As I was attempting to relax and unwind on a Sunday afternoon at my local Starbucks, I happened upon the McKinney, Texas police video taken on Friday, June 5 of excessive force used once again on blacks. This time, it was an out of control police officer using excessive force and treating black teenagers at a Texas community pool as if they were visiting a whites only pool in the Jim Crow south in 1950. The only thing he needed to be truly reminiscent of the 1950’s were the police dogs, batons and hoses. I hope we will not ever go back to those days. The video is set forth here. The back story is apparently police were called to a community pool for a disturbance. The video shows the clearly disturbing activity was the police and the treatment of young blacks in bathing suits and pool attire. Gawker spoke with the individual filming the video. There are so many issues that can be addressed by the video starting with the excessive force by an out of control angry police officer used … [Read more...] about McKinney Police Incident Makes Me Ask if it’s 1950 or 2015
police
Setting the Record Straight in Baltimore
As the media often inaccurately portrayed the events in May which occurred in Baltimore following the arrest of 6 officers for the homicide of Freddie Gray, as a former Baltimore prosecutor, I would like to set the record straight. The overall general perception displayed on air in May was the entire City of Baltimore was ablaze during the looting and civil unrest. Next the media portrayed a police force afraid of being charged by the State's Attorney and arrested for doing their jobs. With the greatly increased homicide rate in May, the perception is the police are at a loss for answers. First, most of the City of Baltimore experienced little fallout from the looting and civil unrest. Looting and fires were limited to a very small area of the city of Baltimore. Hours on end on cable TV showing footage of the events following Freddie Gray’s funeral and the following days depicted an entire city out of control. In fact, the area in which the looting, protests, and civil … [Read more...] about Setting the Record Straight in Baltimore
Why Can’t Police do Their Jobs Without Killing Unarmed Blacks?
In light of the killing of Freddie Gray and charges brought against six Baltimore police, the president of the Baltimore police union released a statement that police are now more fearful about being jailed “for doing their jobs properly” than getting shot. Most police officers in Baltimore and elsewhere never get charged for killing any unarmed individuals and those that do rarely ever get convicted. So there is little to no reason for a police officer to fear being arrested. Police probably have a greater chance of being struck by lightning than being charged for killing an unarmed black man. And if they fear that they cannot do their job as police without killing unarmed blacks, then maybe they should not be police officers. Doing their job properly should not mean a young man dies of a broken spine while riding in the custody of police. Quite frankly, I am tired of police in Baltimore and elsewhere turning the tables upside down when it comes to killings involving … [Read more...] about Why Can’t Police do Their Jobs Without Killing Unarmed Blacks?
What the Media Got Wrong About Marilyn Mosby
Once Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced that her office was bringing charges against the six police officers allegedly involved in the death of Freddie Gray, all media piercing eyes were focused on her with extreme scrutiny. There was very little praise for Mosby conducting her own individual investigation instead of relying on the police to police and investigate themselves. There was little discussion of her investigation except to say that it was swift. Yet, the police concluded their investigation in the same time period and no one questioned their swiftness. The media mostly focused on her age, her lack of experience with homicides, potential conflicts of interests with the Gray family attorney, bias against the police, conflicts due to her husband’s position and a host of other things. Almost nothing good has been said about Mosby in the media. At 35 years old, she is the youngest chief prosecutor in a major city. Ms. Mosby worked at the Baltimore … [Read more...] about What the Media Got Wrong About Marilyn Mosby
Baltimore’s Best Kept Prosecution Secret on Freddie Gray Case
As Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby delivered a stunning and surprising press conference on May 1, announcing charges of the six police officers allegedly involved in Freddie Gray’s death, she held a secret close to her chest. Her office investigated the police officers and the death of Freddie Gray since the incident began. When she received the police investigation of the police on Thursday, April 30, she had already done her own due diligence. All that was left was the Medical Examiner’s report declaring Gray’s death a homicide. She received the autopsy report on May 1 stating that Mr. Gray’s death was a homicide. She had the best kept secret ever in terms of homicide investigations involving police. There were no leaks from her office, her investigators or the Baltimore City Sheriffs who assisted her office in the investigation. In the age of social media, where even leaks occurred to the media about the police investigation to the Washington Post and … [Read more...] about Baltimore’s Best Kept Prosecution Secret on Freddie Gray Case
Why I Don’t Trust Baltimore Prosecutors with Freddie Gray Case
The case of Freddie Gray personally hit me very hard. I was born and grew up in Baltimore. As a former Baltimore City prosecutor, I prosecuted major crimes there for 5 years. I know the area known as Western District where Freddie Gray was arrested. I also know that over the years and for decades, Baltimore Police have engaged in police brutality and excessive force resulting in settlements and judgments. A. Dwight Pettit, a Baltimore attorney, has successfully represented many victims of police brutality for as long as I can remember, in the pre-social media days and even today. Now with video and social media, what was once hidden for many years is now coming to light in Baltimore. There must be an independent investigation by the Maryland State Prosecutor, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office or the Maryland State Police. The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has initiated an independent investigation to determine if Gray’s civil rights were violated. Baltimore … [Read more...] about Why I Don’t Trust Baltimore Prosecutors with Freddie Gray Case