Racism USA and Bad Policing policies
No Charges in Ohio Police Killing of John Crawford as Walmart Video Contradicts 911 Caller Account | Alternet
Cop shoots black man for no Apparent Reason
Sept 4 Groubert traffic stop
The State Newspaper
story via Alternet.org:
Truly Shocking Video: Cop Shoots Black Man for No Apparent Reason
As the man obeys the officer's order, the officer opens fire.
The sickening drumbeat of seemingly daily acts of police brutality, the use of extreme and unnecessary force, extrajudicial shootings and sometime executions with African Americans as the targets goes on.
In an incident captured by the police car's Dash Cam, South Carolina state trooper Sean Groubert approaches Levar Jones as Jones gets out of his car at a gas station. Groubert asks to see Jones' license, and Jones turns around to retrieve it from his car. Groubert starts yelling, "Get out of the car, get out of the car," and opens fire, shooting at Jones four times, and striking him at least once, reportedly, in the hip.
All of four seconds had passed before Groubert escalated a routine traffic stop (he says for a seatbelt violation) to what could have been a deadly use of force.
The very disturbing video continues with the bewildered Jones first putting his hands up, though he is injured, and asking over and over why Groubert shot him when he was just trying to comply with his request to get his license.
Jones apologizes over and over again, despite clearly being the victim of an unprovoked assault. Groubert does not apologize.
The only silver lining: Groubert has been fired, arrested and charged with assault of a highly aggravated degree. He is facing 20 years in prison if convicted. Makes one wonder what would have happened without the Dash Cam.
So what happened to the freedom of assembly and the freedom to present one's grievances to those in authority. Insisting people keep moving does not allow them to peacefully assemble.
The violent reaction by the police reminds one of the police and government response to peaceful protesters in Bahrain.
The problem in these cases is in policing and the the disproportionate responses by police and their attitudes towards citizens and in these cases their racist attitudes and stereotyping combined with a shoot first response and seeing especially black men as criminals and as dangerous. The police appear to see themselves involved in some sort of all out Urban War in which those they consider the enemy lurk behind every door and window every hedge and in every car that passes.
The police are also more concerned with their own physical safety than with that of civilians since they and their enablers believe police officer's lives are more important than the lives of other citizens and that to them it is basically open season on alleged criminals or suspects of course especially if they are Black or of color.
Rachel Maddow - Ferguson an object lesson in bad policing
Here's Rachel Maddow's take on the bad policing practices which escalate the tension and violence rather than using techniques to de-escalate tension, anxiety and violence.
Published on 15 Aug 2014
Aug 14, 2014 MSNBC Rachel Maddow
Rachel Maddow looks at the history of violent clashes with police during the Vietnam protest era and the lesson that a smaller show of force by police can ultimately be more effective in keeping a crowd peaceful.
GORD.
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