The killing of Oscar Grant III, an African American, by a white Oakland police officer is startling in many respects. For one, the question of responsibility in the vast majority of such killings is murky at best, and never has there been video that so clearly captures and validates the claim that is made by so many people of color, especially black people -- that police regularly mistreat people of color and sometimes kill people in cold blood (and then receive immunity for their actions). Even the case of Amadou Diallo had some gray shadings in the middle of the facts -- the police thought that he was reaching for a gun when he was reaching for his wallet. In Oakland by contrast, it certainly seems to me that there was virtually no possibility that the police officer could have imagined that Grant was a danger to anyone, not even himself. In fact, the video makes it look like an open and shut case of cold-blooded murder.
Let's comment on this -- but do so in light of the following six statements:
1. The only police officers in this country who are NOT appalled by Grant's killing (aka: "murder") are likely those who are members of some underground white supremacist organization for cops or the police officers who are just plain psychotic. So don't t say something like "the police are racist" unless you are also willing to stand behind some other stereotype such as "Mexicans are lazy" or "Irish are drunks."
2. The vast majority of murders of young black and brown men in the United States are committed by other young black and brown men and NOT the police. That many of these murders are committed for inane reasons (e.g., "he called me out") seems to me to be an excellent reason to riot in the streets and call for and end to the violence.
3. Racism allows people to act toward people from other groups in ways that they would not otherwise act -- and we have to imagine that the officer did not see Mr. Grant as one of his own people (i.e., his nephew, his brother, or even a version of himself).
4. It's not easy being a police officer in neighborhoods where large numbers of people hate you until they need you (and therefore call 911 and expect you to help them in some way). It's a very stressful job and one that operates on fear and suspicion. It's not a reason to commit cold blooded murder -- but it is a point to reckon with and one that few people ever take the time to entertain, until they become a cop.
5. This killing happened three weeks before the swearing into office of the first "black" U.S. President.
6. Because you rarely hear about violence committed by the police it doesn't mean that this is an isolated case. Watch this if you don't believe me:
So what do you think? What do you make of these two killings? And why haven't we heard more about the second shooting at the hands of the New Orleans Police Department? How many more egregious acts of violence and hate do law enforcement personnel commit against innocent people that never make the news?
If your first response is "I can't believe that this could happen in the U.S.," then what do you think actually does happen out there on the streets? I mean, what do you think is REALLY going on? What might you not be seeing?
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1 – 200 of 278 Newer› Newest»Let us put ourselves in the cops situation, as Sam Richards would want us to do. Ok, so a bead of sweat is rolling down your fore head. You’re in the heat of the moment at the site of a crime. Somebody was SLEEPING at a bus station on the floor and it really pissed you off. Something about the way he was sleeping just really pisses you off. You walk up to him and say, “Wake up asshole; this bus station is for awake people only.” The person wakes up, pretty upset. He looks into your eyes with a villainous look of anger and disgust. “You want me to wake up!?” Now the situation goes from just an everyday crime, to something way more catastrophic. The sleeping piece of shit said something in response to me. What a piece of shit. “Listen here asshole, I want your license and registration! NOW!” The lying piece of crap says, “Hold on it’s in my wallet.” He reaches into his back pocket. This is when you have two choices. Wait for his license and registration, or… Blast his brains out. Lets chose the lesser of all evils and --- what am I saying. It’s a beautiful Friday evening, and this DUSCHE bag was SLEEPING in the bus station. “SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND SLEEPER!” POW POW POW. Dead. Just like that. I feel so happy to kill someone who has nothing to live for. He was such a piece of crap. I can’t believe somebody would just… sleep like that in the middle of a bus station.
Clearly, this cop was out of place. My computer speakers are broken right now, so I could not watch the video with sound. That is just what the video looks like. It looked like some drunken guy was starting trouble at a train station when all of a sudden the cop got startled and starting emptying his clip and jumping back like a scared rabbit. Quite the video, eh? Unfortunately, the cop probably over reacted to the situation. He could have shot the guy in the arm instead. That would have been an extreme also. He could have tackled the drunken man with the training they give American police officers. I have to assume cops are taught some crazy tackling moves. Instead of shooting this guy in the chest or head and killing him. This cop really made an ass of himself, and I’m sure he feels bad for it. Before he goes to sleep at night, I know half of him fights to say “I’m sorry!!!!” But the other half of him fights to say, “It’s ok, it was the safest way!!!”
So, you really can’t blame the cop. He puts himself in the line of fire every day. He made a mistake and that really sucks. It is horrible. But I mean. If you do not want these mistakes to happen, then we should not have cops. And if we do not have cops, regular humans (the public) would be the ones responsible for shooting and killing people. There’s really no winning situation. Cops are a catch 22. We need to see this situation in the light that not everyone is perfect. Even cops make mistakes. That victim could have been white, black, or brown. Unfortunately, it was a white cop and black victim. That looks really bad. But… You know. He just was not a perfect cop.
The two cases addressed in the videos are shocking but not unbelievable considering the news reports on these kind of stories every now and then when there is an extreme case like the two shown in the videos. I would like to address the six statements with the clips. First, I think the only police that are not shocked by the shooting of Grant are those that work in very urban areas and may have developed racist tendencies because there may be a commonality among those that commit crimes in those areas. These police officers become jaded and start to look at all cases as open and shut. “The individual was being unruly and the police had to do what they had to do.” This is a scary thought but police that have been part of a force for a long period of time may end up like this. Should they be a part of that police unit or area then? Probably not but the reason they share views that discriminate is from personal experience of past cases. Another point in the comments section brings up that that vast majority of murderers is committed by other black men not the police. This is true, but the public holds the police to a higher standard then ordinary citizens. They need to be impartial as possible and when stories like this emerge it makes one lose faith in criminal justice. Police must be impartial but at the same time humane, the next point points out that everyone comes from a family and past and the officer that shot Grant could not have been possibly be thinking of this when he shot Grant. Police officers are given a lot of power as we can see and the fact that they abuse this power and act in the ways they sometimes do is disappointing but it just shows how racism can take hold of anyone. The fact that the shooting of Grant took place three weeks before Obama was sworn in isn’t real relevant in my mind because I believe these acts happen a lot more often then they are reported because of the power of police and absence of family or individuals that will put up a fight for the victim. I believe the media chose to air this clip at the time it did because of Obama’s swearing into office however, it was a strategic move on their part for ratings. These instances are not isolated the media picks and chooses when to air them, I believe when it seems relevant, for example this time. The second story is even more shocking then the first. In the first Grant may have been involved in criminal activity but the police over-reacted in shooting him when he was clearly cooperating. In the second clip the story is confusing. It sounded to me that, this young man came home for a holiday to be with his family was going somewhere with his cousin and was waiting for her in the car and then was shot a ridiculous amount of times. The whole story is shady and unrealistic. What provoked the police? The story does not look good for the police, they are obviously the only ones that know the truth and the fact that they are not coming out with it makes fowl play seem plausible. But why? Why, would police do this, it’s honestly disgusting.
The police shooting of Oscar Grant III portray a sad aspect of racism and ignorance that is present today. The police offer that committed the shooting deserves prison or worse, no doubt in my mind. There are some aspects within the shooting that I would like to break down and analyze.
First and foremost, as Professor Richards stated, the shooting is an isolated case. Police are not the “pigs” that so many inner city individuals make them out to be, 95% of them are looking out for the good of the common people. Yet all it takes is one occurrence for the entire reputation of the conscientious police officer to come crashing down. Is this justified? Certainly not, but it is understandable. I cannot expect Mr. Grant’s family to view the shooting as “isolated”. Isolated or not, their son is dead. Their anger and hatred is appropriate, but sad non the same. Their trust in law enforcement has been irretrievably broken. The family and future generations will no doubt view police with disdain and trepidation. The United States has one of the best law enforcement organizations in the world, and it is so sad that the actions of one can represent so many.
But what happens when the roles are reversed? My father works in the Philadelphia area, where two police officers were shot execution style while reporting to a minor disturbance. The shooter was black, the officers white. What then? The police were deemed as “casualties of the street”, and eventually the press moved on. The shooting of Oscar Grant has received more attention but is there really such a large difference between these two events? However you spin it, it’s largely the same in my opinion. However, the black shooter was portrayed as misguided, lacking opportunity. Perhaps the officer was “misguided”? I myself don’t believe that, but I want to show that there are two sides to a story, and we often are blind to one of them. Regardless the murder victims died for no reason, senseless violence knows no concept of color.
It seems that whenever there is White on Black violence there is public outrage. The press swarms and protests ensue. Yet as Professor said, most inner city violence is minority on minority, and this type is met with much less press attention. This is a major problem. For racism to be defeated equal responsibility must be assessed equally in these occurrences, regardless of how they look. The issue remains unresolved. Racism will not die 100%, there will always be those that hold hatred and radical views within their hearts. But the outlook is bright as race relations continue to improve. Unfortunately it is events like the shooting of Oscar Grant III that have the potential to set the race relations movement back years. The question is, will the public stand by and let that happen?
This police shooting obviously shows that racial tensions are not even close to being peacefully ended (in some regards). Of course I was shocked by the apparent ease with which the officer killed Oscar Grant, but that does not mean that I know the officer’s true intent. Being a cop is an extremely challenging and taxing job upon a person and I am sure that, in this case, it is no different. Because of the racial tensions, this officer probably always lives in a state of heightened anxiety at any time that he is faced with dealing with a black or brown person. Maybe this day was more difficult than others; maybe he just could not take it any more; maybe the stress of being a cop, day in and day out, finally got to him. Does this excuse his actions, though? No, of course not. The sanctity of life is something that should be revered and protected. And this event is all the more tragic because someone committed this heinous killing are primarily associated with those very standards. This leads to the question: who is to possibly “police” the police? If the ones who are to be upholding justice and peace cannot even do so, how are we (as a community) meant to endorse those same standards? Where do we draw the line? Whose fault are these occurrences really: the community’s or the individual’s? I do not have an answer to these questions, but they must be thought about and debated.
In all honesty, I think that it is good that these “isolated” events are being brought to the media’s attention. Of course, it is hard to conclusively draw inferences from infrequent incidents, but that is how things start to change. The general public must take small steps into giving people of color more of a chance to speak of their grievances against instances such as these. If the greater majority of society does not grant them this opportunity, then Oscar Grant’s (and other’s like him) murder is on our hands as well, not just the individual who physically put the bullet into his back.
Most strikingly, because of the differences in race, people are more apt to pay attention to this murder. Regardless, this does not change the fact that the effects upon one’s families are extremely harmful and long lasting. The family will still feel the pain of their son, father, cousin, uncle, nephew being murdered by someone that they were supposed to trust. This is a pain that no one deserves, under any circumstances. This is an extremely tragic event. We view modern society as so far advanced and civilized. But I ask, does this look like the actions of one who is civil? In light of these events, we all must question even the darkest places of our society.
I have done extensive reading on Amadou Diallo in the past and I believe his cases is different from the other two cases in structure, however there are similarities in outcomes. Amadou Diallo’s case was a perfect example of how preconditioned thinking can lead to improper judgment. In Malcolm Gladwell’s novel Blink, Gladwell breaks down the murder of Diallo in great detail to help the reader understand all of the thought process that went into the eventually shooting and death of Diallo. Officers are trained to act by a certain protocol that ensures the safety of the officer, suspect, and public. However, when emotion becomes involved this protocol takes the back seat to basic human instincts, which can often times be wrong. When fear and adrenaline strike an officer they tend to assume what will happen based on past experience in the field. In the case of Diallo, officers shot him repeatedly because they thought they saw him pull a weapon from his pocket, when he was really just trying to reveal his wallet. Diallo could not speak English which is why he fled from the police to his apartment so he could obtain his wallet in order to prove his citizenship. As a result of the chase and the high tension police assumed this man was a criminal fleeing from them and didn’t hesitate to shoot when they saw him reach for his pocket.
This case is unfortunately not uncommon however it is different from the two posted videos. The incident I just described was unfortunately a misunderstanding from both sides of the tragedy. Diallo should not have fled from the police to grab his wallet and police should not have acted so out of line but jumping to conclusions. The two posted videos appalled me because they are certainly not the fault of the victim. In the case of the subway shooting I could not understand how the officer’s reasoning for his actions were because he felt “out numbered.” There were plenty of officers in the train station during the video and all of the suspects seemed to be face down on the floor cooperating. Unfortunately I do believe that racism still exists and is very prominent in the way police handle their day to day business. I myself have not experienced this first hand however from what I have read about in news reports and heard from witness testimonies, I would be led to believe that in almost all cases police are more quick to judge when the suspect is of a minority race. In the case of the man in his car I wish there was more evidence in the video but it seems quite excessive for police to shoot him 14 times in the back over a routine traffic stop. Even worse was that his family received no attention when they asked about the shooting soon after. This shows a complete lack of respect from the local authorities towards the family of the victim. Hopefully in the future we can experience less of this grotesque, unwarranted murders towards minorities.
