already on it, and so were all the local “news” outlets: http://fair.org/blog-entries/media-were-already-running-with-police-fantasy-when-video-exploded-it/
I’ve no doubt had that video not surfaced, things would’ve progressed exactly as Michael Cooper described — because it happened downtown a month after I’d moved back (different PD since N. Charleston incorporated, becoming its own city in ’72, but same MO): http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/gaps-remain-in-the-denzel-curnell-suicide-narrative/Content?oid=4957874
There was surveillance video in that case as well, but conveniently, 3 crucial minutes of video were missing — from the time the off-duty cop working security (a legal George Zimmerman if you will) pulled up to the curb and confronted the young man in a hoodie, to the time the cop is outside of his car pointing his gun at the kid on the ground, dead. As you can see from the link, the cop, fully supported by the mayor & police chief, was fully exonerated and SLED & the Solicitor ruled this kid’s death a suicide, mainly, IMO, bcuz nobody knew what happened during those 3 minutes! This time, the whole world knows what happened. So no, SLED taking over doesn’t necessarily mean no DOJ probe will be needed.
Black folk were angry, there was no marching that I heard of, but the NAACP held a meeting which I did attend. The purpose was to acquire enough information from individuals who’d endured fake traffic stops, excessive force encounters with the cops, etc., to force a DOJ probe. To my knowledge, it went nowhere — until now, thanks to that cell phone video.
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Poor black America.
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@jefe…Pt. 2
I think the MOST important reason for the quick response though is the age-old, capitalist one — “dollar, dollar bills y’all.”
Charleston has been vying for the #1 tourist destination since they successfully — to use your word on another of Abagond’s post — they “bleached” downtown of its former, Black majority, pushing most of us to the North Area as it used to be called through gentrification and bad property decisions by some Black folk (to include my own). Condé Nast Traveler’s has knighted it so for 4 years in a row which has brought beaucoup tourist dollars there since: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2014/10/20/cond-nast-names-charleston-no-1-us-city-for-fourth-year-in-a-row
North Charleston, has experienced significant $$$ growth with the courting of large companies like Boeing, in particular, which is set to build yet another engineering plant there soon per a meeting I attended in my community with Mayor Summey. They have plans for a new transportation hub worth $14 million: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150318/PC16/150319311/1177
and they’re in the running for Volvo now, while Daimler’s already committed to expand a van assembly plant: http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article13748288.html
The mayor can’t afford to have these lucrative deals fall through over one idiot cop who got caught on tape committing murder! He’s been mayor for 20 years and his daddy was mayor there as well (Hell, downtown Charleston’s mayor’s been there for 40 years!). There are some Black candidates angling for his job in the next election, it’ll be interesting to see how that goes after all this.
I’ve been trying to write a series about all I’ve seen since coming back, but have been blocked for some time due to sheer frustration. Sadly, it seems Walter Scott’s death has unblocked me. Hope to be done with it soon.
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@shannon…“This is my birth place and is along the narrow strip of land between Savannah, Ga. and Charleston, SC where slaves were “welcomed” to the new world. I live on a little island in between… that the black former slaves took over and made their own after the “civil” war.”
Yeah, we were “welcomed” at our own Ellis Island — the Sullivan’s Island Pest Houses where they held hundreds of West African slaves for up to 30 days in cramped 30×10 spaces to hose ’em down and make sure they had no contagious diseases. I’ve been gone so long and I’m old now, my memory fails me these days, but I think I have some family where you live! 😃 James or Johns??
Since I’ve been out of town since last Friday, I’ve only been able to follow what’s happening online. I totally agree with you, “Indictments mean nothing.” I’m going back this weekend and I’d like to get in where I fit in — what’s “A14?”
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@nomad…“Too bad no cameras were around to film Miriam Carey’s assassination on the Washington mall.”
Hey, ‘mad!! I totally agree with you! They murdered Miriam Carey and nobody seemed to care.
@Speakout…““The online fundraising platform Indiegogo is enabling Officer Michael Slager to profit in the aftermath of killing Walter Scott, an unarmed Black man that Slager shot eight times while he was trying to run away.”
Seems they went to Indiegogo after GoFundMe rejected them: http://www.live5news.com/story/28753926/gofundme-rejects-campaign-to-support-officer-in-fatal-n-charleston-shooting
From the link:
“We’re campaigning to show our Support for Officer Michael T. Slager! We believe in all of our LEOs and want to publicly support them! Although he may have made mis-steps in judgement he was protecting the community.”
As of 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, $66 of the $5,000 goal had been raised.
Protecting the community from whom, him?? Smdh $66 since Wednesday, seems nobody’s buying that BS after seeing that video.
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And, right on cue: http://www.live5news.com/story/28769315/rev-al-sharpton-to-visit-charity-baptist-church-this-weekend
Can’t wait to miss that!
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Hi, Deb. The story’s still not clear, but apparently they got the child away from her and shot her in the back every bit as cold blooded as Slager. The only difference is we don’t have pictures to touch us on that visceral level. And the Prez sat back and approved.
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should have included “as she ran for her life”
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@nomad…“The only difference is we don’t have pictures to touch us on that visceral level. And the Prez sat back and approved.”
We talked about this at my place remember? The child was in the car while they trained their guns on her and then shot her in the back as she tried to run away. I, for one, was touched viscerally by this young sister’s execution, pictures or not. And yes, as usual, particularly when it comes to Black folk, the Changeling didn’t do a damned thing — no investigation ordered, no probe, no nothing. {smdh}
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@Deb
Yes indeed.
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So, how do we make this stop?
That’s been a question on my mind for the longest. Because things like these can’t continue indefinitely without some form of pushback.
Sadly, I wonder sometimes if we even have the strength to push back anymore. It seems we’re still stuck in our desire to get along with the same people, the same groups and the same institutions that not only think so little of us, but would also want to see us dead in droves.
How do we make this stop?
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[…] Source: abagond.wordpress.com […]
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@ Mack Lyons
“How do we make this stop?”
>>>>
Critical Mass. When the tipping point is reached.
Unfortunately, a lot more Black people will have died by the time we reach this tipping point…. if we do reach it.
Critical Mass – when the majority of us begin to realize that we’re already marked for death, and therefore have nothing of value to lose.
Then, hopefully, we might fight/push back.
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I knew they would find a way to get support to fund this beast
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Why is Sharpton getting so much hate for wanting to come along and lend his support ? He’s dammed if he doesn’t but dammed if does.
As to this case : You know what ? I wish to god the witness would have held onto the video for 10 more days.
I would have loved that just see Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, other slick white racists, right wingers, stormfronters zombies and many others go on their precanned anti-“thug” tirades and smear campaigns, possibly digging up a parking violation the Walter Scott may have committed 20 years ago, and generally siding with the murderer.
And then BOOM !!!!!!
Video drops. O my god – That would have been beautiful.
Although that didn’t happen, I’m sure people are so much more skeptical about word of the police now. And I’m sure it has changed some minds about Ferguson.
With all that being said. Eric Garner’s murder was caught on camera too and the only person who served time was the camera man.
