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It's been going on for decades.
African Americans, especially African American men, mistreated by police or losing lives under suspicious causes, riots often following.
Mistreatment of the Frye brothers begat the 1965 Watts riots.
https://time.com/3974595/watts-riot-1965-history/
#BlackLivesMatter
African Americans, especially African American men, mistreated by police or losing lives under suspicious causes, riots often following.
Mistreatment of the Frye brothers begat the 1965 Watts riots.
https://time.com/3974595/watts-riot-1965-history/
#BlackLivesMatter
Because African American taxi driver John Smith did a maneuver that offended Newark police in 1967 they pulled him out of a cab and beat him. The Newark riots ensued https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jul/11/newark-race-riots-50-years-rebellion-police-brutality
Acquittal of cops after a high speed chase of Arthur McDuffie led to his death under questionable circumstances begat the 1980 Miami riots https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/miami-liberty-city-riot-1980/
The beating of Rodney King, captured on camera, triggered riots in 1992 - what if the video had not graphically shown the overwrought violence? https://www.npr.org/2017/04/26/524744989/when-la-erupted-in-anger-a-look-back-at-the-rodney-king-riots
In 1999, 4 police officers were acquitted in the shooting of unarmed Amadou Diallou. No footage. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/26/nyregion/diallo-verdict-overview-4-officers-diallo-shooting-are-acquitted-all-charges.html
In 2009, Oscar Grant, lying on the ground in a BART station, was shot in the back by white BART officer Johannes Mehserle, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Surely the footage played a role. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/10-years-since-Oscar-Grant-s-death-What-13489585.php
In 2009, Alex Landau, adopted son of white parents in Denver, was pulled over by police for an illegal left turn and beaten unconscious after he suggested they had no warrant to look in his trunk - his white friends with him were unharmed.
The city of Denver paid $800K to settle but the police involved were found innocent of wrongdoing.
Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson by Darren Wilson, spurring the #BlackLivesMatter movement. With no footage and few witnesses, Wilson was acquitted. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/10/the-cop
movement. With no footage and few witnesses, Wilson was acquitted. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/08/10/the-cop
In July 2014, Eric Garner was confronted by police for illegally selling cigarettes on Staten Island. He died while being choke held by police officer Daniel Pantaleo, who finally was fired in 2019 after a long delayed administrative trial https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/14/nyregion/eric-garner-police-chokehold-staten-island.html
Pantaleo was the only officer who received administrative punishment (and no criminal conviction) for this inappropriate use of force.
In 2019.
If it had not been caught on camera, would anything have happened? https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/10/24/20930842/daniel-pantaleo-lawsuit-nypd-eric-garner-chokehold
In 2019.
If it had not been caught on camera, would anything have happened? https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/10/24/20930842/daniel-pantaleo-lawsuit-nypd-eric-garner-chokehold
Officer Michael Slager shot senior citizen Walter Scott in the back in South Carolina in April 2015. If a fellow citizen had not captured this on cell phone video, would Slager have gotten 20 years in prison? https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/walter-scott-shooting/walter-scott-shooting-michael-slager-ex-officer-sentenced-20-years-n825006
In 2017, Philando Castile was pulled over in Minneapolis for a traffic violation, and was shot-it was recorded on cell phone. The officer, Jeronimo Yanez, was acquitted of homicide, but charges would not have been brought without the recording. https://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12116288/minnesota-police-shooting-philando-castile-falcon-heights-video
#GeorgeFloyd #TamirRIce #SandraBland, #FreddieGray all dead.
#TyeAnders was scared to death in Midland TX. Did he really roll through a stop? I did not see it.
I cannot blame him.
There are too many names. Too many deaths. Too much tragedy.
#TyeAnders was scared to death in Midland TX. Did he really roll through a stop? I did not see it.
I cannot blame him.
There are too many names. Too many deaths. Too much tragedy.
How many more? When will this stop?
Centuries of oppression, including massive redlining, segregation, discrimination, and police oppression after WW2, have created terrible conditions for many African Americans.
Centuries of oppression, including massive redlining, segregation, discrimination, and police oppression after WW2, have created terrible conditions for many African Americans.
Ta-Nehisi Coates discussed the context of all of this brilliantly in "The Case for Reparations" https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
All of us are responsible. If we see what looks like irresponsible or potentially dangerous police action, record it and intervene.
If clear evidence emerges on camera of racist action, protest, speak up, contact the leaders of that community.
If clear evidence emerges on camera of racist action, protest, speak up, contact the leaders of that community.
It won't stop until we all step in and step up.