I have to say I am a little indifferent toward this whole situation, and am not really willing to take one side whole-heartedly. I am the daughter of a police officer, and I can understand where both sides are coming from. However, I do know that no one can make a quick judgment about the decisions made by the police officers without putting themselves in their shoes. Imagine how it would feel to have to wear a bullet-proof vest to work everyday, keeping in the back of your mind that you may not come home to your family. Knowing that there are people out there who do not like you purely based on the uniform you are wearing can be very intimidating, and would most likely make me very cautious and aware of my surroundings. I have watched my father lose a partner and friends to the job and for that reason I cannot just outright say that what those officers did was completely out of line.
For me, the first case is much more vague than the second. I know why the officer had his gun out; however, I am not sure why he chose to use it. There was no indication of a distinct struggle, and there were numerous officers around attempting to handcuff him. Therefore, I do not know why he made that decision, but then again, I was not in his or her position to make the call and do not know the details of the occurrence. Overall the first case, in my opinion would be harder to prove in the officer’s favor.
The second case, however, is much different. Why was the victim carrying a gun around? And why did he have a shotgun in the back of his car? This is why I worry so much about my Dad when he goes to work everyday. People are carrying weapons when they don’t need to be. What is point of carrying around a handgun in your back pocket? If you were innocently going about your evening, than why would you need a weapon on you at any point of time.
When the racism issue is brought up right away, it makes me question why? I’m assuming both victims were black or brown individuals. However, how do you know the race of the shooting officer. Especially in New Orleans, I know that they have a large number of African American police officers. So, if a black or brown officer shot the victim, then would it be considered racism?? You walk a fine line when you attempt to identify what racism is and I think people are too quick to judge others as being racist when something as tragic as this happens under a pressure-filled circumstance.
I think that the shootings of both Oscar Grant III and Adolph “Chris” Grimes are horrifying and prove to the public that there are still extreme cases of racism in the United States. Although most shootings of black and brown people may be by other black and brown people, these two shootings were by law enforcement officials and for no apparent reason. Although we will never know what was going through the police officers’ minds just seconds before the shootings, it is apparent that there was no reason to believe that they were in danger, particularly in the case of Oscar Grant III. The video coverage shows no reason to believe whatsoever that Oscar Grant was a danger to anyone. He was being cooperative with the police and doing exactly as he was told, then pushed to the ground by one officer with his knees pressed on his neck while another office drew out his gun and murdered him. There is no viable explanation for what was going on that morning as to why the murder took place. Fortunately because of there being a myriad of witnesses and at least two videos of the shooting, the police as well as the family and public are getting a clear representation of the events as they occurred and not some fabricated or falsified version of the events strictly from police officers.
As for the second shooting, it is less apparent as to what happened and the family is not getting any answers from law enforcement officials. This is appalling because the family has every right to know what happened to their loved one, particularly when he was just waiting for his cousin and returned home from Houston to spend the holiday with his family. The only detail that seemed to be released is the fact that he was should fourteen times, twelve of which were in the back. Although the situation surrounding his death remains unclear, the fact that he was shot so many times is outrageous. There are very few circumstances in which it would be tolerable to shot a victim so many times, and the fact that nothing has been reported about there being gunshots prior to the polices arrival makes me speculate that this was definitely not one of those times. Apparently there were 48 shots fired during this escapade and fourteen of them hit and killed Adolph “Chris” Grimes.
Although both of these instances prove that there is still racism in the United States and it is still a problem that needs to be addressed by both citizens and law enforcement officials, I do not believe that all police officers are bad and I think that instances such as these give all police officials a bad reputation when it should not be. It is likely that majority of the police officials throughout the country are good and would not necessarily make the same decisions that the officers in these shootings made. That is my hope and something I have to believe in order to feel safe and comfortable living in this society.
Sam’s blog, “Let’s Stay Focused” was really shocking to me. It’s so crazy how new technology pulls everyone’s skeletons out of their closet. A corrupt police officer obviously thought that he could get away with murder based on the stereotype many people would hold against a black man. His plan backfired because we all see just how corrupt that police officer was and how innocent that man was. I just cannot comprehend how this police officer or the other officers with him thought it was okay to kill the man. He was so obviously not a threat to anyone. For the sake of argument, let’s say that he was a threat to innocent bystanders; it seems to me that killing a man is the very last option. If they really thought that he was going to hurt someone else, don’t they have pepper spray, nightsticks, and ways of shooting someone in the leg or another appendage rather than killing him? In the case at hand, all of these options are extreme in themselves, but compared to death, I’m sure that the man would rather have been pepper sprayed than dead. It is situations like this that continue to collapse bridges and build walls between our races that do not need to be there. But as Sam points out, it is important to remember that this corrupt and backwards police officer does not represent our race just as anyone who sides with the officer needs to realize that criminal black men do not represent their race. And although I appreciate Sam’s posting of another video to help make his point, I am afraid that people will take this as a hit against police officers. This just seems like such a mystery to me that I must step back and wait for the officers’ explanation before I can make form my opinions. This must be a case of mistaken identity. Although I too have a tendency to want to write off the police as hypocritical men on a power trip looking to take us all down for “crimes” they regularly commit on their own, we must remember that the purpose of police officers is to serve and protect us. We do need these people to keep order in our world and we cannot generalize that they are all bad people. There are bad people in every single group of humans. In police officers, teachers, doctors, ministers- there are bad apples in every single group but if we write off all of these groups as bad people simply because of what a small fraction of the group does- we won’t trust anyone. We won’t believe in the good within a human being and where will this get us? We need each other. We need to look out for each other’s backs matter the color of our skin or the job that we hold.
After watching the two videos and reading the blog there are a few things I would like to touch upon. First I would like to give my reaction to these two videos. After watching these videos I was shocked, even though I know things like this still happen, it is always shocking and disturbing to see such actions take place. What really shocked me was how the police officer in the first video completed such a violent action in a public train station when the boy being shot did not posses any immediate danger. However, the second video also surprised me that they boy was shot so many times. It really is a disgrace.
However, the second point that I really want to talk about is how some people in the United States look at all cops in a negative light because the actions of a few cops across the country. Therefore, I think that although there are a few “bad” cops in today’s society it is not ok for the country to stereotype all cops as “bad”. There are many great cops and many cops that put their lives on the line day in and day out to protect each and everyone of us regardless of our race Therefore, I think it is extremely important to make sure that the police officers are not all stereotyped by the actions of a few bad people because there are bad people in all fields in today’s society and its not ok to take for granted what many cops do for us. For example, I live in a very suburban town an a police officer had brought in a drunk man to the hospital and he wrestled the gun off the officer’s belt and shot and killed him. This is just one instance where a police officer was doing their job and their life was cut short. Therefore, it is extremely important to realize how all cops are NOT bad and many actually loose their lives for doing their job.
The third thing that I had a strong reaction to was point number 3 on the list. Racism allows people to act towards people how they would otherwise not act. Then it continues on to say that the cop must not have seen this man as one of his own people. I think if that is what happened it is extremely disgraceful. It makes me feel like police departments before hiring officers should really make sure they know enough about the people whom they are hiring. I know this can be extremely difficult however, I think if SOMETHING could be done maybe less racist cops would be hired which could limit the amount of murders like those in the videos which could then possibly decrease the negative stereotypes of police officers.
Therefore after watching these two videos I can say I am honestly disgraced with some police officers however, I want to make it clear that I feel that most cops are good people trying to do the right thing. Therefore, I hope in the future something can be done to reduce this negative stereotype of police officers.
I thought the video of the first video was a little sickening to see a man just shot to death like that. I think the officer if he felt he needed to shoot the man could have shot him in the arm or the leg somewhere that would not have killed him. I have to believe that our police officers were taught things like that, in order to not kill people even if they are doing terrible things. If i put myself in the officers shoes he could have just been protecting himself and thinking the man was going to grab a gun but are you not to suppose to see the good in people, the news says he was reaching for his wallet to give his license so why did the officer need to shoot him in the back? I think it is just one of those situations that occur and does not necessarily have anything to do with race. It is just an officer that makes a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes at their jobs so we can't expect an officer to never make a mistake. We put a lot of trust in our police officers as we should but they are not perfect people. For the most part I truly believe they are just men and women out their working trying to do their job to the best of their ability in every situation. The second video really disturbed me in the fact that this particular young man was shot twelve times in the back and two other times into his body. Not only was their 14 bullets in him but at the scene their had been a total of a whole package that the cops use which equals forty six. That is a lot of bullets to be using on one young man. It is also so terrible because there so far has been no record that their was shootings between the young man and officers. The worst part of the whole situation is that the police department is not telling the family anything. I do not know how they are getting away with keeping the family in the dark, it is wrong to not tell a sad and angry family what happened to their son. By keeping this all hidden it makes me feel like the police department is trying to hide something. I feel like this could be a case where officers made a mistake again but I think it was a very excessive mistake to shoot someone 14 times. These situations make us realize how this is going on our there and that the people who are suppose to protect us are doing their jobs but there are times when they can make the wrong decision in the heat of the moment just like any other human being could too.
When I hear about police brutality cases, I think to myself “what the hell did they do this time”. In both clips the public is not notified of the details in either situation. So it would be hard to understand it from the cop’s point of view. In the first clip the video only showed the cops having restraints to the victims, then one cop shooting a cuffed victim execution style. From the perspective of the media and from the video it looks as if the cop was completely in the wrong. I thought when a cop has a victim in restrained; nothing further should be done to the victim. So for the cop to put his knee in the victim’s back and fire a shot that kills him is very unnecessary. None of the cops were in danger at that point in time, so why use the unnecessary force? The story about the shooting in New Orleans looks even worse than the previous story. There were no statements that were released to justify the shooting. In both cases we are unaware of the probable causes for the cops to confront the victims anyway. Cases like these are the reasons for citizens in urban areas to dislike all police officers. I understand that these officers are putting their lives on the line, but don’t put officers in areas that they are not familiar with. Especially in areas that has a high crime rate. When they do that you get situations where officers use fear to overcome their judgment. Or you have officers that are trigger happy and would like to get any chance to fire their weapon. I live in Brooklyn and the police are always harassing young black males. It doesn’t have to be anything serious they’ll just ask questions with no probable cause. I remember one time my friends and I were sitting outside of our building, and the cops walked up to us and asked if we lived around here and why were we sitting here. I bet if it was a group of white males sitting outside they would not have been interrogated. About 3 years in Queens, NY there was a case where a male named Shaun Bell lost his life after being shot at 50 times along with two of his friends. Two of the cops that were involved in this case were all acquitted. The other three cops were indicted. Shaun Bell and his friends were out celebrating because he was getting married the next day. Shaun Bell and his friends were unarmed, but the cops were under the expression that they were under attack. One of the officers had emptied two clips and another had fired eleven shots. So if there were no shots fired at the officers from the beginning, why was there so many shots fired in their defense?
I understand that police need to protect themselves in very difficult times, but when does it become too excessive? Both of these crimes were in the hands of insane policeman. Maybe it was because of the victim’s race on why they shot them numerous times. But, I thought that when the person is already held against their will then the police retaliation is minimized. However, in these recent shootings they kept going, like they didn’t have a heart. As Sam had stated in this article, what if the police saw the victim as their family members or even a reflection of themselves, would he still shoot them several times? I find that insane, who gives them the privilege to kill someone while their victim is already down. In the first video, it seemed that Oscar was down and handcuffed yet the cop was still retaliating. The cop obviously had no right to do what he did. And what’s awkward about this situation is that the most penalty that the cop would get is getting fired and/or having to pay a fine. I definitely do not see how this is fair. Oscar’s family just lost someone due to cops thinking they can control someone by killing them. Is this seriously what our police enforcement has come to? Also on the second video, there were twelve shots towards Adolph. Now, does that number not seem insane to you? Even if he did take out a gun and fire a shot, it shouldn’t be acceptable to fire that many shots on him.
I also feel that the media doesn’t publicize these types of acts from the cops because they would be looked down upon. If you think about it the police in the U.S. have the utmost authority and have a great amount of responsibility to protect the citizens. But protecting the citizens is not demeaning someone who is helpless. I just wish the police would think twice about killing an innocent human being when facing a difficult problem. I have also heard of other incidents that the police were involved with, when it came to excessive amount of gun fire. For example, there was a guy in New York, who was shot around twenty times in front of a night club. This guy wasn’t even armed, it was because he looked like he was going to fire shots (with no gun), or maybe because it was another minority. I know that everyone wants to think that cops aren’t racist. But just look at the innocent people who get shot numerous amounts of times, for nothing they have done wrong. The majority of them are minorities. I don’t think anyone really knows the magnitude of how the cops think, but it makes you wonder sometimes. If some of them are looking out for the well-being of the citizens or getting ready to target people who “look” suspicious.