So the brave person who shot this video, you can bet that Easter Egg, you got last Sunday, they’re checking his immigration status right now
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@ Jefe
Here is the South Carolina Post and Courier article that came out two days after the shooting, which was BEFORE it knew about the video:
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150406/PC16/150409558/1268/north-charleston-police-say-officer-who-fatally-shot-man-pulled-him-over-because-of-brake
The New York Times would have had to have known about this article. If you compare the two, you will see that the Times LEFT out the complaints against Slager – but not his Coast Guard service.
The same NYT link I gave earlier in the thread:
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“ith all that being said. Eric Garner’s murder was caught on camera too and the only person who served time was the camera man.”—-Exactly! Which is why I am a bit worried about how this will go.
Whites don’t even defend not being racist anymore.
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Stopped for a broken tail light. And ended up DEAD. I just can’t anymore. I’m in self preservation mode. R.I.P. Walter Scott. This was someone’s brother, nephew, cousin, father…
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http://watercoolerconvos.com/2014/08/10/white-fear-the-single-greatest-killer-of-black-people-in-the-us/#disqus_thread
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@Deb,
So, you mention that the Charleston Area NAACP has been pushing for a DOJ probe all along. I would surmise that the North Charleston police chief DOES NOT WANT THAT so will do anything to prevent it. Once the video surfaced, he was quick to act – fire the police officer and charge him with murder. In other words, the police chief needed to wipe his hands clean.
We now need to come to another step – require a DOJ probe each and every time an unarmed suspect is killed by the police. Hopefully it will cause the other police depts to shape up fast to avoid this probe.
Or maybe it would force districts with obvious problems to satisfy federal requirements, like the Voting Rights Act used to. Anyone aware of any federal legislation being proposed?
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@Abagond,
Thanks for the information.
It is interesting how the information changes depending on who is reporting it and how many days after the shooting.
It is interesting how the SC paper can put something like “The police officer felt threatened” in the headline and find it perfectly normal to say things like that. An unarmed man who is not in the process of committing any crime or actually threatening the officer can be called a deadly threat without a single reader (esp. the white ones) flinching.
Each paper is obviously representing a political interest. What is NYT’s? What is the NYT’s vested interest in thuggifying Scott?
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Yup, … my pathetic hometown of Charleston, S.C. has done it again. Thanks for showing the world that racism is alive and well; thanks for revealing that every police shooting is in fact a re-reading of a tired police officer’s script; thanks for letting us all know that all black witnesses truly are liars,. ..that’s unless you have a video; thanks for confirming that black men only morph into either a monster or the black Hulk with super strength only when video cameras are not within the immediate area; thanks for corroborating the contention that most white police officers lack the required amount of empathy to be certified as policemen; thanks for authenticating once again that those within the status quo only respond to an unarmed person being murdered when their own status is threatened; thanks Mayor Summey, Police Chief Driggers and Governor Haley for showing the world that you believe that black lives truly DOESN’T MATTER when you’re considered a lifelong reprobate; absent self redeeming qualities; thanks for revealing the true attitudes of officials when an attempted cover-up is caught on tape; because only at that time will so-called officials respond quickly as REAL OFFICIALS; thanks for allowing us a glimpse into the feeble mindset of some white folks until irrefutable evidence to the contrary surface; … up to that point, white folks in general put on a mask to pretend as if they’re benevolent caring folks. In summary, THANKS FOR NOTHING!
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@Mack Lyons…“Sadly, I wonder sometimes if we even have the strength to push back anymore. It seems we’re still stuck in our desire to get along with the same people, the same groups and the same institutions that not only think so little of us, but would also want to see us dead in droves.”
I think it’s a 50/50 thing — part lack of strength for some, part lack of will for others, especially those of us who believe “we’ve arrived & are accepted” like some Black celebs & politicians in particular, who are held up as “role models” not because of any stand they take, or real work they do in & for the community — but because of the money they make (for themselves, or for their capitalist overlords).
I agree with Just Me that the ONLY way to make it stop is, “Critical Mass – when the majority of us begin to realize that we’re already marked for death, and therefore have nothing of value to lose.
Then, hopefully, we might fight/push back.”
The trick is getting there, and believe you me, I’ve seen, in the last near-year I’ve been home, that’s a tough mountain to climb.
@TheHipHopRecords…“Why is Sharpton getting so much hate for wanting to come along and lend his support ? He’s dammed if he doesn’t but dammed if does.”
No hate here, just awareness of who he is. Given all that’s been unveiled about his activities, playing both sides of the fence to fatten his pockets (FBI snitch, milking big corporations for cash NOT to march or protest against their BS, etc.: http://breakingbrown.com/2014/04/yvette-carnell-please-dont-embarrass-yourself-by-defending-rev-al-sharpton/)
I don’t damn him if he doesn’t, actually I’d just prefer he didn’t.
“As to this case : You know what ? I wish to god the witness would have held onto the video for 10 more days…And then BOOM !!!!!!
Video drops. O my god – That would have been beautiful.”
Yep, it sure would’ve been — but in this instance, Santana saw wrong and wanted to right it, rather than playing those “Games Mother Never Taught You” (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34238.Games_Mother_Never_Taught_You — I read this book back in 1978 after graduating college and going out into the corporate world in DC. It was written for women, but I can still see how it applies to men, not initiated into the “American way” of doing business in this country like Santana, who is Dominican). I’m glad he went ahead and turned it over to the Scott family because it gave them hope for justice, when before that, there wasn’t any.
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Do people think that Santana’s act will help mitigate the resentment that some non-Hispanic blacks feel towards Dominicans in the US?
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@jefe…“So, you mention that the Charleston Area NAACP has been pushing for a DOJ probe all along. I would surmise that the North Charleston police chief DOES NOT WANT THAT so will do anything to prevent it. Once the video surfaced, he was quick to act – fire the police officer and charge him with murder. In other words, the police chief needed to wipe his hands clean.
We now need to come to another step – require a DOJ probe each and every time an unarmed suspect is killed by the police. Hopefully it will cause the other police depts to shape up fast to avoid this probe.
Or maybe it would force districts with obvious problems to satisfy federal requirements, like the Voting Rights Act used to. Anyone aware of any federal legislation being proposed?
“
No, the NAAP was pushing for a DOJ probe in the case that happened in downtown Charleston. That went nowhere. But I think you’re dead-on regarding the North Charleston police chief. While I think your suggestion of a probe each and every time is a wonderful idea — I wouldn’t hold your breath. Hell, we wouldn’t have even gotten a charge and/or firing in this case had there not been a video. Your, “…like the Voting Rights Act used to” is proof enough of that. Remember when they gutted it, Roberts, writing for the majority said, “Our country has changed”… While any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions.” I’m not aware of any proposed legislation.
@blakksage… AMEN — to every word you said!!!
@jefe…“Do people think that Santana’s act will help mitigate the resentment that some non-Hispanic blacks feel towards Dominicans in the US?”
Maybe, but for me, given the apartheid going on in Hispaniola against Haitians: http://www.ezilidanto.com/zili/2015/02/barbaric-lynching-dominican-republic/ — it’s on a case-by-case basis. I have to admit, when Santana came forward and I found out he was Dominican, I was surprised he’d gone that extra mile for a Black man who resembled the Haitians that his countrymen have routinely been persecuting. Just goes to show, you can’t paint everyone with a broad brush, because I am truly grateful that he did what he did. But that’s just me…
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@sharinalr…Thanx for the link to that most powerful and truthful piece! I feel exactly like the writer!!
