Video Of The Week: A Documentary On The Ambush That Killed Fred Hampton Sr.

Dick Gregory On Police Brutality

“The relationship between Black folks and many White cops in this country is so far out of hand, and at some point we Black folks have to start taking some of that blame. We let police brutality run rampant through our community. There are thousands of Black police officers across this country. When have you ever read in the paper that a Black cop handcuffed a White person and shot them in the back of the head?...They don’t mess with White folks because they know that White folks won’t tolerate it, plain and simple. When we Black folks decide that we are not going to tolerate police brutality, then it will stop. There’s something wrong with a people who have more fear for their enemy than they have love for their children. We have to understand and say to America and the police that enough is enough. We can ay it through commerce and shut this country down.” -From, “Callus On My Soul” By: Dick Gregory

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week: Part 2

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week: Part 1

What Do The Danroy Henry and Sean Bell Murder Tragedies Have In Common?

Over the weekend a Pace University student-athlete was killed by the police. News of the murder of Danroy Henry is spreading across the internet and various news outlets. As I was reading various articles to gather details about the tragedy, I couldn’t help but notice the following similarities between the Sean Bell murder and the Danroy Henry murder:

-Both were young Black men in their 20s, who were killed by on-duty New York police officers.

-Neither of the men were involved in any criminal activities.

-Both men were drivers of a motor vehicle at the time of their murders. This gives officers the option of trying to cover their tracks by saying that the men attempted to run them over with their cars, so they discharged their weapons. However, any reasonable person may also deduct that shooting the driver of a vehicle will cause the driver to lose control of the automobile, and consequently run into persons or property in the vicinity of their vehicle.

-Both men had passengers in their cars who were childhood friends, who were injured- but not killed- by the gunfire.

- Both men were killed outside of social venues at night. However, neither victim was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

- Both men were killed near important milestones in their lives. Sean Bell, on the night before his wedding; Danroy Henry, less than two weeks before his 21st birthday.

The Oscar Grant Verdict

The Oscar Grant Verdict has been noted in the press as, “The first time a police officer has been convicted for shooting a Black man in Bay Area history.”

Oscar Grant is the young man from the Bay Area who was murdered by a transit cop with a shot to his back while he was lying prostrate face down on the ground. Oscar Grant had been inexplicably stopped and detained by police officers in an incident in which witnesses have said was completely uncalled for on the part of law enforcement.

A few days ago, Johannes Mehserle- the police officer who delivered the fatal shot to Mr. Grant- was convicted by a jury for involuntary manslaughter.This charge carries a sentence of 2 to 4 years.

Involuntray manslaughter for killing an innocent man who was lying face and not resisting? Again, I say: "A world without justice is doomed."


Previous Links:
Cops Gone Wild Part 26: The Murder A Man In Cold Blood While He's Lying Face Down Edition

The BART Police Murder Of Oscar Grant Sparks Riots In L.A.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week- Part 1

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week- Part 2

Oscar Grant's Killer Has Been Apprehended

Cops Gone Wild Part 36: The Murder An Innocent Father In A Hail of 50 Bullets and Then Sue His Estate Edition

A police officer who was involved in the 2006 murder of Sean Bell, is now suing his estate for injuries he claims was inflicted upon him in the despicable event that lead to the death of Sean Bell.

According to “Find Law,” New York City police officer Michael Carey, claims that he “suffered a serious leg injury” due to Sean Bell crashing his car into his leg. Find Law also states that: “The Carey suit was reported to have been filed in response to the wrongful death suit filed by Bell’s fiancee, Nicole Paultre Bell.”

The police officers who participated in the unjustified slaying of Sean Bell are still on the police force. In 2008, they were acquitted of criminal charges for their involvement of taking the life of this innocent father on his wedding night. Federal prosecutors are also reported as saying that they have, “insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges.”

[SIDEBAR: A without justice is a world that is doomed.]

Special Thanks to Verse*All for bringing this developing news to my attention.

WHERE IS THE JUSTICE FOR AIYANA JONES?!

Cops Gone Wild Part 35: The R.I.P. Aiyana Jones Edition

A beautiful 7-year old girl, Aiyana Jones (pictured above), was recently killed when police in Detroit invaded her home under the guise of executing a police raid. Aiyana Jones was peacefully sleeping on a couch in her home when she was fatally shot in the neck by a police officer who was reportedly raiding the house in order to "target a homicide suspect." However, the police seemingly targeted the home of an innocent family.