These shootings show that though we just elected our first African American president into the White House, racism is still a big problem on our agenda. I know that terrible crimes happen like this a lot more often then we hear about. That being said, it still dose not make it any less shocking. Watching the video of Oscar Grant, it was terrible that the officer shot him with such ease. Even more shocking is hearing that a supposedly innocent young man was shot at 14 times, and 12 of those went into his back.
I understand that being a cop is a very difficult job. On a daily basis these officers enter unsettling situations that can leave them physically and emotional drained. Due to the clear racial tension the cop that shot Grant probably lives in a state of anxiety daily as he tries to do his job. In his mind he could have simply been protecting his life. Of course there is the other option, which can easily seem just as likely in this situation. There was no evidence in the video that proved Oscar Grant was endangering anyone near him. He seemed to be following instructions, and his friend that was interviewed said that everyone was following their instructions.
What is good about this situation is that there is video evidence in the murder of Grant. The FBI and families can see what happened and how it happened. Though we will never know what went thought the officers head that led him to shoot Grant, we saw how the events played out. To me, a huge issue in the second case with 12 shots fired is the lack of video proof. The officers of the New Orleans Police Department are at whim to fabricate what really happened and no one may ever know what happened that night. Grimes’ family will not get the answers that they are deserved. The only real proof is the 14 shots fired at him. 14 shots is a very high number, and I cant imagine that it was necessary to shoot at a single person who did not fire a shot.
I find it very wrong that things like this don’t become bigger deals. As Mr. Richards said, we have not heard much about the second shooting by the New Orleans Police Department. The media takes upon itself the duty to keep people ignorant to certain things. We have become a county of consent. We let the media treat us like babies. While we are so consumed with E news gossip and video games, more and more people have less and less say in the government. It is good that these few “isolated” events are surfacing in the media now, hopefully more people will become aware of what is going on.
Let's Stay Focused
The killing of Oscar Grant III, an African American, by a white Oakland police officer is just another incident in which an innocent African American was wrongfully killed by a white police officer. The thing that bothers me the most about this, and many other incidents similar to this one is that there always seems to be a lack of evidence. How is it that a police officer in the middle of a subway station can murder a man, but details about the murder are murky at best? I’m also bothered by the fact the one of the videos that captured the murdered was confiscated by the police. What reason would they have to confiscate the video other than to attempt to cover up the murder? I’m pretty sure that had they known there was another video they would have made attempts to confiscate it as well. Events, and those like these, are reasons why minorities, especially African American males, distrust the police. They already believe that police, especially those that are white, are racist towards, African Americans, and actions like these just reaffirm these thoughts. While many incidents of this nature a very uncommon, when they do happen they are amplified in their magnitude. This is also a big reason why many people, especially African Americans, no longer have any care for law enforcement anymore. They are more willing now, than any other period in time, to assault or even murder police when put in situations similar to the one Oscar Grant. Many African American men now would much rather suffer the consequences of assaulting or even murdering a police officer, than for it to be the other way around. Another thing that bothers me is that when events like these do occur; many people seem surprised by the uproar, especially in the African American community. It should be a surprise to no one that events like these cause an uproar in the black community. Though other African Americans commit most murders of African Americans, it is when they are murdered by another race that the black community once again becomes a tight knit group in an attempt to receive justice.
My heart goes out to the family that just lost their son, brother and friend. And my anger goes out to the policeman who shot and killed Oscar Grant III, for what appears to be, no apparent reason. I live outside of Philadelphia and pretty close to Camden, as well. I never venture into that part of town because it is rated as one of the most dangerous cities in the country. However, my stepfather works as a criminal defense attorney and conveniently finds a lot of his work over the bridge. I was upset by this occurrence but it is not the first time I have heard about such happenings, since my stepfather used to bring home disturbing stories, like Oscar Grant III’s. Unfortunately, many “unjustified” deaths, like Oscar Grant’s occur in places like Camden, for example.
So many of us trust that the police are looking out and doing their jobs for the wellbeing of the people. When occurrences like such happen, we question their motives and trustworthiness. However, I do not believe that the majority of cops would have reacted in the same manner. I think that most remove themselves emotionally from a given situation to remain professional. It will really be a test to see how the police department reacts to this incident and how they do or do not defend their coworker and employee.
The case may well be that the cop had a lapse of judgment and made a mistake in killing this black man. There is also a chance that he felt very threatened for himself and others, by the victim. I am not sure that I believe that side of the story but I do know that not all policemen would have reacted the way this cop did. They sacrifice themselves each day in an effort to protect the public. There is a possibility that this cop could have later been shot without cause by a black man in another, different situation. However, conveniently enough, we do not always hear about the many instances where a white cop is shot “without reason” by a black man. This happens all the time but ever so rarely gets advertised by the media. Why do we not pay as much attention to the minority’s racist behavior towards the majority?
We take ten steps back every time we grant great amounts of attention to these white on black racist confrontations and blow them out of proportion. The truth is that racist remarks and behavior will probably forever occur as long as there exists a minority. Hopefully the day will come when people stop acting on their racism and we can find some sense of peace in this world.
I am absolutely sick to my stomach right now. I am almost flabbergasted at the YouTube video’s of the shootings of Oscar Grant and Adolph Grimes. I know that violence like this is common, but when you see with your own eyes a man being shot for apparently no reason, it just makes the dangers more real. Why? That is the question that I continue to ask myself after watching the videos. It seems the most important question in these situations, but it is the one that no one can answer. You hate to think that this had anything to do with the color of the victim’s skin, but there does not seem to be any other reason at this time.
I would like to first comment on the Oscar Grant video, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around what I saw. It was clear that Grant was on the ground and not resisting police. Why in the hell did that police officer even need to take out his gun? First of all, he was putting everyone else in the area in danger by pulling out the weapon. Second of all, Oscar was following orders and I’m pretty sure that an officer does not need to use a gun when the suspect is cooperating. I am just getting more irate the more I think about the officer. It did not escape me that the officer was white, and I feel I have no other choice then to think that his shooting was racially motivated. I know not all cops are racist and that they have an extremely difficult job. However, that does not excuse the actions of this particular officer. Cleary, something is not right with this man, and he has place being an “officer of the law”. One thing I did find interesting was that the shooting took place three weeks before Barack Obama was inaugurated. Part of me wonders whether the Oakland police officer was making his own personal statement.
Next I want to move on to the video about Adolph Grimes. Once again you have a million questions, but no answers. You have a young black man, who was apparently just waiting for his cousin, being shot twelve times in the back. I’m pretty sure one would have been plenty to take Grimes down if he was doing anything wrong. The argument that Grimes shot first does not seem to be holding up for the police department is New Orleans, so they better start thinking of another reason for why a man needed to be shot fourteen times. Probably what is even more disgusting than that is the fact that the officers shot a total of 48 times! Something is just not right, no matter what way you look at this situation. Now, it didn’t say if the officers were white, so I can’t say that the shooting was racially motivated. However, whoever was responsible for the shooting is sick and should not be walking around with a badge and a gun.
Overall, I am completely disgusted right now. I’m a pretty naïve person when it comes to stuff like this going on in the world, but after seeing first hand accounts of it I don’t know what to think. I realize that not all police officers out there are crazy sickos who want to kill innocent people, but this article definitely made me rethink the way I look at the law enforcement system. What remains true is that no matter the race someone lost a father, son, nephews, brother. I think that is something that every single person can relate to, and it is how we need to start looking at each other.
Calling out from my home turf, the Bay Area, and having recently been to New Orleans I have a few reflections on both incidences.
Oakland - BART cop takes aim - some say it looks as though the officer meant to pull his taser. For explanation and critique:
http://www.truthnews.us/?p=2649
That said, a taser would have been an unnecessary amount of force. The cop, Johannes Mehserle is wrong; he "resigned" and ran - ran in fear for his and his family's life, I might add. BART was a little slow to respond to arrest Mehserle, leading to further anger and distrust in the community. Then Mehserle was released on $3 million bail. BART police have a bad reputation and Oakland, in particular, is a hot bed of violence. However, there is a very vocal group of civil rights activists that emerge on these occasions, making the media more attentive - plus there was actually footage, however difficult to read absolutely - and the media loves footage.
Here are two video clips related to the Oscar Grant case that may be of interest.
http://current.com/items/89720221/we_are_oscar_grant.htm">
http://current.com/items/89723409/oscar_grant_oakland_protests_on_yo_tv.htm"
Now, New Orleans. Wow. What a complex place. If you have not been to the South,it would be difficult to believe the levels of racism that exist. There were incidences of unprovoked vigilantism in Algiers, a district adjacent to the lower ninth ward from which the victims of Katrina were trying to escape. It makes me think that anything down there is possible.
Here's a film clip from a related doc:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/20/the-nation-katrina/
So Adolph took 12 shots in the back. No previous arrests, no record of any kind. What gives? The video doesn't show enough. What if Adolph was in the wrong place at the wrong time? What if his gun was exposed? What if his cousin was actually in trouble? If he pulled a gun, maybe he had felt threatened. It was within his grandfather's time that lynching was going on - and that's just a bit too recent to not feel the fear. I do know that it's tough in the NOLA black ghetto and if you are out after midnight, well, it just ain't safe. Is that right? No, it's not. Yet, it is so.
As bad as the profiling is in Northern California, I know it's not as bad as in the south.
Here's another story which, while it doesn't lead to anyone's death, does show the propensity to profile:
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/txcn/houston/stories/khou090210_tnt_prostitute-cop-case.eda927.html
We are long way from getting clear of all these issues. However, I think accepting that regional differences flavor all of our experiences, it might be easier to be honest about the racial issues, police officer selection and training, and inner-city gang violence - all of which take their toll.
My initial first reaction to the first video was my heart sinking. I felt ashamed to see a possible racist act being performed by a white person (seeing that I’m white) on another person. I then read some of the comments. I agree with the comment #4 about how it’s not easy being a police officer in a neighborhood where you’re hated until needed, and how that creates suspicion and fear for the cop. There’s no reason or evidence to say that the cop was racist – maybe he was being protective of himself. Maybe the man that got shot in the first video actually was doing more than we saw on the video or maybe he wasn’t.
Now, I can’t help but sympathize with both sides. It would be frightening knowing that you’re putting your life on the line everyday and feeling not appreciated through your job. Something must be driving deep down inside to keep that person coming to work everyday. On the other hand, I feel terrible for anyone who has to lose a loved one – whether they “deserved” it or not (I personally do not believe “deserves to die”, no matter what they’ve done – forgiveness is key and no one is better than the other.) I can’t help but wonder if the people in this area created a stereotype for themselves that led the police officer to feel threatened and suspicious. There’s no proof of whether or not the man shoot helped create this stereotype of the people or if he’s completely innocent. Either way, there may have been a stereotype involved that affected the way both sides of the party acted. Maybe the man (Oscar) felt the need to react more strongly because he noticed that the policemen seemed more aggressive/protective due to their fearfulness. And there is a whole hypothetical situation based upon assumptions and stereotypes.
I’m also sure that there are a lot of things that are going on among police forces that haven’t been caught and shown through the media. At the same time, there are probably a lot of things not shown by other regular citizens also. The fact is, we hold policemen to a high standard of regard. And it’s hard to say whether or not the media is protecting them or not, due to this high respect and dependency on them that exists. I understand that these people undergo special training so that they can do what’s fair and just while keeping the general population safe (preventing situations like these). The men under these costumes are only human though – like you and me. They’re going to make mistakes and I can’t blame anyone for the things that have gone on. As long as people come together in peace and acceptance through forgiveness, we all can learn from these situations and try to make the world a better place.
It is not news to me that police are human which means they may make horrible mistakes that can result in accidently killing an innocent person. The aspect of these two cases that does surprise me is the fact that it is barely publicized in the media. Viewing these two clips for the first time, the reporters did not seem to have as much of the grief and astonishment that normally goes along with a first degree murder story. Although part of these clips did question and have concerns regarding the police officer shootings, I felt as if information was being held back so it would not caste a negative light on the police force.
I would like to believe police officers do not confuse their beliefs regarding race and supremacy with their job of protecting individuals and society. However, I can’t generalize my hopes of the security and oath police officers have to serve the common good. I know there are sneaky and cold hearted people out there who may be in a position of authority which means many other their inappropriate actions are dismissed. This may include people in politics, business, and more specifically towards this article, the police force. Having an authoritative status should not allow your actions to be disregarded without punishment.