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@Deb,
Maybe Santana’s act might be an indication of where he lives — in SC he gets racialized as black. But Dominicans in NYC might see themselves differently.
In any case, I hope we can all learn not to paint everyone with a broad brush.
Re: Police forces around the country.
Indeed, most are administered at the local level – by county, or even down to city or town. There does not seem to be much oversight at the State level, not to mention the Federal level.
Voting registration has always been administered at the local level. It wasn’t decided until 1965 that Federal oversight was needed. Has any congressman or senator or someone from the Executive branch promoted the idea that oversight at the Federal level is needed for local police administration?
At least Holder and Obama condemned the SCOTUS decision to relax Federal voting right oversight. I can’t for the life of me how they could take Shelby’s county’s word for it, being situated right between Birmingham and Selma, and right while the film Selma was being produced and filmed.
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@Mack Lyons
I don’t think that it can be stopped by a reaction by POC alone. Although racism is a discrete issue in and of itself, it is also symptomatic of a wider unsustainable prevalence of inequality – economic, social, gender, racial…
The whole thing, the whole runaway society of individualist greed, selfishness, disregard of community… It all needs dismantling and replacing with a society based on totally different values and priorities. IMO, POC and working class whites share a great deal in common. There should be natural alliance, but hostility and racism-through-ignorance have been engineered.
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i owe approximately $28000 in back child support, i am not allowed to leave the USA or perhaps it is more accurate to say i would not be allowed back in
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i been in charleston county lockup SGT AL CANNON or some crap like that
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—-
Originally Posted By @deb
No hate here, just awareness of who he is. Given all that’s been unveiled about his activities, playing both sides of the fence to fatten his pockets (FBI snitch, milking big corporations for cash NOT to march or protest against their BS, etc.: http://breakingbrown.com/2014/04/yvette-carnell-please-dont-embarrass-yourself-by-defending-rev-al-sharpton/)
—–
OK. Fair enough. I’m in England. So even thiough I know and most people know who Sharpton is. I don’t know how much dirt he’s allegedly done. I like to think the best of people and maybe with Sharpton it’s that’s ol saying “Just because a person does good, that don’t mean they are good”. I just found it interesting that the Scott family dont want him at the funeral. Maybe they don’t Sharpton and the circus of it all.
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v8driver said: “i owe approximately $28000 in back child support, i am not allowed to leave the USA or perhaps it is more accurate to say i would not be allowed back in.”
I have a question for you. How much is there a chance of you getting a few hollow point bullets violently inserted into your back as a white man for what you owe in child support?
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Scott owed $18,000. His brother said that he ran from the police because he was afraid of getting thrown in prison for it.
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@blakksage I would say probably significantly less than a black man, but i think the cops are trained to just blast away lately. I do see your point as this fat white cop just apparently didn’t feel like chasing or tasing the black man so he drew his pistol, or it is just complete racism. I haven’t heard any audio yet on this one. But the placing the taser etc is a complete coverup. It’s a very bad story.
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Eric Garner’s murder was witnessed by the whole world yet he was still blamed. I find it interesting that Mr. Scott’s death was on camera as well. And i am glad his killer is in jail and fired. Even those fools on Fox News like Sean Hannity agree that Scott’s murder was wrong. And Ben Carson even called it an execution. Are they just doing this to say “See we are not racist” I find all of this interesting. Smartphone cameras are so vital and i wonder if in the future will police think twice before they gun someone down or handle someone with brute force.
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There were quite a few city officials who attended Walter Scott’s funeral. That’s a new twist. Usually they never care about dead black men. They didn’t attend Eric Garner’s funeral or Tamir Rice’s funeral. And I certainly didn’t think they would attend Michael Brown’s funeral. I just said all this because i was surprised to see city officials attending Mr. Scott’s funeral. Is this part of damage control? They don’t want what happened in Ferguson to happen in their city is what i am thinking.
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I am curious to know if they will come after the guy who captured the murder of Walter Scott, in the same way they came after the guy who recorded Eric Garner’s murder. Will they try and deport him? The guy who recorded Eric Garner’s murder said he felt it was retaliation that the New York cops came after him.
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Al Sharpton is everywhere just so he can have his face on camera. He is kind of self serving to me. There is something disingenuous about him.
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Smartphone cameras are so vital and i wonder if in the future will police think twice before they gun someone down or handle someone with brute force. – Mary Burrell
Good question Mary, however, Edomites (white people) are descendants of Esau, brother of Jacob. Biblically speaking, Edomites are hard-wired to be hunters. Obviously, Officer Slager thought of Mr. Scott as simply a prey that was attempting to get away. This is why it is so easy for whites to kill with the greatest of ease, just as Officer Slager did to Walter. By no means was Mr. Scott a world class sprinter either. To prove my point, Officer Slager was able to chase Mr. Scott down after he ran away at first. He could’ve just as easily chased him down again, but instead, he reverted back to his deeply embedded primordial instincts when it wasn’t truly necessary.
Therefore, I do not think that the nonchalant murdering of black people by whites will change. Unfortunately, what’s happening right now in this violent world of ours is already WRITTEN!
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I just said all this because i was surprised to see city officials attending Mr. Scott’s funeral. Is this part of damage control? They don’t want what happened in Ferguson to happen in their city is what i am thinking. – Mary Burrell
You nailed it Mary! 🙂
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@blakksage: Thanks for reading my post i wanted my post to make sense and flow together as i have so many questions about this tragedy.
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Walter Scott was stopped because of a traffic violation “broken tail light” I hate to racialize this but i really don’t see how i can avoid doing that. If Walter Scott had been a white man i believe the officer would not have responded to a white man in this manner to the point of killing him. Even if he was running, a running white man would not be shot like an animal. This week it was Walter Scott i am afraid this is going to continue to be an on going thing in America.
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Hey there Deb, long time, nice to see you
Thank you for the “insiders” view on this story.
‘m so sick of reading about these incidents. The media sensationalizes it but still, nothing gets done really.
I just thank GOD that this young man had the sense to record what he saw, or it would have been business as usual.
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@blakksage
Describing a diverse group of people with mixed DNA to having come from one origin rather than argument concerning social privileges is not the best approach. What you speak of these “Edomites” only precludes your absolute simple-minded perceptions that defeat the case of this blog.
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Mary @ I am curious to know if they will come after the guy who captured the murder of Walter Scott, in the same way they came after the guy who recorded Eric Garner’s murder. Will they try and deport him?
Linda says,
Santana already got himself an attorney, so I think he is ready and waiting for the shenanigans to begin.
but my opinion, as far as his immigration status, it’s probably solid and legally tight or he would have never came forward.
It would take an exceptional strong person to come forward and put themselves in front of Immigration/Homeland Security, if they knew they were illegal or they did not have a valid visa — and deportation would be the last of his worries.
His biggest problem would be getting detained “indefinitely” because if you are not a US citizens, your “civil rights” are not protected
around the south, there are private Immigrant detention centers run by a company called CCA, that make money from the US Gov. just for holding people with or without due process.
http://www.thenation.com/article/173120/how-private-prisons-game-immigration-system
It’s a big Business. I think they make $100 per day, per body.