CBS News is also reporting that at time of the raid, "neighbors told [the] police [that] there were children in the house, and showed them toys in the front yard." However, the police allegedly proceeded to throw a flash grenade through the window of the home despite the warnings.

Shockingly, the whole tragic befuddling ordeal was reportedly caught on tape by a television crew that was following the police in order to film the raid for a crime show.

How will the world respond to this senseless act of police terrorism, and the stealing of an innocent life?

Cops Gone Wild Part 32: The Beat A Person For No Reason Edition

Surveillance video captured a New Jersey police officer beating a man who was standing outside of a restaurant.

The inexplicable, brutal beating appears to have occurred for no good reason. According to CNN, the victim has stated that "he had exchanged no words with the officer before [the officer] pounced on him. CNN also states that the victim's attorney has revealed that: "After the incident, police locked [the victim] in a holding cell and did not provide treatment for his injuries."

The Passaic police department has reportedly filed three charges against the victim: Resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and wandering for the purpose of obtaining controlled dangerous substances. [SIDEBAR: "Wandering for the purpose of obtaining controlled dangerous substances." What kind of charge is that???]

The recipient of the brutal act of police terrorism says that he was simply going on a walk around his neighborhood. He now reportedly has extensive bruising on his body, and a torn cornea as a result of his pummeling.

NYPD's Stop-and-Frisks At An All-Time High

The New York Police Department has stopped and frisked a record number of people in New York in the first quarter of 2009. According to The Gothamist, collected data has shown that: "The NYPD stopped and searched more innocent people during the first three months of 2009 than during any three month period since police began collecting data on the program."

The released statistics state that New York police officers stopped and questioned 171,094 residents between January and March 2009. More than 151,000 of those stopped did not receive any charges. 145,000 of the New Yorkers who were stopped and questioned by the police were Black and Latino.

The NYPD is collecting personal data on everyone they stop. According to a New York Civil Liberties Union representative, this information is being compiled in a giant database.

Cops Gone Wild Part 30: The Shamelessly Beat A 15 Year Old Girl In A Holding Cell Edition

I began to catch wind of a story via twitter about a Seattle police officer brutally beating a 15 year old girl while she was being held in a holding cell. I did some research on the stirring, but unfortunately not surprising, situation.

The video of the beating was recorded by precinct surveillance cameras. It was released to the public on Friday, just one day after Deputy Paul Schene- the officer who beat the young girl- plead not guilty to misdemeanor assault. [SIDEBAR: Misdemeanor assault???]

According to The Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "The girl was arrested after she was caught in her parents' car, which had been reported stolen from her parents' home...The deputies apparently didn't know until later that the girl, who was in the passenger seat, was related to the car's owner." [SIDEBAR: Although, the full details of the arrest has not been presented in news outlets. It sounds like the arrest could have possibly been some type of mix-up or mistake.]

The beating that was administered to the young girl, reportedly occurred even though the girl was not a physical threat to the deputy. Deputy Schene allegedly claimed in court records that the girl hit him in the shin with a shoe causing him "pain and injury." However the video of the violent attack [SEE ABOVE VIDEO] shows a different story. On the video, the deputy can be seen hitting his shin against a metal toilet as he slams the girl into the wall.

[SIDEBAR: The deputy handed out this brutal beating to a child, despite the fact that surveillance cameras are knowingly installed in the precinct. What conclusions does that lead one to draw???]

Cops Gone Wild Part 27: The Trick Or Treat Edition

This week, two police officers plead guilty to disorderly conduct charges for a Halloween-night incident that occurred in 2007.

On October 31, 2007, the two police officers decided to punish a 14-year old who was allegedly throwing eggs at cars. The officers drove the Staten Island teen to a swampy area near high-voltage electricity lines, beat him, stripped him of his clothing, and abandoned him in the deserted area. The teen was made to navigate his way back to civilization shoeless in his boxer shorts. The officers will not serve any jail time for their actions.

[SIDEBAR: Disorderly conduct??? What about kidnapping, assault, robbery, and endangering the welfare of a child (for starters)?]

R.I.P. Baron Pikes

Today is the 1 year anniversary of the murder of Baron Pikes. Mr. Pikes was killed by a Louisiana police officer, when he was repeatedly tasered while he was handcuffed. The story of Baron Pikes (who is also the first cousin of Jena 6's Mychal Bell) has yet to reach the consciousness of the masses like it should.