On the other hand, I could understand in the first clip, how the white police officer could have felt threatened being around “all of the people that hate him” (meaning the other race). Unfortunately, being in an area with the majority of black people, a white officer would find higher crime and therefore be more suspicious and apprehensive. That may be the reason why the officer assumed when the black person reached into his pocket, that he was automatically reaching for a gun. Although I could understand the officer’s perspective on this situation, it does not mean his actions should not be examined.
It is going to be very difficult to judge if these officer’s actions were intended to protect and serve the community, or if they were out of racist or “white supremacy” ideologies. My thoughts towards these misfortunes can be swayed either way. Regardless of the outcome, I feel immense sympathy towards the families whose sons were either mistakenly or rightfully so shot to death. I think there needs to be more in depth training and specified rules for police officers so mistakes or questionable scenarios such as this one can be made clearer. Since the media does not highly publicize these cases, I am not sure if these police shootings are a rare occurrence or may happen more than the public is aware of. One thing I am certain of is the actions of people in authoritative positions should not go without questioning and investigation.
In light of the video about the Grant shooting, I would like to comment on the third topic proposed. I agree that racism allows people from other groups to act in ways that they would not normally act. This police officer has a difficult job, and we should not discredit him for the service he provides. At the same time, it appears that his emotions got the best of him. Whether he honestly perceived a threat, or just had racist thoughts in his mind, he pulled the trigger, and could not take it back. Perhaps he thought that it was safer to shoot the man and apologize later. Most police officers get away with violence because they are the experts and are the only ones who really know whether or not violence was necessary for the safety of others. If a police officer told me that someone was being a threat and needed shot to be calmed down, I would probably believe him or her. Unfortunately, this man seems to be wrong, in that Grant was not out of control and did not seem dangerous. This leads me to believe that the police officer was harboring some racist sentiment.
Unfortunately, the problem with racism is that people find their own cultures/families/etc. to be superior to others. If the white police officer has these feelings, he probably didn’t even consider that Grant has a family to look after. If he could have seen him as an equal, he may have thought about what it would be like to leave behind his own wife and child. This is what we need to realize in race relations. We all share common needs and should all be given equal chances, regardless of our skin color. Grant was not given the chance to defend himself or to a trial, and this was absolutely wrong. It appears as if the officer just shot him for something to do, since he wasn’t being a real threat at the time. A police officer should only shoot someone if it is a life or death situation. Even then, shooting him in the back was not the best choice. An arm or leg would have done the same trick, without killing him. I feel that the only explanation to this situation is that the white officer had some racist beliefs, and because of them, did not think on rationality, but on emotion. I wish things like this did not happen in our country, but I am not surprised. One thing I have learned from this class is that race relations are complex and that we are far from being “blind” to race. This is just another example of why we need to open our eyes and see that race does not determine character, as Martin Luther King dreamed. Our police officers need to recognize that being in a position of power does not give them privilege. This power may be real, because they have a badge. Or it may be perceived, because they are white. Either way, this power should not exist, and I hope to one day see a society of equals on all levels.
I think that violent crimes such as this happen more often than the public wants to believe. We like to think we live in a world of complete peace and equity where race is barely an issue and the days of police violence are long gone. However, that’s just simply not the case. I understand that police work is stressful and frightening causing the police to always be on guard. However, where are the motives here? I mean it would be different if Oscar Grant was actually threatening the Oakland police or if a mad mob was coming in and attacking them. However, none of this was the case. In fact Grant wasn’t a danger to anyone, they already had him on the ground and completely controlled, what else did they want. It would have been helpful if the police had come out and given a valid reason for the shooting, but that’s just it there wasn’t a reason. This is just the same with the New Orleans shooting. It seems as if the cops made a mistake and when you work with the police mistakes are not simply miss-filing some documents here or there. No, when you do police work the victims are the lives of human beings. This simply puts us in a difficult situation. In the New Orleans case the cops thought that there was some drug deal or some sort of threat going on and preceded to resort to shooting. They claim that the man in the car shot first, which would be more understandable if he had a motive. But there wasn’t a motive, and 14 times to be shot seems more like a big mistake or race crime than defense to me. This is exactly why there hasn’t been much media coverage on this topic. I mean its hard to build a story when your not getting cooperation from the main culprit, the police. Also, why would the police want this issue broadcasted over the entire nation. It is clearly a big mistake on their part and only makes them look bad. In this case I believe the police have the upper hand on what they want published. I also think the media themselves doesn’t want to deal with this issue because they don’t want to believe that police, our national security, makes mistakes or performs murderous deeds. They want to believe that the police are only helping the nation and when something fishy comes up they just choose to ignore it. Another peculiar similarity is that both of these men are black. I feel like it is just instinct that if the police see a black male acting in a suspicious way they automatically feel threatened and will go to drastic measures to protect themselves. This is continuous proof that we keep failing to look past the color wall.
I’m extremely intrigued by these stories of males of color being shot down, and killed, by policemen. I know these aren’t isolated incidents, and the New Orleans story surprised me a lot more. This man, they call Chris, was a family man and had no criminal record. Maybe his cousin did? And that is why these undercover narcotic police were near his house, I’m not sure. And the police say there were shot at first, well going by the fact Chris has no criminal record and had a license to carry his gun, I do not believe he would have shot, unless he felt threatened. Maybe the undercover policemen were somehow harassing him to get information? Again, I do know. But even if all these suspicions are true, I see no reason to shoot the man 14 times. Really, how much of a threat was he being? And were any policemen hit by Chris’s shots? I would like to know a lot more about this story. The fact that he had a child really brings a tear to my eye. It’s like a man of color doing everything right- going to good schools, getting a good job and therefore being responsible with his child, and going to see his family on New Years Eve- and he still gets shot. Makes me think of the Socialistic theory of inequality: no matter what a person does, they will always be viewed as unequal because of their skin color.
As for the Oakland shooting, I’m wondering what threat the police felt by a man sleeping at a bus stop? I don’t see why about 3 policemen had to address this situation, and to shoot the man while he was on the ground. Something that the police chief said really made me think; he said it is standard procedure to handcuff the person even after they’ve been shot to protect them from any further threat. What I first thought was “how disrespectful to the poor man you shot” then I thought “the man that got shot isn’t the threat, it’s his friends or acquaintances near him the police better watch out for”.
The VERY first thing I thought of when I read the first sentence of this article was the Rodney King incident. I’m not against all authority. In this case, Rodney was in the wrong: drunk driving and resisting arrest. The police had to take action, alright so control him. That’s your job, BUT do not call him negative African American names. I understand the police’s actions in this case, but for me, actions are all about intentions. Their intent was to harm- either verbally or physically- King, and in the case of intentions, the police were wrong.
It is a shame that events like this occur in the United States. What was Oscar Grant III really doing? Was there any reason to really have any firearm out in this situation? I could see in more extreme cases, if Oscar was acting out, to show the gun as a threat to take the police more seriously, but Oscar did not seem to be harming anyone.
I agree with the fact that “it's not easy being a police officer in neighborhoods where large numbers of people hate you until they need you”. According an Oakland demographic and population website, the population of the city contains 31% white people, but 35% African Americans; therefore, the number of blacks outnumbers whites, which is not what everyone is used to (and I am not implying there is a problem with that). As much as it should integrate the two races to form friendships, it can also tear people apart leading to racial ideas from previous generations implemented into today’s society. Also, the crime rate in Oakland, California is about 2.5 times higher than the national average. This tells me, as an outsider looking in knowing little about the region, that Oakland is a sketchy area. Many people probably have bouts with the police force, which can give the police a bad name in the area and cause them to react more intensely to try to keep the citizens of Oakland in line. Knowing certain people do not care for you will also give you a certain hostility toward them, which could be a factor in why the police officer shot Oscar. He seemed to have no right to fire, in which will haunt him for the rest of his life if this can not be greatly justified.
Another aspect that is interesting to me is that if this was a black police officer that shot Oscar would there be as much of an outrage? The race aspect is blatant which is a defining factor of WHY the news covered the story.
I would not be afraid of things like this in State College or the town I come from, but if circumstances ever lead me to Oakland I would be nervous. And this nervousness does not come from the fact that there is more of a certain race than mine, but from the fact the there are so many more crimes. If it so happens that blacks commit these crimes, then there is a reason for other races to be afraid. It only takes a few occurrences to stereotype an entire group.
I am sorry that something like this happened. It is an example of hatred in the world and the fact that race needs to be involved makes it that much worse.
I really don’t have a lot of animosity towards law enforcement unlike many people of my race, but our plight doesn’t come unjustified. As an African American male it’s hard not to say that our concern isn’t justified, if you just look at some statistics it’s obvious to see that in the criminal justice system we are far from the minority. Just look. According to 2005 Census Bureau statistics, the male African-American population of the United States aged between 18 and 24 numbered 1,896,000. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 106,000 African-Americans in this age group were in federal or state prisons at the end of 2005. If you add the numbers in local jail (measured in mid-2006), you arrive at a grand total of 193,000 incarcerated young Black males, or slightly over 10 percent. Are you kidding 10% that’s ridiculous, imagine if we counted the ones that are on trail or have been to jail; that number would be extremely staggering. Now I’m not saying that all of these black males who have committed these crimes are completely innocent, but there is a reason this number is so high compared to other racial groups. Just look again. MSNBC reports more than three times as many black people live in prison cells as in college dorms, the government said in a report to be released Thursday. The ratio is only slightly better for Hispanics, at 2.7 inmates for every Latino in college housing. Among non-Hispanic whites, more than twice as many live in college housing as in prison or jail. How ridiculous is this, these are kind of the statistics that really depress me, how is my race supposed to make any kind of progress if half of our youth is basically condemned to a life of minimum wage or none at all. As a black man in America you half to work twice as hard to get half as far, and I really feel that’s how it is always going to be. See the problem with this is that many young black American’s use these statistics as “crutch” basically gimping themselves; blaming everything on the so called “white man”. Instead of blacks using this as a tool to disable themselves it should be looked at as something empowering; something that makes you want to say, “ Hey I really don’t want to end up like that, and I want to do something about it”, but at the same time the facts can’t be ignored. Everyone knows that our justice system isn’t perfect, and they do make “mistakes”. And in the case African American male, these mistakes seem to happen quite a lot, but who do we have to blame for that. Most likely it isn’t the white man who confides in the stereotype, but it’s the black man who does.
Once again, the media portrayal of the events that transpired are extremely one sided. I am not claiming to know what occurred, nor am I defending the actions of this officer in any way, shape, or form. Violence, especially when using a fatal solution, should be the absolute, final decision made in any case. However, when discussing which acts of potentially racist violence are brought to the forefront of the public’s attention, it is important to note that this would not be such a big deal if there was not a pending court case. If this lawyer had not seen sufficient evidence to prosecute, he simply would have given his condolences to the family, and continued about his business. Any lawyer presented with a sensationalized case, especially garnering support from the media, will jump at the opportunity to make his or her career. Simply put; racism and violence occur every second of every day in this country, whether people believe it or not. Though varying in degrees, these events do not often gain such notoriety, nor are they so often black and white. No audio evidence has yet been discovered, to my knowledge, to see what dialogue was used, nor were the officer’s motives discussed. Again, I am not siding with the officer, yet at the same time people are innocent until proven guilty.
Additionally, I would not be surprised if a large percentage of police working in urban areas are completely unphased by this video evidence. When your daily routine revolves around drug addicts, gang members, and a slew of ethnic crimes, this event is most definitely not uncommon. While we would like to believe that the police are a perfect entity designed to protect and serve, we often neglect the fact that they are also human. Innately flawed, human beings are often swayed by emotion, and victims of circumstance are plentiful. The actions viewed in this video are not even close the standards upheld by our nation’s police force, nor can they be justified with anything I have seen or read concerning these seemingly unwarranted acts of violence. Yet, the potential for such a mistake is great, and unfortunately it appears that this is a flagrant disregard for a man’s life.
While many would like to believe that this type of crime is not commonplace, evidence supports the opposite. Racism often clouds the judgment of people, and police officers are no different. With Oakland being a place of diversity, and frequent gang activity, it is not surprising that a group of white officers may fear for their safety, the safety of the public, and possibly for crimes this man had not even committed. I would like to believe that the officer was acting according to procedure, but this appears to be far from the truth. Racism breeds hate and violence, but so do fear, uncertainty, and stress.
After I watched the first video, I honestly did not understand why Oscar Grant III was shot in the first place. I did not see him make any sudden movements in the video or any threats to police considering there was two surrounding him and one on top. However, it was discussed in my sociology class that you cannot believe everything you see in a short video because it does not give you the whole story. Yes, we saw exact footage from when the police shot Oscar, but we do not know what he did to get the police involved in the first place. Maybe he was being very violent before and once the police came to settle things he was calmer, like we saw in the video. There is a piece missing from this story and I do not know what it is. Either Oscar was violent or did something that gave police the impression this was going to be bad, and they shot him because that is what they were trained to do in situations like these, or the police had something against this boy and were abusing their authority. I do not understand why Oscar had three police on him, but his friends did not. What did he do? I would hope that he was not shot because he was African American because I think the majority of the world views everyone equally. I do not think all police are racist or abuse their title, but I definitely think some do. I know situations where the police seem like they have nothing better to do but write tickets for the dumbest things. Although, in places like Oakland where crime is more common, I do feel the police stay focused on the important crimes and must be caution at all times. I do not know what the police there have gone through or what went on at the station, but I think the police are so used to violent crime they assumed Oscar was another bad kid and were too quick to pull the trigger.