In Florida, there is Krome detention center, which is government run.
(true story: a Jamaican night club in my town was raided by INS (now called ICE). Everyone was caught up, illegal and legal immigrants who did not have their green card or naturalization papers on hand, and taken to Krome. The legal residents and naturalized US citizens were jailed and once they proved their legal status, they still had to pay up to $500 to get released — the raid went down around 3 am, I was at the club earlier in the night and left early but a few of my friends stayed and got caught up)
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@Linda: Thank You for that information helps me understand how the law works in regards to immigration.
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None of the outrage/shock/regret shown by establishment/law enforcement/politicians is sincere. At least, not with regard to Mr Scott’s death.
The shock/outrage is at being pit in a position that they cannot just brazen it out in the normal manner. The video was simply too damning. Mr Scott was clearly running away and presented no threat at the time of the shooting. He had not been involved in a crime, there was no reason to think he was a danger to himself or anyone else. The video clearly shows the killer do the throw-down of the taser. The lies told before the video was made public were exposed by the video. There, those adverse circumstances are what the outrage/shock/regret are over – not the conduct of the killer cop.
The words and gestures are ALL damage limitation. Never, ever believe agents of the system.
I worry for the safety of Mr Santana. Cops are vindictive and tend to get even.
Despite crowd-funded bail being raised, the guy who filmed the murder of Eric Garner was held in jail just as long as the cops and the DA could drag out his ordeal. While locked up he feared he would be poisoned as rat poison was found in the jail food.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/man-who-filmed-eric-garners-death-still-in-jail-and-afraid-to-eat-despite-posting-bail/
There is no regret with these people, only a biding of time until they think they can get away with payback for the embarrassment.
Take care, Mr Santana.
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But the placing the taser etc is a complete coverup. It’s a very bad story. – v8driver
I just wanted to slightly correct you here. The repositioning of the taser was not merely a “cover-up” as you put it, however, it’s actually BUSINESS AS USUAL that was fortunate enough to be caught on tape. Furthermore, the murdering of Mr. Scott isn’t just a bad story, in reality, it’s actually a glimpse into the system of Amerikkkan apartheid form of government. Let us not beat around the bush with a few carefully selected words, let’s call it like you would if you was good umpire.
In baseball, a strike is a strike, a base-hit is a base-hit. Therefore, the intentional shooting of an unarmed, … supposed suspect (cough, cough), who is fleeing, is in no way possible a threat to the shooter. Point being, someone who kills another individual who is unarmed is a murderer, and not just a “bad decision” as Mayor Summey stated when referring to the actions of former Officer Slager. Hell, … the good folks of N. Charleston should gather enough signatures; conduct a recall and throw his ass out of office on this shallow statement alone for attempting to limit the severity of the death of an individual. This stupid statement is in fact not only a reference to his feeble state of mind, but also his disconnect to humanity. His words were certainly and evidently an indication of an individual that’s unfit to hold public office.
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oh man i’m feeling some crime stats coming back… but blakksage i hear what you are saying.
do you think the problem with police violence will dissapate as whites become more of a minority? or noone will care about whites getting killed by cops either? I think it’s door #2 right there
just wondering…
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do you think the problem with police violence will dissapate as whites become more of a minority? or noone will care about whites getting killed by cops either? I think it’s door #2 right there, just wondering… v8driver
I’ll give you a real quick answer because I’m about to be out the door. When black people ruled all of Europe (yes, including Russia), prior to the Renaissance period, there was no systematic manner put in place to target the white race for destruction. So, to answer your question, I do believe that police violence will greatly reduced or near non-existence. I say this because blacks in general are much more humane people than whites.
Sorry v8driver, but this is what I feel and this is what I’ve been able to extrapolate from all of my readings of history, the Bible and many other sources.
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@Bud Dhuu: That is what i was getting at about the law enforcement and city officials attending Walter Scott’s funeral it is not sincere. You hit the nail on the head in your post Sir. Always good to read you.
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@jefe…“Maybe Santana’s act might be an indication of where he lives — in SC he gets radicalized as black…”
I think you’re right about that because there’s a large Latino population in N. Charleston and I promise you, unless they’re heard speaking Spanish, folk, particularly white folk, would see him as a light-skinned, Black guy who works at a barbershop!
“In any case, I hope we can all learn not to paint everyone with a broad brush.”
I can’t lie, given my people’s history in this country, that’s often easier said than done, my Brother — at least for me. I tend to deal with folk on a case-by-case, based not only on what I know of their people’s history as it relates to mine, but how they treat me.
“Has any congressman or senator or someone from the Executive branch promoted the idea that oversight at the Federal level is needed for local police administration?”
Not to my knowledge. I thought here in SC, it was SOP for cases to be handed over to SLED in an officer involved shooting. However, according to this: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150410/PC16/150419860 — “Though most police departments usually call in SLED, it’s not a requirement…” Additionally, “The pending bill would also require that the attorney general’s office take over the prosecution.” but that’s still at the state level.
“At least Holder and Obama condemned the SCOTUS decision to relax Federal voting right oversight. I can’t for the life of me how they could take Shelby’s county’s word for it, being situated right between Birmingham and Selma, and right while the film Selma was being produced and filmed.”
Ask anybody who’s ever read me, Man — I got nothin’ for Brother Ass-Coverer or the Changeling. My grandmother always used to tell me, “Ain’t what dey say, Debi — it’s what dey do!” Their condemnation means absolutely nothing to me when I look at their actions over two terms. As for why “the Supremes” took Shelby’s word for it, IMO — in that 5-4 ruling, you got Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy and Alito who, to my mind are racist as hell. Then you got the self-hating Thomas from Pinpoiint, GA, a small, predominantly black community near Savannah founded by Freedmen after the Civil War. As far as I’m concerned, ‘nuf said.
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Just like Michael Brown’s body was laying on the concrete for hours dead, Walter Scott’s family and loved one will always have that horrible video footage of their loved on being shot and his dead body laying in the grass. That will be etched in their memories forever and that is so horrible to me, seeing the demise of their loved one.
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http://blackagendareport.com/killercops-bodycount
This IMO is a worthwhile read (regarding the War against Black people).
So are the comments that follow.
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@ Mary Burrrell
Thanks, and back at you.
Seriously, it is beyond scary to think that an event as clearly recorded as this one is STILL unlikely to change much beyond the narrow PR steps taken locally.
As we agree, there is no real remorse. Just spin.
By luck that I didn’t earn, I was born white and outside the USA: thus I have dodged more bullets than I can count. That contrast says it all.
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@Bud Dhuu…“The whole thing, the whole runaway society of individualist greed, selfishness, disregard of community… It all needs dismantling and replacing with a society based on totally different values and priorities. IMO, POC and working class whites share a great deal in common. Their should be natural alliance, but hostility and racism-through-ignorance have been engineered.”
