On March 18, 2018 Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old Black man, father of two children from Sacramento, California was one of the more than 230 persons shot and killed by police in 2018. Mr. Clark was unarmed when he was shot and killed in his grandmother’s back yard. Mr. Clark’s family attorney, Benjamin Crump, arranged for an independent autopsy. The autopsy conducted revealed that Clark was shot 8 times in the back. A total of 20 rounds were fired at Mr. Clark. These autopsy results contrast with the statements of the officers who claim they feared for their lives. Mr. Clark was not armed but only possessed a cell phone. Every year on average, there are 1000 persons killed by police in the U.S. Clark’s shooting death has once again caused outrage over the killings of unarmed Black men to be shot and killed by police in the U.S. Blacks are shot and killed by police at a rate of almost 3 times that of whites. Since 2005, there have only been roughly 80 arrests or charges of … [Read more...] about Stephon Clark’s Killing and a Demand for Justice
unarmed
Blacks Go to Jail for Killing Dogs; Whites Stay Out of Jail for Killing Blacks
I was on Twitter last night when I found out that Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby had been acquitted for killing Terence Crutcher, an unarmed Black man. There have been so many police killings of unarmed Blacks with so few charges brought or guilty verdicts that I have become numb. But yesterday’s verdict of Tulsa police officer Betty Shelby struck a raw nerve. As a former prosecutor, I respect law abiding police; I detest those officers who lack the temperament, skills and self-control to wear a police uniform. Terence Crutcher is just the latest unarmed Black victim in a decades long string of Black victims killed at the hands of police without justice. On September 16, 2016, Betty Shelby stated she fired her gun killing Terence Crutcher out of fear. That is the standard response by police officers used in these cases. It’s as if it’s in their police training manual of what to say when you shoot and kill a Black person. Nine white jurors and three Blacks evidently … [Read more...] about Blacks Go to Jail for Killing Dogs; Whites Stay Out of Jail for Killing Blacks
5 Police Officer Trials to Watch in 2015
From Freddie Gray in Baltimore who ran away from police officers to Jonathan Ferrell who ran towards Charlotte police officers for help, five trials of on duty police officers for killing unarmed victims will likely take place in 2015. On Wednesday, August 19, a Fairfax, Virginia judge set December 14, 2015 as the trial date for former officer Adam Torres accused of shooting and killing John Geer in August, 2013 at his home for a domestic dispute call. In an unusual legal move for police officers, a Fairfax County judge denied bail for Torres—a move that caused the defendant to faint in the court room. Prosecutors refused to offer a plea bargain to Torres—a move that signifies the case will likely head to trial. Although the killing occurred two years ago, the county police initially refused to turn over necessary information on Torres to prosecutors--causing a delay in bringing charges. The case of the six Baltimore police officers charged on May 1, 2015 with assault and … [Read more...] about 5 Police Officer Trials to Watch in 2015