The second video is more disturbing then the first. 14 times… 14 times! I think after the first 5 he was probably dead. It does not make Adolph look good that he had a gun on him and another in the trunk of this car, but that does not mean he was using it. Yeah, he had a gun on him, but many people in New Orleans carry them, especially after Hurricane Katrina. The crime rate has gone up so much that most do not feel safe there. It was stated in the video that he was sitting in his car and the police surrounded it and he started shooting first. If he was just sitting in his car waiting for his cousin, why did police surround his car? He had just arrived a few hours prior and was with his family, so he it is extremely doubtful he was involved in anything that would be a concern to the police. In addition, If he shot first don’t you think an officer would have gotten hit? It is very suspicious that the New Orleans Police Department won’t tell the family anything or release any information. I strongly believe that there was no reason for him to be shot that many times. I think that was cruel and unnecessary.
First of all I know that this does happen in the United States. It’s not just two isolated innocents that were actually caught on film or are known. This doesn’t happen a lot but it does happen more than some people may or may not think. Being a police officer is a hard enough jobs, but when you are put in a precinct that has a high percent of police deaths or an even higher percent of danger in general, these police officers is starting to become protectors of people (including them) and not the law. I think that the bottom line is that you never know what can happen because people are people, they make mistakes. Now because of that police officers are becoming ever so cautious to the extent that they would harm another human being before knowing what is going on. I think that the problem here is that the police officer was thinking at the time he was doing something sketchy, it’s either my life or his, and well he made the right choice in his mind. Although it was a mistake it was the right choice if what was going on in his mind was the choice of living or dying.
Now you have to ask yourself, would he have done the same exact thing, had the same exact thoughts if this man was not black? My answer sadly is no. I do not think the cop would have done the same thing if this man was not black. But that does go back to the police officer being in a certain area like that. If that was a white man sitting on the ground would the white cop even be that pissed off that he was there. Ok so let’s say he was then would he think that he would do something to endanger his life? I do not think so whatsoever. He would give him the benefit of the doubt and let him take out what the officer ask him for. Now I hate to reference things but I feel like this is a perfect one, in the movie crash towards the end, when the black man was hitch hiking and got in the car with the white police officer, and thought his figurine was funny that he had on the top of his dash board. Then the police officer asked him why it was so funny, as he was laughing he went into his pocket and was going to pull something out, before he could the white police officer shot him. What he was going to pull out was the same exact figurine. Now isn’t that ironic. Would the white police officer done that same thing if the hitch hiker was white? I mean he picked up a hitch hiker let’s face it. I think that the biggest problem is that people don’t see race, where clearly this is going on because of what other people see in or more importantly on the outside of others!
After watching this video I think it’s easy for anyone’s view of police officers to change one way or the other. For me, I also watched this video after reading Disposable People, and from that learning that the corruption found within a country’s police force is unfathomable so it would be especially easy for me to use the officer use killed Oscar Grant as a representative for all police officers. That being said, I think the context in which you watch this video has tremendous power to influence your perspective. I feel very fortunate to at least have this awareness and ability to take a step back and see that the officer responsible for Grant’s death is just one person and not representative of all police officers.
Just as equally important as my context in reading this article, is the context in which the police officer found himself when dealing with whatever ‘trouble’ seemed to have been stirring. What was going on for that day for that police officer? What set of circumstances was he dealing with up until that point? The police in urban areas work in entirely differently conditions than the police in State College. If you’re going to compare him to what your idea of what a ‘police officer’ is, consider the police at the Penn State/Ohio State game. They mercilessly blinded anyone they could get their hands who came onto the field when the game ended. Were those people storming the field with any intention of causing harm, let alone raging criminals? I don’t think so, but the police reacted in the way that they were trained, as the man who shot Oscar Grant may have done. Taking this into consideration isn’t by any means creating an excuse for Grant’s murder, nor is it excluding any possibility that the act was out of personal hatred; in fact, I personally find it entirely outside of reason. I do, however, think that it’s important to view all angles of the case before jumping to any conclusions that ‘All police officers are racist and corrupt’. This mentality towards the police force can only lead to more feelings of hatred, creating a vicious cycle. Rather than using this one police officer as a platform to put a stereotype on police officers, consider using this situation as an opportunity to create peace, rather than more negativity. What can be learned from this unfortunate incident? If there is one police officer embedded in corruption, there are plenty more. What can we do about them? What can we do to prevent more corruption from taking hold? One solution might be for additional screening to occur during the application/training process. This, of course, would not solve all of the injustice that exists, but it’s at least a suggestion, a step in a more positive direction.
The shooting, or to better describe it, the execution that occurred in Oakland on New Years Day is absolutely appalling. The video clearly portrays the young African male, Oscar Grant III being restrained by one officer, while another officer draws his firearm, aims it at the young man, and shoots him at point blank range. There doesn’t appear to be any discrepancy what so ever regarding what happened that day on the train and as a result there is yet another dead American at the hands of trigger-happy police officers. How many more Americans must die before the public starts to realize that cops are fucking crazy. I learned this fact at quite a young age, as I was regularly getting into mischief and therefore dealing with the pigs on a more frequent basis than most Americans. One particular incident that I found rather disturbing was when I was arrested in the summer of my Junior year of high school for smoking the harmless substance commonly known as marijuana. I was with two friends of mine sitting on the local beach smoking a pipe when the cops rolled up. To make a long story short, we were treated like dogs by the arresting police officer, being cursed at and interrogated as if we were mentally challenged. After being given a long lecture on how terrible smoking was for us, the pig lit up a cigarette and piled us into his cruiser. While driving, he accelerated towards a fast approaching stop sign and then slammed on his breaks causing our faces to collide with the Plexiglas that separated the front seat from the back seat. Although this is marbles compared to the injustice done to Oscar Grant III, it shows that its not only inner city cops that are out numbered and stressed out of their minds that abuse their power. The fact of the matter is police have been abusing their power since the profession first came about. It’s not difficult to see that jobs involving authority over others, especially ones in which the employee is allowed to carry a gun attract a certain kind of mind. Not to say that all cops are evil, role-crazy, sons of bitches, because I also know first hand that they are not, but this profession definitely has more than its fair share of crazies. Knowing how fanatical some of these cops are it’s more than a little frightening to think that they are packing serious heat. America often paves the way for other countries regarding human rights, freedom, and equality, yet the men and women that patrol our streets have pistols and shotguns at their disposable. How great would it be to never hear of another unjust police shooting again? The American public weeps and protests for Oscar Grant III and his family, but when you break everything down, the public is at fault just as much as the police officer that discharged his weapon is. If such a large portion of the public wasn’t possessing firearms, whether they be legal or not, the police wouldn’t need to carry them either. This is evident in Great Britain, seeing that on duty police officers do not carry firearms. As much as I hate the police, Oscar Grant III’s blood is on our hands. Better gun-control laws and more severe punishments for gun trafficking need to be put in place for an effective change to be made. Our country is growing and expanding in the right direction, leaving little need for firearms.
I understand that not all police officers are like the ones shown in the two video clips; however, instances like those shown in the video are not shocking, and even less uncommon. And that is why I am very skeptical of police officers, of their intentions and of their values. I have never known a police officer personally, and in my few encounters with them, I simply do not trust them. Moreover, I have talked to black people concerning issues of police brutality and none of them seem to have had positive experiences with police officers either. So why is that? Sometimes I get so sick and sad of hearing about people’s experiences with such injustice. I just don’t get it.
The reason why there is outrage against this kind of “killing” is because there is police brutality involved. In my opinion, there is a difference between a murder committed by the police and a murder committed by two people in a squabble over a shoe. The murder committed by two men arguing over a shoe most likely had nothing to do with the color of their skin. They were simply irritated by the other one’s actions and unfortunately, it resulted in murder. The murder committed by the police could very well have to do with the color of another person’s skin.
Yes, even though the police officer most likely did not see Mr. Grant as one of his own kind, it is his responsibility, as well as the responsibility of all of us to not hold ourselves above anyone else. If he didn’t think he was better than Mr. Grant, this incident might very well not have occurred. But because he saw himself as “better” than Mr. Grant (maybe because of his position as an officer among other things,) the situation got out of control. I think it’s important for all of us to remember that this kind of thinking – thinking that we are better than others – doesn’t help anyone. It’s a waste of time and unproductive.
It may not be easy being a police officer in neighborhoods where large numbers of people hate you, but who said it would be easy? Nothing is really “easy” and if the job isn’t what the officer of such a neighborhood thought it would be, maybe he/she should think about trying something else.
The second video is a little bit more disturbing than the first one, mainly because there seems to be no reason at all for the fourteen gunshot wounds. I wouldn’t know how I would react if I were in a situation like that. I would outraged as a parent and particularly outraged that my country failed me and my son. Such behavior by a police officer is so unacceptable, yet it continues to happen, time and time again. When will it stop?
If we are to say that there isn’t a large thread of racism in our justice system/law enforcement, then it must be a complete incompetence of our police force. They have a high stress job, which they signed up for. Not to be anti-cop, but if they didn’t feel they had what it takes to put their lives on the line, they should have gone to college and gotten a degree in something else beneficial to society. The problem is that being a cop is like being a teacher, in that there is a higher demand then there is supply, and therefore you can’t make “being a police officer” a four-year degree. Just like how there is a problem in many schools with untrained teachers, there is a problem with untrained police officers. He clearly didn’t know how to hold on to his rage, and act as an enforcer of American law, of our constitution, and of all of the rights that that entails.
We spoke in our discussion groups about how there is truth in some stereotypes, that they at least come from some kind of history. To say “police are racist” is a stereotype, and therefore inherently a fallacy. But just because the stereotype is wrong doesn’t mean that there aren’t a lot of racist police officers, especially depending on their location. Being in Oakland, where there is a large black population, as well as a large gang population, I wouldn’t be surprised if the officers were trained with some sense of racial profiling. Maybe the man who was shot wasn’t showing the officers the respect that they feel they deserve for being police officers. Unfortunately, it is incidences like this one that perpetuate the lack of respect for the police, as well as the thought that police are generally racist. This case isn’t so extreme either, as there are almost yearly (if not more often) cases of unnecessary violence across races from police officers. As Sam said, there is also a lot of black on black crime. This black on black crime is a separate issue, and one that we should be addressing as a society. It is entirely different from when a representative of our laws, someone who is supposed to be making sure that the rules that our government set out are being followed through, can’t be trusted during a stressful situation, and commits such a heinous act. To be optimistic, I would say that our police need to be trained much better in situations such as that one, on how to react to violence and when it actually is appropriate to draw firearms. One can only hope, no matter how doubtfully, that this wasn’t just a blatant hate crime.
Going along with what someone else said earlier, I too watched these videos after reading the book “Disposable People.” Also, even though this isn’t really in the same context, it’s ironic that I just watched the movie “Changeling” this weekend as well, which also deals with the corruption of police departments. Movies such as this and “Crash” are images that will be hard for me to get out of my head after watching them. However, I do want to keep in mind that those movies portray people in their own Hollywood way, and who is to say what is really accurate?
It’s so hard for someone like me to imagine the corruption and brutality that can take place within the groups of society that are meant to do the exact opposite, to protect and support. I have always gotten the impression that many cops are overly suspicious of people, especially younger adults, just from certain experiences that I’ve witnessed over the years. I know that they are trained to feel like this in some instances and to conduct themselves in a proper fashion under certain circumstances, but it disheartens me to watch evidence like these videos that support the other extreme. It does not make me feel comfortable to know that this goes on and I don’t even realize it half the time because the media keeps it from us most of the time. I am very curious to see what the accused police officers have to say in these cases; I was hoping for some footage on that but it wasn’t shown. It just makes you wonder, for example in the first scenario, what was going through the police officer’s head that same day, especially during the time that the shooting occurred. Was this really race-related? Was there really some underlying hatred or disgust in this man’s mind to make him shoot this person? I hate hearing about these kinds of cases because you never really know everything involved. On the other hand, however, although some other cases are harder to see or to claim that the officer was wrong in pulling out his gun, it is obvious in this video that there was no need of defense at the time. So what was he thinking?