Agreed, but I surely don’t see that happening in my lifetime! And yes, POC and working class whites certainly share a great deal in common but, after the engineered hostility and racism-through-ignorance you so clearly identify — I don’t see any meaningful alliance happening there, ever. If you gave me a dollar for the number of times I heard, “At least I ain’t a nigger!” growing up in Charleston, I’d be rich as hell! I tend to agree with Dr. John Henrik Clarke on this one — “Dammit if you want a friend, look in the mirror!”: https://youtu.be/fvrzoId6n0E Oh-h-h-h, he took folk like me to task in this one, given I’m interracially married, but no matter (my baby turns 31 tomorrow and I wouldn’t trade him for the world!) — I appreciate the lesson, despite the fact I was a day late and a dollar short learning it because it has since helped me pay better attention when folk are disingenuously trying to be my “friend” or “ally.” I took Dr. Clarke’s advice to heart — I look in the mirror.
@TheHipHopRecords…“I like to think the best of people and maybe with Sharpton it’s that’s ol saying “Just because a person does good, that don’t mean they are good”. I just found it interesting that the Scott family dont want him at the funeral. Maybe they don’t Sharpton and the circus of it all.”
I like to think the best of people too, but just because I like to, doesn’t make it so. I choose, particularly now in my old age and after all of the formal miseducation with which I’ve been inculcated over 20 or so years, to critically think about folk and try to determine their true intentions. Sharpton’s not done any good for Black folk, IMHO. He’s parlayed his association with Dr. King to bamboozle plenty Black folk while being used (for big bucks of course) by those who would oppress them. I applaud the Scott family for their decision, and by the way, they’re not the on family of a police shooting vicimm who has done so: http://iloveblackpeople.net/2014/12/family-of-police-shooting-victim-tells-al-sharpton-to-go-away/ (I’m a link hoarder who, over the last near-year has been more blocked than not, what can I say!😊)
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^ The Necromancer has come.
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@Linda…“Hey there Deb, long time, nice to see you
Thank you for the “insiders” view on this story…I just thank GOD that this young man had the sense to record what he saw, or it would have been business as usual.”
Hey, Linda, nice to see you again too! Yes, it has been a long time. Last time we talked here, I was planning on moving to Africa, remember? Got a post sitting in draft (among plenty others) on why I changed my mind.
You’re quite welcome! I have to tell you it blew my mind when I read about this last Tuesday night (in FL visiting the husband since last Friday) because I live maybe 10-15 minutes from where it happened. Still adjusting, but I’ve been trying to pay attention to what’s happening in the city.
I’m so, so grateful that Santana recorded what he saw but, like Mary Burrell, I’m really worried for Santana. I agree with you he was smart to get an attorney quick, fast and in a hurry, not for deportation concerns but exactly for the reason you gave that — “His biggest problem would be getting detained “indefinitely” because if you are not a US citizens, your “civil rights” are not protected.”
And yeah, that is CCA’s biggest moneymaker (courtesy of the U.S. gubment!). And I totally believe your true story about Krome. I’m familiar with it.
Not sure how old you are but, do you remember back in 2002, when that wooden freighter carrying 200 or so Haitians (& 3 Cubans they’d picked up along the way) ran aground off Miami, and once the Coast Guard got there, most if them jumped overboard into Biscayne Bay (some tossing their children to those already in the water) and swam ashore and ran onto Rickenbacker Causeway? They were all taken to Krome for a very long time, but because of the Cuban Adjustment Act (Wet foot, dry foot policy), the 3 Cubans were not detained and were allowed to simply go free. I was living in the Keys and writing for the newspaper down there then. I wrote a few columns about the inequity in treatment of the decidedly poor, Black Haitians being sent to and held in Krome by the INS until they were shipped back to Haiti vs. the Cubans who, by law, were allowed to be taken in by the politically connected, nowhere-near-poor, Cuban community. It was terrible.
But, back to Santana — my biggest worry for him is that Slager’s “Brothers in Blue” just might be crazy enough to try and take out the only real witness against him. Sounds crazy I know, but unfortunately, not impossible to fathom.
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@ Lord of Mirkwood
We both know that will never happen.
These officers were just playing their scripted role. Do we think that anyone in their police departments is really shocked at what they have done? Or are their monsters particularly useful to them in other circumstances. The uniforms change but the program remains the same.
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@ King
“The uniforms change but the program remains the same.”
You could not have said it any better.
http://topicnow.info/topic/2-florida-police-officers-found-to-be-kkk-members/
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@Deb
Thanks for the response.
I almost wish I hadn’t used the word “alliance” in the comment to which you replied. The word “ally” has a certain smug, condescending, liberal do-gooder connotation that makes me squirm. But I mean it in its dictionary definition sense of “a union or association formed for mutual benefit“, “a relationship based on similarity of interests, nature, or qualities”.
Repectfully, I don’t entirely agree that no meaningful alliance can happen. Anarchists of all “races” hold absolute equality as a fundamental law. Opposition to racism, sexism, homophobia etc is not something we do out of faddy liberal charity, it is done because that sh!t makes no sense. It prevents us from building the society to which we aspire.
I don’t expect any meaningful alliance between POC and white liberals (liberals will change nothing), but the coincidence of interest between POC seeking justice, peace and equality and Anarchists seeking the same thing already exists regardless of whether it is recognised, acknowledged or accepted. We all fight the power, as Chuck would say.
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@blakksage sorry, i’m not with you on that tribes of japheth, shem, ham thing. I see that as a major contributor to racist/xenophobic thought formation
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@ Just Me
@ Deb
@ Bud Dhuu
“Critical mass,” huh? I’d hate to see what that’d look like. By that time, I’d probably already left the country with little more than a tablet (for eBooks and wifi) and the clothes on my back.
@ blakksage
I’ve thought about this point, too. I was reading an article on Gaza and it was implied that the most powerful weapon they had on their side was demographics, or more importantly, a birth rate that far outstripped that of the Israeli population.
Black Americans currently make up 13.2% of the U.S. population. At the same time, the white American population is declining due to a birth rate that’s in terminal freefall. We’re due to be over 17% of the population by 2060. In my opinion, we should up that percentage to 27%.
Drowning out the white and upcoming Latino population in a sea of black should be a last-ditch goal for a people who’ve been denied opportunity after opportunity to either coexist or thrive separately from their white counterparts. Scattering ourselves into the four winds in an unending diaspora does nothing except satisfy those who’d just want to see the U.S. become just a little whiter.
Demographics is destiny, it seems. It would do black America to get in on the ground floor while there’s still time.
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I am not going to hold my breathe to see if a white cop, gets convicted of killing an unarmed black man. I’ll believe it if and when it happens.
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v8driver said: @blakksage sorry, i’m not with you on that tribes of japheth, shem, ham thing. I see that as a major contributor to racist/xenophobic thought formation.
I perfectly understand v8, this is Amerikkka, people not only have the right to be free of tyranny, they even have the right to be ignorant as well. Goodbye!
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@ Jefe
The NYT is a White liberal Democratic newspaper. It is in bed with the cops, White flight and racial segregation. The thuggification of Black men helps to underpin all of that.
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@ Mack Lyons
““Critical mass,” huh? I’d hate to see what that’d look like. By that time, I’d probably already left the country with little more than a tablet (for eBooks and wifi) and the clothes on my back.”
>>>>>>>
Who can predict what the tipping point will look like, or that it will recognized as such when it begins?
Civil Disobedience on a massive scale.
