You are all well aware how much I like to rail endlessly about police brutality. The temptation has been strong, but I held off on the New Year's Eve BART shooting until some sort of administrative decision was made regarding the offending officer. Well, now that he has been charged with murder shortly after his resignation I think that we have enough context to make a few conclusions.
Theoretically I should be pleased with the short-term outcome: prosecution on a murder charge rather than a lesser offense or, as often happens, no charges whatsoever. Unfortunately I have little faith in the verdicts returned by the inevitable all-white jury with very specific ideas about what cops are allowed to do to black males. Alternatively, they may choose to go with the "one minority juror" system which virtually guarantees a mistrial. Regardless of what happens next it's good to see that he was prosecuted, though.
But does the DA actually deserve applause for this? Was there any alternative to prosecution for murder or something similar? The entire world has seen video – from numerous angles – of a police officer standing up, fumbling with his holster (which he had plenty of time to do because the suspect was cuffed, not resisting, and being kneeled upon by another officer) and then shooting a kid in the back for absolutely no reason whatsoever. This is no Rodney King video with margins just big enough for the professional cop apologists to offer an alternative version of events. The video is what it is and not even the most imaginitive Fraternal Order of Police rep or AM Talk Radio host can concoct a plausible explanation for the shooting.
The truly sad part about this story isn't the pointlessness of the victim's death or the brazen manner in which police abuse their limited authority. No, the sad part is how the story would have unfolded without the timely intervention of camera phones. Imagine that the folks on the trains didn't notice the incident until after it happened or didn't think to record it. What would be the reaction in that case?
Well, first of all we wouldn't be talking about it. It would be just another one-paragraph story on page 18 of the Metro section – "Umpteenth young black male dies in police custody." Yawn. Second, the police would have been able to tell with impunity their boilerplate tale of violent, resisting suspects who left no option other than the application of lethal force. You are familiar with the story by now. A scrawny black kid goes berserk and has the strength of 20 stout longshoremen, flipping over cars and coming close to killing two officers simultaneously with his bare hands. When the officers were just inches from death at the hands of a madman, they were left with no alternative except to shoot him with heavy hearts and deep sadness. After a few days of "paid administrative leave" (i.e., vacation) the deeply shaken officers return to work praying that they will never again be forced to use their weapon in the line of duty.
How many times has this storyline played out? I can't give you a number, but it would have been +1 on New Year's Eve but for the intervention of bystanders with cameras. The truth is that many instances of people dying in police custody have more in common with this incident than we will ever know. Without a (living) witness to contradict the Official Version of Events, deaths in custody almost inevitably get chalked up to justifiable force against an Incredible Hulk of a suspect. It is a particularly pathetic commentary on the state of the post-War on Drugs, militarized police in the United States that guerilla video footage is our last best hope for enforcing some version of sanity in law enforcement.
FMguru says:
I was in the Bay Area over New Years, and that's exactly how the story broke.
1/1 – Police kill man. He was a threat and not restrained, despite what witnesses say.
1/2 – There's security camera footage, but nothing of the shooting, so it's inconclusive.
1/3 – The cell phone footage comes out. BART police shift into panicky that's-not-the-whole-story, let's-not-jump-to-conclusions-here mode.
Until the cell footage emerged, it was going down precisely as you imagined.
j says:
You guys should have been here for the riots on 1/6 and 1/7! Whew, good times! ;)
Seriously, that cop was like Judge Dredd out there: judge, jury, and executioner. I hope the Grant family gets all of the 25 million dollars they sued for because they deserve it.
The more I grow older and see in the world, the more I agree with you that cops are just brutes. Here's the real question: is there any single situation or paradigm in the entirety of human history in which authority is not abused?
Keith says:
What a shame, only in America do we give anybody a gun and authority to use it. Many people don't realize that Law Enforcement is the biggest gang in this country, full of thugs with guns and some sort of god complex. What the hell was he thinking?
mimi says:
Well,well,well, now the black community knows how it feels to be discriminated against. The black community needs to get a grip. Why are you setting citys on fire and rioting and dumb shit? And why would this person life be worth 25 million dollars when you just know he didnt have an education to make that much in his lifetim. Black people kill cops everyday and tbink they shouldnt be prosecuted. Ithink its ironic dont you? Its like this mychal bell idiot. Heres and idea, stop breaking the law you lowlifes. Get jobs. Go to school. Learn how to read and write and you wont have to steal rape and beat up old ladies for their social security checks. nothing but a bunch of creeps!!!!!!!!
mimi says:
Wait a minute,second thought, take the 25 million for the wronful death and use it to pay for the cars that were destroyed and set on fire that belonged to the real innocent hard working tax paying people that were inconvenienced by all the thugs that were being idiots by protesting. Also pay for all the rest of the damage to stores and how about an apology for inconveniencing the decent folk that have to work for a living taking care of all the lazy black asses who cant work. In other words SHUT UP ALREADY!!!! How about the white man is sick of carrying you by paying taxes to support you. Do you get it. Stop screaming discrimination. If you dont like the truth then change your statistics. My brothas and sistas!! You sound like idiots talking to each other like that. But, what can you expect from illiterates!!!!!!
mimi says:
Isnt this how blacks behave? Dont you act like a bunch of judge Dredds. You decide who to rape, steal, rob, murder, cheat. Hell you people cant even go for your sats without asking for free points because your black. HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!! You are soooooooooo stupid and ignorant! Glad im not black.
beau says:
did todd mehserle just wander in here?
j says:
please block mimi's posts in the future. I don't want this place turning into Youtube.
Peggy says:
mimi, as a teacher with many black students who are not only literate but better writers than you, I'd just like to point out that you sound like a total fucking idiot when you insult a group of people for being "illiterates!!!!!!" without, you know, using proper capitalization or punctuation. Just sayin'.
mimi says:
Peggy you are a fucking idiot!!!!! Another ass kisser for criminals! I can post whatever I want whenever I want. This is America dipshit! Thats right, i forgot, only if your black and a criminal and only then do you have rights. GIVE ME A BREAK!!! Do you know how many hate websites are out there about whitey but iI have a feeling you wouldnt dream of writing them and calling them idiots. You say your a teacher, well GOD HELP OUR CHILDREN!!!!!! You are a fucking retard!!!!!!!
Ed says:
That's right, Peggy. Your a teacher.
To my new friend, "this" is not America. This is my website, and I'm under no obligation to allow you to say whatever you want whenever you want. Having located your home address via your IP addy, I promise you that I am only allowing you to continue to post for comedy value and more material for the lengthy post I am doing on you this week.
mimi says:
Why would you need my home address? And what could you possibly need it for? Are you letting everyone know that you have their home address or just mine? And you dont even know me so how can you do a lengthy post on me? Just wondering?
Shane says:
I can't wait to see your promised follow up post on this one.