This makes me wonder why we don’t hear about this kind of thing more often. Does it really happen as often as everyone says it does? I wish I knew that I could rely on the news to give me accurate and timely information but that doesn’t always seem to be the case. I never hear of accounts like this and it confuses me as to why this is the case. Is society trying to cover up race-related issues to sugarcoat the progress we still have yet to make? Or does it just not happen as often as we think? These are some things that I wish I could answer.
In response to the article “Let’s Stay Focused” I feel like I am not aware of the kinds of things going on in the streets of many major cities. I believe that may be because I am from a small town in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. I was told to start watching the news by my fourth grade teacher, and I gave it a try. However, I found that what was going on was maybe a man abducting a little girl or someone shooting someone. I was mortified. At that age I was so scared some man was going to break into my house and take me that I stopped watching the news. I didn’t read the newspaper either; it was never mentioned in high school or anything. We were more concerned about increasing gas prices. The crime rate in Mars is next to nothing, the only problems I ran into were middle school kids breaking into the cars on our street overnight. Coming to school I became more aware of crime. I started reading the newspaper. I met people that weren’t from where I was and realized their life wasn’t as sheltered as mine. Here is where I met my boyfriend, and he lives outside of Philadelphia. He explained to me that he doesn’t go to the city at night. He knows to be aware when he’s outside and not to go alone. He is aware of shootings going on and he doesn’t seem phased by it. I think I am the only one sheltered. Another friend of mine has to go through Camden, New Jersey to get to her home. She said she would never drive through there at night. When she is there during the day, she doesn’t stop at red lights or stop signs. If you so much as give someone on the street a dirty look they will yell something at you. These are things I wasn’t really aware of. I have driven Pittsburgh maybe two times. I hate driving places that I don’t know or trust. I don’t think what the cop did was completely out of line. If someone was reaching towards their pocket, I would probably think they were getting a gun. But someone sleeping, that is absurd. I think it is a terrible thing that happened. If a black person killed a white person, it would be considered completely out of line, regardless of statistics or anything. It is unheard of. A friend of mine that heard of this story thinks that cops have entirely too much power to be able to do such a thing. He thinks the whole situation is bad because he doesn’t think that the cops should be able to do something like this. The man was unarmed. This definitely wouldn’t have happened if the cop would have considered this man as one of his kind.
When it comes to police there are really two sides to the story. In the case of these two incidents, it is the side that gives cops a bad name. I find it absolutely ridiculous to hear some of the cases where cops shot a man because they thought his wallet was a gun or a piece of fruit was a grenade. It shows that some cops may just not be ready to truly be serving communities yet. Sometimes it is difficult to correctly respond to a high stress situation, especially when it all happens so quickly; however, is that not what all the training is for? The problem is these young new cops joining the force with the wrong intentions. Maybe they really do want to do good, but when some of these kids get their badge and put that uniform on, they feel indestructible. This commonly brings on that cocky “I am the law” attitude which hinders their chances of earning any respect from people. When they find themselves in a possibly dangerous and high-stress situation they are focused too much on trying to become the hero. Sadly this can greatly fog their senses and cause mistakes and sloppy police work to happen. I think this plays a big part in many of these instances that we hear in the news. Rather than these being a hate crime, I believe that it is a product of unsteady cops and strong misunderstandings. On the majority, these cops are not shooting black men simply to try and bring down the black community. More so, I think it is misunderstanding birthed from stereotypes which creates fear in the cops. Some may call it subconscious racism, but often pictures are painted of large gangs of black guys who always carry around guns to kill each other and cops. True, these and many other stereotypes must be broken in time but I think as of now they play a large part in the uneasiness of some of these cops. On the contrary, the killing of Oscar Grant III is simply downright disgusting. To lie anybody down—be him a man or woman, black or white—and shoot him in the back for no reason is an atrocity. Clearly this officer has problems and the only possible explanation for his actions must be some sort of racism. There is no other plausible cause for that man to be shot in the subway while on the ground. This officer I do not think fits into my misunderstanding category, but rather is simply not fit to be a policeman and really hardly is fit to be a decent human being. With all this said, I want to say that not all police are like this. Those who are out there actually trying to keep the peace and doing the right thing deserve the utmost in respect. Often the job can be unnerving and tough to do, especially with all these young kids being raised to hate the police. Many times kids are asking for trouble with the law, however this should never be settled by uncalled for gun fire and unnecessary deaths no matter the person’s color or ethnicity.
I don’t even know what to say about those videos. And I don’t know what to believe anymore. Cops are put in bad situations every day. There is a reason that I’m not going to become a cop and it’s because I don’t want to have to deal with any of that stuff. In this day in age it can be dangerous just pulling someone over for speeding. But at the same time, what is the screening process to become a cop. Is it like jury selection, where they make sure you don’t have any biases and that you will look at each case objectively. Or can just about anyone be a cop as long as they pass a written and physical exam? Many police stations are filled with those that are corrupt, however, hopefully those officers can be weeded out quickly and the law of the United States can be upheld.
What happened to both of those boys is horrible. But lets look at each case separately. In the first video, the man is clearly not a threat. His hands could easily been placed behind his back and handcuffed…especially with the first officers knee pressing down on his head. The gun was completely unnecessary. And for some reason if the officer did think the gun was necessary, why didn’t he just shoot him somewhere that would just incapacitate him for a little while and not kill him. He was close enough to the victim that he wasn’t going to miss. Why not shoot him in the arm or the leg, why shoot him in the back where you risk cause a lot of damage and have a larger potential of hitting internal organs?
As for the second video, it’s really hard to tell what really went down. The kid did have a gun, but it doesn’t sound like it was used in any way. Was it really necessary for the police to take all those shots? They fired their guns a total of 48 times. They hit the victim 14 times! God, I think the kid got the point when he was hit once. And he wasn’t even looking in the directions of the guns. He didn’t even get to see his attackers. It’s just wrong. Why can’t we all just get along?
Violence is a horrible thing, but it’s never going to go away. I can’t hate police just because of the videos I watched tonight. But I pray that I am always one of those people that are protected by the police as opposed to being hunted down by them. No excuses can be made for police officers who commit crimes themselves and hide behind their uniforms.
First I would like to start off by saying that my heart goes out to these two families, and all the other families whose stories go unnoticed. I think that the media has a lot of control over what we see and do not see and at times that could be a bad thing. Hearing about these stories that I would otherwise not have heard of had I not been in this class, it makes me wonder, “What other stories haven’t I heard of? What are their guidelines for deciding what to air and what not to air?” I think the second story is one that the police was trying to cover up, yet the family still has no clue as to what really happened. In fact I was really fired up over the second story, because the police officers jobs are to investigate. Yet, the family knows nothing that sounds really suspicious. The claims that the police officers are making, doesn’t make sense. In the Grant shooting, I just couldn’t believe that an officer would even have the heart to do such a thing with so many people watching. This has made me question whether or not that was standard procedure, and I know it wasn’t. Grant did not seem to pose a threat that he had to be shot. I wish I knew the entire story, was Grant a drug dealer, etc., which would make my thoughts and feelings more clear. In the end I felt that the shooting was senseless, and much like one that would be done on the streets. While I watched both of these videos I got teary-eyed, how is it that people who are supposed to help us and set good examples for us as a people, do exactly what they are trying to stop on the streets. I just don’t get it! In these cases, the police officers are hypocrites, and from my point of view both of these cases are the results of some sort of racial discrimination. Coming from me I think it has to be completely clear, as clear as the video of the Grant shooting. I am a black person, who is not quick to pull the race card, and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but in these cases I just don’t see it. I thought it was quite disrespectful that with a severe shot in the back that Grant was handcuffed, he should have been given immediate medical attention, this just shows how much the police officers in this case really care. The chief tried his best to cover everything up and to support his officers, but I think he sounded plain stupid, and from the way he was speaking you could tell he didn’t want the story to get out in the media. I feel for the two families and I hope that justice is served, because I do not believe that either of these men deserved to have their lives taken away so heinously.
Where do we draw the line when it comes to “self-defense?” Moreover, what do we consider self-defense and can we differentiate between that and what is simply cold-blooded murder? I am a strong advocate against any type of violence, but I will admit that there are a few rare circumstances in which I would use violence in my life. One instance would be in self-defense and the other would be to protect my family from danger. However, I too know that there is a line between self-defense and cold-blooded murder. If you are being attacked or shot, and can defend yourself then I believe any measure is necessary. However, if there is no evidence that someone is a threat and seems to be unarmed, but yet you still choose to use violence, maybe there is more to the story than just responding in defensive measures. Referring to the first video, there was no need to shoot this man. Yes, I can put myself in the officer’s shoes and know that his job is based on spur of the moment decisions, but clearly this man was not endangering the police officer’s life. Even if he had felt threatened by this man reaching into his pocket, other measures could have been done especially since he was already pinned on the floor and handcuffed. From my point of view, it looked as though the officer just stood up and decided to shoot the man. Obviously, there is more to this story than just a case of self-defense. What I found to be even more disturbing was the second video in this article. Whether or not this young man had fired shots first or was armed, he did NOT deserve to be shot 14 times. FOURTEEN TIMES? I will come right out and say this, if anyone in their right minds can justify shooting someone fourteen times in “self-defense” needs to have their own head checked. Let’s say this kid had fired the first shot. I can see one or maybe two shots being fired to restrain him, but fourteen? I cannot even imagine why anyone on this earth unless they were invincible would need fourteen shots put in their body because they were posing that much of a threat. Obviously, what took place here was cold-blooded murder on all accounts. Then, on top of all of that to not disclose any information to the own family members of the victim is absurd and only proves their guilt. The term self-defense has served, from what I believe, as a terrible excuse for a hate crime. There may be cases where it can be debated whether or not there was good judgment used on an accidental murder of self-defense, but someone who is shot fourteen times and has no criminal record…that is unquestionable. How can we keep covering up these hate crimes with this inexcusable line, “I was just reacting in self-defense.” It has been made quite clear that a definite line is being crossed between self-defense and cold-blooded murder in both of these videos.
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the first video was: maybe this is not current news; maybe this is from three or four years ago. Until I read that this happened weeks before the swearing into office of Barrack Obama. I cannot believe racism is occurring to that degree in this country, I mean we have a black president. But again I was reminded that these are just the first baby steps in to what could become a less xenophobic country. The even stranger thing is that we don’t hear about this in the news a whole lot and I wonder why. Is it because the media want Americans and the world to think racism is part of our past? Is it because they want us to think we are beyond our racial issues and race is no longer a problem to this nation? I am not entirely sure what the definite answer to this question is.
However, I like to share my opinion. I honestly believe that 80 to 90 percent of what we see on TV (news, reports ect) is not true. I think that the media is a manipulative tool use control nations. The media may not be showing all of the incidents that occur everyday involving racial intolerance. They choose to show only one or two cases of racism here and there, but show it to the public one time and don’t refer to it again to help us forget. The reason for this could very well be that is not good for our country’s public image, it would be embarrassing to show this to the world because we want to be known for our freedom and “equality” since the beginning of this nation. Second reason could be that they do not want to cause public rage among African Americans and Whites, after all; we had a lot of that in past. Sometimes I get the impression that the media or people in the media intent to contribute to the community with their information. That is not a problem; the problem is that when reporting information most people deliver it exposing their point of view, which has the power to influence others’ opinions. By not showing news or not talking about racism a lot the media makes everyone think that racism is really not a problem anymore.
It is even worse to see that both cases of abuse and murder happened in hands of the police. Knowing that the media rarely brings up the topic of racism to the people and that very seldom we see videos like these ones this makes think that somehow the don’t want show that we racist and ignorant people in power. We are an ideological nation, we want think that the law is on side and not against us. I don’t want to stereotype because I now that not all law representatives are racist maybe only a small percent believe in white supremacy. However, racism is there in our law system, in white house, in the barbershop and you have got to get rid of that blindfold has been naively put on to us. God knows how many cases like Amadou Diallo’s and Adolph Grime’s we have not heard of and how many more are going to continue to take place before something gets done.
Despite the statement in the last blog entry, this again seems like someone making a big deal out of an isolated case, or, as is being considered here, isolated cases. That is not meant to lessen the need for an investigation of possible inhumane action by police officers. However, the only evidence that would support these incidents as “hate crimes” comes from the supplemental, unreferenced text of the blog. A motivation of racist ideology is never mentioned in either of the video sources, and should therefore not be considered as an accepted fact until its involvement has been proved, or given enough support beyond “black plus white equals racial.”
To assume that racism was a factor without good reason is to ignore the objectivism that has to be accepted in blind justice. In the first video, concerning Oscar Grant III, the quality is grainy and the sound of a low quality; in fact, if it weren’t for the narrative of the news reporter, it would be difficult to determine what was happening. With that information, however, it is obvious that Grant did not deserve the offensive tactic and that a thorough investigation of the police force should be carried out to be sure all officers are receiving the correct training. Based on that same information, though, there can be no factually-reasoned connected to racism.