It might look like a type of Underground Railroad.
Or something in line with ‘The Spook Who Sat By The Door.’
It could be similar to the old Black Panther Party of Self Defense.
It might be anything previously done, or entirely new, innovative, never seen before.
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@blakksage well you say the great flood and noah, i prefer to say… not, call it ignorance if you like
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@ Lord of Mirkwoodk
It’s easy to see the B.S. on the Right. You’ve probably been raised to see it. But believe me, the B.S. on the Left is just the flip side of the same coin. There is NO political party that’s standing up for you and that has your best interests at heart.
Nobody… There is no “Oppositional Democracy,” only the appearance of one, and the Democrats at the top would slit your throat just as quickly as the Republicans would, and for the exact same reasons.
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@ Lord of Mirkwood
Maybe because most Blacks are Democrats. I do not notice any groundswell against police brutality among White Democrats.
In the case of Ferguson, for example, both the governor and the county prosecutor were European-skinned Democrats. Both protected killer cop Darren Wilson.
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@Lord of Mirkwood
“This is the embarrassing moment when I admit I’m White”—Why? It is not your fault that you have azzholes that share your skin color. Same as it is not my fault that I have azzholes that share mine.
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@Deb
Thanks. I felt the same way.
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@ Lord of Mirkwood
I repeat. “There is NO political party that’s standing up for you and that has your best interests at heart.”
Sure, White Supremacy and White privilege, to some extent, will work in your favor, but in the end, your Whiteness will not save you either. Racism is just one arm of the octopus. There are many others. That is the foolishness of many poor Whites. They fail to realize that they will soon swing from the very gallows that they are so happily building for the hated minorities.
This is about power, and control, pure and simple. And the ends will justify the means.
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The enemy is not only Wall Street, it is also the Unions. The enemy is both of the major political parties. The enemy is Fox News and also MSNBC. The enemy is Hollywood. If you want to truly control people, you must offer them choices. People don’t respond well to having their choices removed. So you do the next best thing—you simply define and then control what choices they can choose.
Like “Democrat” or “Republican.” Most people will become so invested in one or the other party/philosophy that they will never even realize that they are both the same thing. It’s so easy to believe that you have been right, when really you have been so blind all along.
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@ King, something like this?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS2tRIxDD3A)
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@ Lord of Mirkwood
Maybe, but I fear that it will likely get a lot worse before it gets better. Maybe not this year or next… but eventually
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@Kiwi
Agree with your statement as my husband was told by an officer that they are trained to shoot to kill and not incapacitate.
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Is the police in the US allowed to use shots to apprehend people? Or are they only allowed to shoot in self-defence?
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King said:
and:
Nothing to add. Simply quoted for truth.
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@blakksage
“The repositioning of the taser was not merely a ‘cover-up’ as you put it, however, it’s actually BUSINESS AS USUAL that was fortunate enough to be caught on tape.”
Just how many times this has been done to excuse police slayings and wrongful convictions is anyone’s guess, but I’d think it’s been done tens of thousands of times.
“someone who kills another individual who is unarmed is a murderer, and not just a ‘bad decision'”
It’s just an excuse to cover up police policies that enable the killing of unarmed black men to fool us into thinking Slager was a rogue type. We all know if it weren’t caught on tape, they’d be defending Slager.
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Hey I just wanted to suggest an edit to the article, even though Walter Scott was behind in his child support payments the question of whether or not he had a warrant is being challenged.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/10/walter-scott-no-warrant-issued-child-support-traffic-stop
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@ afro
Thanks! I added an addendum to that effect.
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@resw77
They are defending Slager. That is what is outrageous to me. They are literally trying to vilify Scott right now by saying…”He should not have run!” Calling him a criminal. Does not paying child support make you a criminal now?
The attitudes of many white Americans are “They deserve it” and try to justify it in this very manner.
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@sharinalr
I was referring to the police chief/local gov’t authorities, but yes, I understand racist civilians are defending him (as if the penalty for running from a cop is death).
The same thing just happened in Tulsa. Did anyone see this video?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/04/12/oklahoma-deputy-who-killed-unarmed-man-thought-he-was-firing-taser-authorities-say/?tid=pm_national_pop_b
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@sharinair…You’re welcome! Just like “crazy knows crazy” as my grandmother used to say, “Sensible knows sensible!”😊
@afro@abagond…“Hey I just wanted to suggest an edit to the article, even though Walter Scott was behind in his child support payments the question of whether or not he had a warrant is being challenged.”
I’ve got a family member in Mr. Scott’s situation and from what I know, once the payments are late, the Family court issues a bench warrant but they don’t necessarily send the cops out looking for you. However, if you get stopped by a cop — for ANY reason, they run your information (tags, driver’s license, state-issued ID, etc.) and if there’s an open warrant, they will arrest you. That’s why I believe his family when they said that was probably why he ran — he didn’t want to get arrested. Here’s what one of the local papers had to say about the child support situation: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2015/04/13/walter-scott-attended-program-for-dads-who-are-behind-on-child-support-payment&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Daily
I just got back into town last night and I’m going to a community meeting at 4pm this afternoon. I’ll update you guys when I get back.
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Post racial my arse.
OK. Now I start telling my 11 y/o son how to respond to police even though he has done nothing.
It’s funny how most “white” folks still believe in Fantasy Island USA which has lead to all the policy BS people of color have been forced to live with.
I was watching a CNN interview on this topic with a black South Carolina activist who stated that ” We have a real racial problem in South Carolina and the nation as a whole-(paraphrased) this weekend and the black journalist had the nerve to ask him “How do we know there was an element of racism involved?” I just shook my head. I was done.
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@resw77
Ah ha. I agree.
“The same thing just happened in Tulsa. Did anyone see this video?”—I have not seen it as of yet, so thanks for the link. After reading it all I can do is smh
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@ Kiwi
Thanks for the info.
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“As Video Captures Officers’ Fatal Shootings of Unarmed Men, Knowing Your Rights to Film the Police”
http://www.democracynow.org/2015/4/14/as_video_captures_officers_fatal_shootings
“Yeah, the courts have been crystal clear on this matter: You have a right, under the First Amendment of the Constitution, to take photographs or video of anything in public when you’re in public. And there have been attempts in some states to pass laws curbing this right. They have been struck down by the courts, and the Supreme Court has refused to review those rulings striking down those kinds of laws. So there’s no ambiguity about the law.
The only problem is, is that a lot of police officers continue to think that they can go up to you and say, you know, “You need to turn that camera off, ma’am.” That is not a lawful order. It’s not a constitutional order. But it’s one that continues to happen all too often. And they certainly don’t have the right to look at your camera or seize your phone without a warrant. And they never, ever, under any circumstances that we can imagine, have the right to destroy or erase your video or photographs.”
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“After Police Abuses Caught on Video, a New Guide Teaches How to Best Archive and Distribute Footage”
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/8/28/after_police_abuses_caught_on_video
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(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbrd72MqMno)
Careful with the language, but it shows you what happens.
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Another example
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIbcmt1vCHc)
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Thank you Speak Out.