[For More Details On This Case:
CLICK HERE for my previous blog entry, "Cops Gone Wild Part 5: The Cops With Tasers Edition" and, also:
CLICK HERE for my previous blog entry, "An Update On Cops Gone Wild Part 5: The Cops With Tasers Edition"
CLICK HERE for my previous blog entry, "Another Update On Cops Gone Wild Part 5: The Cops With Tasers Edition"]

Oscar Grant's Killer Has Been Apprehended

The Bay Area Rapid Transit Police Officer who fired the fatal shot that killed Oscar Grant (who was unarmed and prostrate at the time of his murder) has been apprehended.

Authorities arrested Johannes Mehserle in Las Vegas. According to CNN, "Mehserle was arrested on a fugitive warrant charging homicide." Reportedly, Johannes Mehserle has waived extradition. He is expected to be returned to the state of California soon.

RELATED POSTS/THE BACKGROUND STORY:
Cops Gone Wild Part 26: The Murder A Man In Cold Blood While He's Lying Face Down Edition
Cops Gone Wild Part 2 of Part 26: The Murder A Man In Cold Blood While He's Lying Face Down Video Edition
The BART Police Murder Of Oscar Grant Sparks Riots In L.A.
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week- Part 1
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words Pic Of The Week- Part 2

The BART Police Murder Of Oscar Grant Sparks Riots In L.A.

RELATED ARTICLES/THE BACKGROUND STORY: Cops Gone Wild Part 26: The Murder A Man In Cold Blood While He's Lying Face Down Edition
Cops Gone Wild Part 2 of Part 26: The Murder A Man In Cold Blood While He's Lying Face Down Video Edition

[SIDEBAR: Some people are mourning for a burnt car more than they're mourning for the life of a human being].

Cops Gone Wild Part 2 of Part 26: The Murder A Man In Cold Blood While He's Lying Face Down Video Edition

Cops Gone Wild Part 26: The Murder A Man In Cold Blood While He's Lying Face Down Edition

A 22 year old father did not live to experience 2009. On new year's day, an unarmed Oscar Grant was killed by a BART police officer.

The young man from the Bay Area was murdered by a transit cop with a shot to his back while he was lying prostrate face down on the ground. Witnesses allege that before Mr. Grant was murdered in cold blood, he held up his hands and pleaded with police not to taser him; protesting that he had a 4 year old daughter. Instead of an unjustified tasering, Oscar Grant received an unjustified fatal bullet. According to the Grant family's attorney, "The bullet went through Grant's back and then ricocheted off the floor and through his lungs."

While the BART police aren't publicly saying what the catalyst for the incident was, CNN has stated, "[John] Burris [attorney for the Grant family] said Tuesday that the young men [Oscar Grant and his friends] had been celebrating the new year at a popular waterfront tourist spot, The Embarcadero. They were heading home when police pulled them from the train car. Some of the young men [in the group of friends] were handcuffed, but not 22-year-old Oscar Grant." Oscar Grant allegedly atempted to de-escalate the situation, urging his friends to cooperate with the police despite the confusion of being targeted.

Video evidence of the murder has been emerging from various sources, including a train passenger's cellphone.

Cops Gone Wild Part 25: The Greek Edition

High school students, in the country of Greece, have been rioting for approximately 72 hours straight. The riots were sparked in response to a police officer killing a defenseless 15 year old.

The Wall Street Journal states that the events that instigated the killings are currently inconclusive. According to the news source, "The two policemen [allegedly responsible for the killing] claimed they had come under attack by a group of about 30 youths, and that three warning shots and a stun grenade were fired when they sought out the group a few minutes later. But witnesses have disputed the officers' accounts, telling Greek media that the police intended to shoot the youths."

Despite the fact that the catalyst for the tragic death has not been officially determined, Greek officials have arrested two police officers who are allegedly responsible for the slaying. One officer has been charged with murder, while the other has been charged as his accomplice.

Early reports on the riots, stated that the Greek youths coordinated their protests of the killing in different cities across the island via mobile phone text messages.

Greece hasn't seen such emotional and severe protests since 1985; when another death of a teenager at the hands of the police led to weeks of riots.

Cops Gone Wild Part 21: The Sodomize A Man In A Train Station Edition

Last week, a grand jury convened to hear a case in which a man claimed to have been sodomized by police officers in a Brooklyn train station.

Bravely negating the "blue wall of silence," a transit officer corroborated the claimant's story that members of the NYPD sodomized him after allegedly chasing him in an attempt to arrest him for smoking marijuana. According to the witness/transit cop, the victim was violated with a police baton.

Four of the police officers who were purportedly involved in the attack have relinquished their guns and badges, and have been placed on modified duty. The grand jury has yet to determine what charges, if any, the officers will face.