Addressing the six criteria supplied for review of this blog, they are ineffective given the unsure nature of racial motivation. As such, in the first statement, it can be easily assumed that, while the majority of officers would see a flaw in this officers solution, some may be sympathetic enough to realize that, while the acting officer was wrong, they would not be “appalled,” despite their exclusion from an “underground white supremacist organization for cops.” The third point is the assumption, and the fifth point seems irrelevant. To end the blog entry, it is noted that such occurrences are not uniquely rare in the United States, so a timely proximity would seem more like a contrived connection.
The second video about Adolph Grimes is victim to the same assumptions as the first. In fact, further research reveals that, in the 9 assaulting officers, there was a mixture of blacks, whites, and Hispanics. Furthermore, the lack of agreement on details shows that investigation is still occurring, and no racist motivations have been revealed. It is plausible that the police officers in question were purposefully not following protocol, but with their assertions that Grimes shot first, an aspect which his family members could not have witnessed, and the existence of another gun and extra ammunition in the car, it would be to ignore due process to immediately assume the police operated through hatred.
Let’s Stay Focused
These two stories do not totally surprise me since I have heard of other occurrences where police seem to shoot someone who is of a different race, but I am utterly confused as to how and why any person would kill another for absolutely no reason.
There are so many stereotypes regarding “black” and “brown” men and their violent tendencies. I too realize that I stereotype these men from time to time, even though I don’t want to admit it, I will. It’s just that so many of the murderers and criminals we see on the news are men of darker color so it can be very easy to judge. I remember one episode of “Roseanne” where Roseanne and her sister Jackie are in their diner and a black man starts pacing in front of the door and they lock the door and tell him the restaurant is closed. He later confronts them about their stereotypical action and basically gives them a really hard time with it. This is such a common way of thinking, and it holds true for white police officers as well.
Honestly, I think most police officers are just on huge power trips. I know it’s their job to break up high school parties where there is underage drinking, and pull over speeders on the highways, but sometimes they take it to a completely different level. When my parents and I were driving back to New York from Penn State after my orientation, my dad pulled up to a parked cop car on the highway to ask what the problem was. The police officer did not hesitate to scream at my dad and threaten to arrest him. Why did this awful cop do this? Power trip; they think they are just so above everybody because they were given authority.
Here is my point: if many police officers are on constant power trips and think they are better than other people (of the same race), it is reasonable to assume that some of them think they are much more superior to people of a different race. Obviously there are police officers out there who aren’t racist at all, but the ones who are could potentially use it in a bad way.
I do not even know what to think about the cops who murdered these two innocent men. I just wonder if they felt proud that they rid the world of another “bad guy.” Or did they feel foolish and guilty and all other horrible feelings that come to some people after they commit murder?
For Oscar Grant III, the recorded video clearly showed that Grant did nothing wrong and was obeying the police officer’s orders, yet he still got murdered. In Adolph Grimes’ case, he was supposedly just waiting for someone outside of their house and was shot without any reason. I really can’t make sense of these events.
-VB
Why does it always seem as if there is some type of feud between black people and the police? I always hear black people talking about the police are out to get them and saying fuck the police. Not to say that all black people have this mentality but I heard black people express these thoughts often in Philadelphia. When they would see a black man a victim of a murder on the news they would say that that guy had been framed because the police hate black people. I do not think this is true because the police are only looking out for the well being of the population. It is not their fault that most of the criminals we see on TV are of African American heritage. It just so happens that Philadelphia has a high population of African Americans in the “ghetto” neighborhoods and I think that these people are definitely more likely to be arrested for some stupid crap. So many people die of petty things like a parking space or looking at someone funny. These things happen in the poor neighborhoods where blacks dominate the population. Rarely have a heard of an accomplished black man being on the news as a criminal. The same goes for white people too. White people are charged with crimes as well, but these people come mostly from destitute areas of the city. So I think that cops are not racist because it’s not like they unfairly charge crimes on only black people.
In the cases of the killings of Oscar Grant III and Adolf Grimes, I believe that they were acts of racist crime against black people followed through by white cops. Not all cops are racist, but I believe that these cops that killed these young men were. After watching the videos I am sure that there was no reason to kill these young men. Oscar Grant III was complying to the cops’ orders and was not being violent in any visible way. Yet they shot him right there on the train station in front of so many people, including his friends. Now the cop must feel stupid because there is no way that he could get away with that murder. He has at least 50 witnesses that were right there watching the incident. Of course Grant’s friends will stick to the truth of what really happened as the cop brutally killed their friend before their eyes. As for the killing of Adolf Grimes, he also seemed to be the type of person that would not act in violence towards the cops. I do not know this person but his family was sure that he was not that type of guy that would pull out a gun and shoot at the cops first. He was only trying to see his family on New Years Day. If he was shot 12 times in the back then how could he have been the one to confront the police? Would he have been facing them and therefore have gotten shot in the chest? It seems like they open fired on an unsuspecting civilian for no reason.
I do not approve of these random and unnecessary killings of everyday good citizens at all. If the cops are going to take out their rage on black people they should at least pick out the gangsters, murderers, and rapists, not the people who have done no wrongs against the police or others.
I feel that in situations like this it is necessary to understand the pressure that is placed on police officers by their superiors, especially in high crime areas and large cities. This is no reason to excuse racial profiling by police officers or outright racism and especially not the killing of civilians. Police officers are often stressed to that they are the target and that a bomb could blow them up at any second, this is obviously not the case, however many of these officers feet that when they are out in uniform they are easy targets.
I’m curious if since these two incidents these departments or any other departments have enacted policies that help to fix the rift that is felt between police officer and the communities they serve, which leads to civilians believing that the police are out to get them and the police feeling the object of hatred within the communities they work in. For example, if members of the community sat down with police and held open discussions on their main concerns for their wellbeing as well as that of their families and the police openly discussed their fears of being killed and never seeing their families again. Would people begin to treat each other differently? Ideally the police are to “protect and serve” the communities they work in, but if the police identify all of the people in these communities as less than themselves how inclined are they to really care? Likewise if the citizens of these communities feel harassed and threatened by the police how likely is it that they will approach and officer with a problem or concern?
With more of a focus on these two incidents I feel that any officers who fire 48 times and hit a person 14 times is somewhat ridiculous. I feel that this is extremely excessive and unnecessary. I also feel that not releasing any information to the family is uncalled for and seems to be damage control for the department, which is not what should be done in these situations. The police need to be trusted by those around them and acting in this way further perpetuates the belief of the so called blue shield of silence, where regardless of how inappropriately a police officer acts he or she will be protected by other officers. The police department should have immediately told the family how many officer were involved as well as who they were and the department should have suspended them. Furthermore, there was nothing mentioned in this news story about the victim ever being involved with drugs or drug dealing, so why was and undercover narcotics team watching him? Also, had the victim’s gun been discharged? I feel that this story is incomplete and illogical in its events. Overall, I feel that in both of these situations the police not only created a horrible situation but they then made it worse by insulting the families and communities where these men were from. If events like these do not change the way that police interact within the communities they serve, than I honestly don’t know how civilians can trust the police.
I think situations like this could definitely occur in the United States, and I think people are naïve if they think it doesn’t happen. Many of these crimes and instances are hidden from the media and news, thus making it less likely for others to find out. However, just because it may not occur near where you live, it definitely does happen.
Because we are not there, we will not ever really know what happened for sure. To ever story, there are multiple stories. Therefore it’s hard to place blame on any one person. However, when it is someone that’s close to you, you do want to hold someone accountable. From your point of view, someone did commit a crime, but in reality, it may or may not be considered a crime.
In response to the first video, I think more information needs to be retrieved. The video taken by the witness only shows the shooting done by the police. To get a full explanation I think it needs to include the extended time at the station. We don’t really know if the victim had done anything violent towards the police officers that would cause them to fire. However, there is no reason, that in that particular case, someone should have died. There were multiple police officers against one man. So from my point of view, I think they could have easily had the situation under control without having a man dead. I’m not sure why authority feels the need to take it to the ultimate level when unnecessary. I do think that the police department does do a lot of good for our communities, however I think sometimes they do take it too far. I think we easily have opinions and views towards police officers, but I don’t think we can truly have them until we put ourselves in their shoes.
As for the second video, I was much more offended watching this one. I could understand a cop, or someone defending themselves, mistakenly shooting someone one or two times. But, when it gets up to more than twelve shots, I think it’s absolutely absurd. I think that it’s just rightfully wrong to have someone suffer that much. Even if someone wouldn’t have died after a couple of shots, they would still be affected to the point that they wouldn’t be able to fight back. Therefore, the police officer would be able to deal with the situation in a rightful manner by taking the suspect to the station. It’s hard to have pity or sympathy for a police officer when you’ve heard the family’s perspective. The son had just driven over ten hours to be with his family on New Years, meanwhile escaping Hurricane Katrina. I’m not sure if you can point fingers in a situation like this. I do think anyone who committed a crime such as this, would feel immense guilt for the rest of their life. But, I’m not sure if that would compare to the feeling of loss and emptiness that his family will continue to feel without their loved one.
It is truly sad, when a law abiding citizen is betrayed by the police. Police hold a soupier position, it is not just a job, they are trusted and counted on by the citizens in their district and are often thought of as those who have elected to serve and protect. When this bond of protection is broken by even one officer, it makes citizens discern respect and trust for all who are in the police force. From my personal experience, I have gathered that more times than none, especially in high crime related areas, people do hold disheartening views on police. I believe this is probably due to past dishonorable behavior from cops, and PR that circulates and spreads, until parent’s views are ascertained by their children, who then spread this blemished view of cops to their friends, and so the circle continues. Also, with no surprise the same people that hold these un- relinquished views on the police are the same people who depend on the police when they are in times of need for assistance of an officer. Today’s society is very judgmental and not very forgiving so it comes as no surprise that all it takes is one cop to damage a entire professions reputation.
For me these unfortunate incidents are not alarming or unbelievable, because I grew up right outside of South Philadelphia and I have heard plenty of news reports similar to these two. For those who haven’t heard of these types of news reports, would be foolish not to think that incidents like these two killings do not occur; because unfortunately we do not live in an utopian society, and things like this do happen and believe it or not, things like this occur more times than they are actually reported on. I do not particularly believe that the reporting of the Grant shooting was arbitrarily chosen to be covered; I believe it was purposeful implemented into the news because of the inauguration of President Obama. The news is purposefully trying to target race related (particularly the black race) stories, because of the unfamiliar color that is now in the white house. Regardless of whether it is good or bad coverage is irrelevant because reporters know society is currently focused on color and they know it will bring in higher ratings. However, for those in the media who choose to influence their own opinion on the public are extremely unethical and damaging for all the honest police in society.
As for the profession of being a police officer, well it is extremely stressful and it varies from the typical stress related work that most accrued at work. They are constantly putting themselves in the line of fire each and every day. They know that many people hate them, and acknowledge them as ‘pigs’, many of the times they are functioning in high anxiety conditions. Cops are trained to fire when shoot at, and many because of this stress develop psychologically damaging pains and fears, like post dramatic stress disorder. They probably feel isolated because the people around them cannot understand them, only other fellow police understand the psychological damages that one can inherit as a cop. There routine of constantly being on call, the unusual hrs of work that they are a costumed to working can all contribute to their stress.
While being a police officer is stressful police need to know when not to allow their stress to get the best of them; the reporting on Grant suggests that their very well could have been some criminal conduct. However, it seems that Grant was cooperating with the police and for whatever reason, weather it was based on race, stress, or some unknown reason the police took advantage of their power and shot. We probably will never know the reason why the police officer fired arms, only the cop who acted out knows his reason.
In the second report the story leaves less to the imagination of weather the shooting was appropriate, it seems as though it clearly was not. Especially since, the initials have to come and investigate the situation; there presence suggests that there is probably some illegal conduct on the officer’s behalf that must be dealt with. Although, we do not know both sides of the story from the side that we were told, it proposes that a young man was coming home to celebrate the holidays with family, when un-expertly for no reason, while the educated man was sitting in the car waiting for his cousin; he was shot and robed of his life.
After hearing these two stories I am reminded that there are two sides to every story, and it is not always going to be so black and white (no pun intended), there may not be a right and wrong answer. As I am preparing to attend law school, I am learning that many times there are gray areas to each side, whether one wants to admit that or not, even if the law says otherwise. These incidents remind us that life is precious. While many probably got the perception from these news clips to not trust the police; I got another inclination that while there are ‘crooked’ cops we must not forget that there are amazing selfless cops as well, and that the actions of a few deceitful police should not represent the entire police force, even though this is how so many American are trained to think. As for the murder victims and their family members I hope they will find answers and peace in this pointless violence.