This explains why many HK people are alarmed by the repeated attempts to enact national security laws in Hong Kong. One reason why Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, non-Chinese blog hosting sites (like WordPress), Instagram, Linked-In, etc. are all blocked in China is because they include content which the Government views as treasonist, seditionist or otherwise a threat to national sovereignty. They also do not want any protests to spread outside an area where they can otherwise control them, and controlling social media is seen as a vital step in that process.
This would include anything that would question the authority of the police or lawfulness of their actions. Anything like that would be treated as a threat to national security.
Their attempt at control has now expanded outside their borders.
They keep 99% of the population quelled by depicting foreigners (e.g., Japan and the West) and national minorities (Uyghurs, Tibetans) as divisive, evil elements, who seek to undermine China’s sovereignty, and making this part of national education. As there is some element of historical truth to it, it is easy to use this to control the population. But the continued use of this trope looks so disingenuous to me.
If HK passes national security laws as approved by Beijing, what I just typed could be viewed as spreading lies to harm the state.
As much as I am dismayed by America’s dismal racist and belligerent past and present and its attempt to cover it up, at least there are ways to communicate that won’t land you in jail. Anyhow, the advice in the link provided probably is good advice for anywhere.
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Did anyone see this one? No running…just complying with the officer’s instructions: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3038896/Sir-shot-did-reach-license-innocent-victim-police-shooting-calls-bodycams-traffic-stop-cop-opened-fire.html
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They will shoot you even if you are not running and complying with their commands. I don’t trust them. I feel they will shoot you for jay walking.
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Mary! How could you say that?
Everyone knows that the police punishment for jaywalking is beating, not shooting!!
http://nypost.com/2014/01/19/cops-beat-elderly-man-after-he-jaywalked/
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^^^*snickering*
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From the ACLU:
“On Tuesday, the Assembly Public Safety Committee begins debate on two important bills to end racial profiling (AB 935) and stop the excessive use of force (AB 619). If approved by the Legislature and signed by Governor Brown into law, California can truly lead by ensuring law enforcement personnel uphold our civil liberties.
The personal stories of real Californians can make a big impact in Tuesday’s hearing. We need legislators to hear about the real-life impacts of racial profiling and excessive use of force, first-hand.
If you or someone you know has experienced racial profiling or excessive use of force, please share your story with us now. We will submit comments to the Assembly Public Safety Committee before Tuesday’s hearing, and show the importance of AB 935 and AB 619!”
“What we do now will determine the future of fair policing and accountable law enforcement in our state.”
https://ssl.capwiz.com/aclu/ca/issues/alert/?alertid=65133626&type=CU
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Be advised: Last night I was harassed by the police in my car and when I pointed my cell phone camera at them they shone flashlights into the camera so that I couldn’t record their faces. All that showed up was a ball of light. They set big flashlights on top of their cop cars so that the cars and the surrounding area could not be seen on video. From what they said it was clear that this is now their strategy for disempowering members of the public who try to hold them accountable by recording them. They also refused to show me their badge numbers as they are required to do, but that’s what they’ve always done.
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“Miami Beach Police Spokesman Calls Cop “Immature” for Shining Light in my Camera Lens (Updated II)”
http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2013/05/miami-beach-police-spokesman-calls-cop-immature-for-shining-light-in-my-camera-lens/
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“Flex your rights – film the police”
http://chronicle.augusta.com/content/blog-post/damon-cline/2014-07-01/flex-your-rights-film-police
“There’s a burgeoning “citizen-journalist” movement where activists, who sometimes call themselves “copwatchers” or “copblockers,” actively follow on-duty police to document their activities. Many of them have YouTube channels, such as Photography Is Not A Crime (PINAC), HonorYourOath, Flex Your Rights and Police State USA.”
“Finally, self-protection is another reason why some start filming when the red-and-blue lights start flashing. All citizens need factual, objective documentation for any encounter they have with government authorities. And nothing is more factual and objective than an audio or video recording. Without it, the truth is whatever the state says it is.”
“Now, this may come as a shock to all you upright citizens, but police don’t always tell the truth. In fact, they don’t have to – the Supreme Court ruled it was OK for police to lie to citizens almost 50 years ago (Frazier v. Cupp).
That’s not to say cops are pathological liars (though some clearly are), it’s just they are duty-bound to say whatever is necessary to justify their actions and secure convictions. This is why police reports – something judges, juries and journalists consider to be the truth – read pretty much like carbon copies.
Anyone detained will have been acting “suspicious,” or made “furtive movements,” or happened to be “in a known drug area.” Anyone arrested for driving under the influence will have had the “strong odor of alcohol” on their breath, “slurred speech” and “bloodshot” eyes. Anyone police shoot with a taser will have been “aggressive” or “combative.””
“Look at it this way: Say an officer asks to search your vehicle and you refuse (which you should always do to exercise those Fourth Amendment muscles). If he still wants to search but doesn’t want to go through the trouble to get a warrant, all he has to do to is say he “smells the odor of marijuana.” Presto! – instant probable cause for a warrantless search.
It doesn’t matter if the last time you even saw marijuana was during the Clinton administration, if he says he smells it, he smells it. If the officer really wants to put on a good show, he can get a K-9 unit to say the same thing by walking a police dog around the car until it “alerts.””
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Im reporting tomorrow i expect to stay, also hv parking tickets
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https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10206312595202325&id=1489932727&set=a.1195315651607.30423.1489932727&source=48&refid=17&ref=bookmark&_ft_
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..I know this post has been uP for awhile but I just wanted to thank Abagond for being one of the first sources that I could (accurately) find about the treacherous videotaped murder of Walter Scott-thanks for continuing to not let important (and increasingly occuring) travesties like go unreported, and in a timely fashion as well. Keep uP the good work, Abagond and R.I.P. Mr. Walter Scott!
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[…] Walter Scott (North Charleston, SC) 2015: Anthony Hill (Chamblee, GA) 2014: Akai Gurley (New York, NY) 2014: […]
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I see Slager has indicted today but i see two things happening with this case
1) He’ll walk free
2) He’ll get a slap on the wrist, meaning a few years at a minimum security prison and even on the inside he won’t do hard time. This is the type of time Slager will do
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yztx8qfoNu0)
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[…] Sandra Bland (Prairie View, Texas) 2015: Freddie Gray (Baltimore, MD) 2015: Walter Scott (North Charleston, SC) 2015: Tony Robinson (Madison, WI) 2015: Anthony Hill (Chamblee, GA) 2014: […]
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[…] (Prairie View, TX) 2015: Icarus Randolph (Witchita, KS) 2015: Freddie Gray (Baltimore, MD) 2015: Walter Scott (North Charleston, SC) 2015: Tony Robinson (Madison, WI) 2015: Anthony Hill (Chamblee, GA) 2014: […]
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@jefe Brad Miller in the Christian Taylor case was a similar Sacrificial Lamb.
But more chilling is the way the WEB media–not the real media this time–tried to play “Gentle Giant” myth. The thug was just WALKING AROUND the car lot PEERING into cars.
Either they misspelled “punching”, or they were intentionally trying to pass off a “Gentle Giant” narrative. You know, like the “Gentle Giant” who was walking AWAY from Officer Wilson with its hands up? But somehow had an EXTRA hand to grab the gun, and the officer fired, the bullets went wild, then turned 180º in midair and impaled it front-to-back. I haven’t seen ballistics like that since Huckleberry Hound!
OR maybe Occam’s Razor indicates that the less-interesting story that thug and cop were fighting over the gun, and the thug got shot the normal way MIGHT be the right one!
Think of it this way: You could be murdered by a Gentle Giant who was just walking around your house!
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[…] 4th 2015: Walter Scott, 50, North Charleston, SC, […]
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Did you hear about this:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/22/trump-ohio-campaign-chair-no-racism-before-obama?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews
Please write blog post about it. Would love to hear your thoughts.
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Same city different year new victim Keith Scott. A disabled man with a head injury.
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@Mary Burrell…Hey Lil Sis! Different city — Keith Scott was killed in “Charlotte, North Carolina,” but his mother DOES live here on James Island, one of the barrier islands right outside of “Charleston, South Carolina” where Walter Scott was killed.
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@Deb: I was hoping you would respond as I know this is your neck of the woods so to speak. Yes you are correct the gentlemen having the same last name is what had me confused I am thinking. Charleston and Charlotte two different cities and states. Thank you for the clarification. But I still think they used the same tactic of planting a weapon near the body.
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@Mary Burrell…“Thank you for the clarification. But I still think they used the same tactic of planting a weapon near the body.”
No problem, Dear-heart, I got you! And, I second that emotion about the planting of, as Abagond so rightly calls it — a Phantom Negro Weapon!
Saw this today on Common Dreams: http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/09/23/dont-shoot-him-wifes-cellphone-video-fatal-police-shooting-released…and the question is — “Gun or no gun?” Her video shows no damned gun by his foot — and she was there! Check out NikkiJaid’s chronology in the comment section of the article — pretty damned convincing!
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@Deb: Thanks for the link
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[…] (Prairie View, TX) 2015: Icarus Randolph (Witchita, KS) 2015: Freddie Gray (Baltimore, MD) 2015: Walter Scott (North Charleston, SC) 2015: Tony Robinson (Madison, WI) 2015: Anthony Hill (Chamblee, GA) 2014: […]
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Update: The trial ended in a hung jury. Eleven White jurors and one Black juror voted to find Tensing guilty of at least manslaughter, but, after four days, they were not able to persuade the remaining White juror, who said, “I cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict,” – despite the video that shows Officer Slager shooting Scott in the back five times while he runs away!
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“The trial ended in a hung jury”. Unbelievable with the evidence. No justice for the Scott family.
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Wow, I lost track of this and just learned of the verdict. I want to say I’m surprised but that wouldn’t be true. Disappointment that my most cynical expectations were confirmed is more like it.
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Another update due today:
Ex-cop Michael Slager faces sentencing for videotaped killing of unarmed black man
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/12/03/ex-cop-michael-slager-faces-sentencing-videotaped-killing-unarmed-black-man/917587001/
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From the Charleston Post & Courier today:
https://www.postandcourier.com/news/december-sentencing-scheduled-for-ex-north-charleston-officer-who-killed/article_12098474-b5ca-11e7-80fa-ff3f4d47921c.html
From Truthdig on 11/30:
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/jeff-sessions-lies-used-criminal-defense-cop-killed-walter-scott/
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@ jefe @ Deb
Thanks! I hope to do a post on Slager soon.
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@abagond…Your welcome, I’ll be reading!!!
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oh hell yeah im running over child support 25% of my last year i was locked up over it
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probably another felony charge for running but he didnt have no gun that a bunch of bs well its easier in the city
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actually yeah that’s a tough call,
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so i be talking to the wife we need to move and wow i have 4 kids too they need rooms and soon the one will be driving i dont think the ex will get him a car i dont think our curren tblock is very childproof
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ok. RIP
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its just the county, right?
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that’s messed up
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@jefe…Following Slager’s case as I have to (for my own sanity!), I reread the thread, and these comments of yours (& the last one of my own) resonated with what’sstill going on in Charleston:
“It would lead to more effective reorganization if the State or Federal govt found a pattern in the North Charleston police department and not pinned on this single murderous cop, but on an institutional problem. That would not bode well for the police chief either…
…So, you mention that the Charleston Area NAACP has been pushing for a DOJ probe all along. I would surmise that the North Charleston police chief DOES NOT WANT THAT so will do anything to prevent it.”
“Black folk were angry, there was no marching that I heard of, but the NAACP held a meeting which I did attend. The purpose was to acquire enough information from individuals who’d endured fake traffic stops, excessive force encounters with the cops, etc., to force a DOJ probe. To my knowledge, it went nowhere — until now, thanks to that cell phone video.”
I was a more than a little presumptuous as the following links will show (if you’ve got time for the grime — read the comments:
https://www.postandcourier.com/archives/justice-department-north-charleston-police-hold-second-feedback-session-on/article_93e3d66f-c3fd-502d-81b4-bea801ff71dd.html
https://www.postandcourier.com/politics/summey-seeks-to-mend-fences/article_a5215977-ad12-529a-a185-f4ed78801c3f.html
https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/charleston-police-body-cam-footage-is-off-limits-to-public-thanks-to-new-state-law/Content?oid=5295208
https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/the-slow-death-of-the-north-charleston-police-departments-federal-review/Content?oid=12114081
https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2017/10/27/north-charleston-moves-forward-with-new-doj-agreement-as-activist-groups-demand-police-assessment?utm_source=Master+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=d91db6d620-CP_DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d4e2097b95-d91db6d620-117386649
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Update on Slager’s ongoing sentencing hearing:
https://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/TheBattery/archives/2017/12/04/feidin-santana-the-eyewitness-who-filmed-walter-scotts-shooting-takes-the-stand-at-michael-slagers-sentencing-hearing?utm_source=Master+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=2de95fc943-CP_DAILY_NEWSLETTER&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d4e2097b95-2de95fc943-117386649
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Update from the Post & Courier today — Slager got 20 years: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/former-officer-michael-slager-sentenced-to-years-in-jail-for/article_331553da-db5b-11e7-a06e-9fb99ca21ecb.html
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20 years, eh? Meh…So what….So they threw black men a bone for the hundreds of thousands of black men that have been killed by police for many years.
Its not like this sentence is going to start a trend among police departments across America. what say you all, black people?
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Well it’s good Slager got 20 years he cold blooded murdered Walter Scott. I am glad for once there was some justice.
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The conviction only happened with a guilty plea from Slager.
Also. White supremacist play the long game. In 4 yrs time this will be forgotten and Slager will get out. No way is he doing 20 yrs and as an ex-cop the time he’ll do inside will be like that scene in Goodfellas when they get sent to Shawshank.
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He will probably be sent to one of those ‘country club’ prisons.
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Hence the reason why i am like, “Meh”. I also believe he’ll do a few years until people aren’t pay attention anymore ( which is swift when it comes to a white person, killing a black person ) White people only remember a crime, when a white person is killed and makes it a point to remember for years and years ( the little white girl Bennett Ramsey ) and countless other white people.
If they’re not remembering the criminal that was convicted of a crime, where another white person is killed, they’re making a celebrity out of the person that committed a crime ( Again, only white criminals are made into celebrities )
So yeah, i’m not impressed and if there’s any black people here that are, you’re falling for the okey doke….as usual -_-
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