The killing of Oscar Grant III was very disturbing to watch, however I feel like we need to consider everything we saw as well as everything we didn’t. From the video’s perspective, it did not seem like Oscar Grant was in any way a threat to the other people in the train station. It looked as though he was simply sitting on the ground listening to what the police had to say. But I question why the police were there in the first place. Were they just there to keep order within the station like security guards? Or had something occurred that the police were needed to be at the station to intervene? In any case, they were there and Oscar Grant was sitting on the ground. We cannot hear the dialogue between Grant and the police officers so I have a hard time making a judgment and saying that Oscar Grant was being absolutely compliant. However, if we just think about what we witnessed in the video, it appears as if there was not much commotion between Grant and the officers, and that the policeman shot him for no reason.
The story about Adolf Grimes is also an unsettling one. Again, we do not have enough information to make judgments about why he was shot so many times. From the clips of his family talking, we get the impression that this young man was an intelligent and kind person and that he was just coming to visit his family for the night. By morning, he was dead. Police say that he was sitting in his car and also there was a handgun in the trunk. But we don’t know why police chose to investigate Grimes’ car. The clip makes it look as though the police had no reason to do so (and this is partly because they refuse to tell their side of the story as of now) but we do not know all the information.
I think this is hard for me to watch because growing up, my neighbor and very close family friend was a police officer. Him and his family are very good people and I know it is his job to protect our town. I cannot imagine him committing anything along the lines as what we saw in either video and hate to think that there are police officers who would and have. I think it is horrific for people to be killed the way that these men were and I think it was too extreme – Grant was already handcuffed (I believe) and Grimes was supposedly sitting in his car. Why these men were killed so violently and publicly is a mystery and why some police officers continue to be “protecting us” is another. I understand that there are people in this world who are very racist and would probably commit murders such as these but we obviously do not always hear the truth about everything that goes on.
The killing of Oscar Grant III was a terrible tragedy. Watching the video provided is extremely hard to watch. Clearly, the man was in a submissive position where he could not be of harm to the public or the police officers. I have seen much coverage on the news about this story talking about both sides. On one side, you have many people stating that this was a murder committed in cold blood, which was racially motivated. On the other side, there is the argument that the white police officer meant to reach for his taiser gun but made a huge mistake. This is very similar to the Amadou Diallo case a few years ago. Police officers felt threatened because Diallo reached into his pocket for what they believed was a gun. However, shooting the man that many times was a little ridiculous. I find it pretty hard to find the truth. The only person who knows exactly why it was done is the Oakland police officer who did it. This story is no different from all the rest of the stories, the argument of police brutality vs. the argument of police officers acting in the moment when they feel unsafe. I do not think that all police officers in the country would feel appalled after seeing the video of the murder of Oscar Grant III. Being a police officer in certain cities and/or neighborhoods can be a scary occupation. I have a family friend who is a police officer in Camden, New Jersey. I have spoken to him on several occasions where he has told me how difficult his job is. He has mentioned how he and many other fellow officers will not enter certain neighborhoods for their own safety. Entering these certain neighborhoods can be extremely detrimental to their lives as well as innocent people. He has told me on one occasion, they were interviewing/questioning a witness. The next day, that witness was murdered for simply talking to investigators. In these cases, sometimes you cannot blame a police officer for a wrong shooting/killing. In certain cases, police officers are despised and perhaps one of their friends was killed in the line of duty. If feeling threatened, a police officer must act first and think/ask questions later. We cannot blame police officers who are acting in good faith. We hold these men and women to a higher standard and expect them to protect us. They put their lives on the line every time they go to work. This is unlike many professions where the thought of dying at work today does not run through their minds. We cannot hold them responsible when a police officer accidently kills a suspect who truly believes that there is an imminent threat to the public, their partner, or themselves.
After reading this article I began searching for more videos of this incident. Initially I did not think the video was very clear and that there may have been some confusion. After finding another video on youtube, it is clear that he shot this man in cold blood, at least in my opinion anyway. I have to admit that I am a bit skeptical when I hear about situations like these. I think it has to do with the fact that my dad was a cop. I can never help but wonder what he would do in that situation. I think it is hard for us to judge because we don’t know what we would do in those situations either. Clearly Mehserle’s life was not in danger, so why did he shoot Grant in the back? To say he was a racist is jumping to conclusions. Maybe he did feel threatened.. we don’t know. It did not look like he was in any way threatened. I am not sure how it is relevant that this occurred three weeks before Obama was inaugurated either. Are we suggesting that this was Mehserle’s way of acting out, taking a stand? I do not think it is fair to make those assumptions either. To me, this is an entirely separate event from the shooting. I would have to agree that is it hard to be a police officer in a neighborhood where you are automatically hated. Again, it could be that I am influenced by my father’s experience because this was the situation he was working in.
To compare this situation to that of Amadou Diallo does not seem balanced to me. Again, I do not believe that we can judge if we are not in the situation, but to me, it seems as though Mehserle killed in cold blood while the officer who shot Diallo actually did feel threatened. Diallo fit the description of the man they were looking for; he reached into his pocket and was going to pull something out. What was he going to pull out? No one but he knew. It was his wallet, but if he was the suspect, it could have been a weapon. I believe that the adrenaline of the officer began pumping and he was in fear for his life. He was thinking about the family that he had and he wanted to make it through this shift alive. Yes, Diallo had a family too. Do I think the man should have been shot? No. I do not. However, the officer is trying to ensure that his life is safe as well. I do not think we can judge because we do not know what it is like to have our life put at risk on an everyday basis, as our occupation. Am I saying that these actions are acceptable? No, not at all and I don’t want my posting to be confused as so. I do have to disagree though that many of the police brutalities that occur go unseen. I believe that anytime this happens, it immediately makes the headlines, especially if it is a white cop and a black victim. I believe this will always be the case. I don’t think we will ever live in a society where race will not be the first assumption.
When I first viewed these two videos my reaction was not one of surprise, but more one of confusion. Why are these killings going on? Why do they seem to be silenced in the media, with the public being informed of only a few of these occurrences?
The killing of Oscar Grant III, an African American, by a white police officer in Oakland, I believe illustrates a common reason for the shooting of minorities by white police officers: fear. Not fear with regard to the possibility of the victim being armed, but fear of the stereotypes associated with people of other races. I do not consider myself to be racist. I do not treat people of other skin colors with any less respect than I treat people of my own white race. Many of my best friends are black or Indian or even Iranian. However, with that being said, I can also honestly say that I was not raised to NOT be aware of the stereotypes surrounding different races. And yes, unfortunately these stereotypes DO sometimes subconsciously affect how I act. For example, if I am driving in a lower class, perhaps more “sketchy” area of town, and I see people of a different race outside, for some reason I visibly get more nervous than I do if the people in this same area are white. I lock my car doors more quickly, I feel more unsettled, and I generally regard the situation as more dangerous. I do all of this without having any idea of the type of people these minorities are, and yet I do these things and feel these things without really knowing why. My only explanation for this immediate behavior of mine would be that, because of how I was raised, I have more of a fear of the unknown, of people different than me. And whether other people are willing to admit it or not, I do not think I am alone in this.
So what does all this have to do with the killing of Oscar Grant? Well maybe, like me, police officers also harbor some subconscious fear of people that are different than them. Maybe, even when these officers were armed and in seeming control of the situation, they still felt that these minorities were a serious threat to them solely based on the color of their skin. How would this situation have transpired had Grant been a white man? Would the officer have felt as threatened? Would he have felt that shooting this man was necessary? These are questions that I cannot completely answer, but I do not think it too much of a stretch of reality to believe that, had Grant been a white man, this situation would have ended differently, likely in a less violent manner.
Let’s stay focused.
Wow. Actually maybe wow is not the correct response to this. It is nothing new that police have abused their power since long before the days of Rodney King. Is there racism evident in both of these cases? I don’t think there is any question about it, because as you can see a white person wasn’t a victim of either. This is absolutely appalling. Beyond what I have already said, I am not even sure there is anything else to say. While Sam states in 4. its not easy being a police officer in these areas, that’s what they signed up for. They signed up to protect dangerous communities, not bring more mayhem to them. And these acts should be treated as nothing less than murder and all parties involved should be locked away. But I feel that the biggest problem does not exist on the street level. For the past 8 years, our government, under the veil of ‘fighting terror’ has abused its authority to perform whatever heinous acts in an effort to ‘protect’ the people. Let’s face it, when the most powerful form of government can arrest and torture whomever they please, completely disregarding Habeas Corpus and not having to be accountable for any of it, it is clearly going to send the exact same message down the chain of command all the way to the street level. It is because of this lack of accountability that acts such as these are committed more commonly and not given the proper attention as the criminal acts that they actually are.
Now I’m going to take another route which will probably piss some people off, but this is America so they will have to deal with it. Now I do not know the circumstances of the second case, and I am in no way saying that the police are completely in the wrong. BUT, if you are in a bad area, and you have a handgun, at the time of the incident whether you have papers or not will not help your case much, especially in split second decisions that police will make. Again, I’m not saying it is right in the least, and although you have the right to bear arms, your chances of a bad ending I feel would be higher if you have a gun. Personally, I don’t feel anybody needs to carry a gun out on the street, and if you are, it would be my first impression that you are trying to start some shit and not trying to assume the role of community liaison officer, no matter what race you are. I realize our constitution gives the right to bear arms, but for fucks sake, its 2009 and the local militia doesn’t need to band together to fight the south anymore. Its also state law in Kentucky that it is illegal to carry an icecream cone in your back pocket because a horse would be inclined to eat it. No joke. Some laws are just outdated.
First let me just say that I believe these two incidents should be viewed on two different stages. The first incident, including the killing of Oscar Grant III, was video recorded by a nameless person’s cell phone on the subway. We all could see what happened and could come to our own inferences of the appropriateness of the actions of the police officer. In contrast, with the killing of Adolph “Chris” Grimes, all we heard was the story from the police department and the news story congealed together on TV. We can only come up with our own conclusions based on hear say. We do not know what really happened.
My thoughts on the killing of Oscar Grant III are police brutality at its worse. From what I, the viewer, could see from the video, I believe the police officers involved unfairly killed an innocent life. I do not see a reason for shooting this man in the back. From what I saw, Oscar Grant struggled a little bit but was still in a position where he could do no harm. One officer basically neutralized Grant by putting his knee into the back of Grant’s head. From this position, Grant was defenseless. The next thing that happened was completely outrageous. The other officer stepped back and shot the helpless Oscar Grant in the back. I was appalled when I saw that. The police said that he was reaching into his back pocket for a gun when in fact it was for his wallet. A gun could be visible if it was in his back pocket. The police had Grant neutralized at the point of when they shot him. This looked like an execution in my eyes. Did race have anything to do with it? It may have, it may not have. We need to get a full background search on the officers and question them. From what I saw, it was totally avoidable in shooting the man. I can understand if someone believes this was race related. The police officer had no legitimate reason to shoot Grant.
I really do not know what to think about the killing of Adolph Grimes. I hear one story from the police department stating that Grimes fired first at the police. Cops are taught to shoot back once fired at. The story from the family is that Grimes is a great kid who they could never imagine him firing at the police. I believe the family more so than the police department. If Grimes did in fact shoot once, keyword if. Then, how could the officers justify 14 shots into the body of Grimes?
I can’t be too sure if race was a factor in these killings. Keep in mind that being a police officer is an extremely tough job. If you are a salesman, a mess up in your job could be not getting a sale that your company desired. A mess up in the police force can be a death. I believe sometimes death can be blown out of proportion. A cop killing someone can be related to a professional athlete dropping a pass or an accountant messing up a stream of numbers. This is just a thought. I do not know what happened in these specific situations. But, in high pressured situations, some people mess up. I believe there should be deep and thorough investigations in both cases.
This topic really reminds me of a scene in the movie Crash. Officer Ryan and his partner Hansen are tailing what seems to be a stolen car. They turn on the beams and they see a woman in the passenger seat pop her head up from what appears to be the driver’s lap. The driver is a black man. The passenger appears to be white, but it actually a light skinned black woman. The cop pulls them over and heads to the driver and notices the passenger reapplying her lipstick. He has Cameron, the driver, step out of the car and does a field sobriety test to him even though he has not been drinking. Things escalate and Officer Ryan has both of the people up against the car and has himself and his partner pat them down for weapons. He then sexually violates the woman and accuses her of giving fellatio to the black driver, an obvious lie. He humiliates both people and gives them an unreasonable time. This entire scene reminded me of both of these instances. It is not fair that cops have this sort of power, but I cannot argue with the fact that they can claim they are just doing their job. Maybe in the case of Amadou Diallo they truly believed that he was pulling a gun on them so they opened fire. In a cop’s defense, they are simply protecting themselves. I agree that they could have handled this in a different manner, but when it is happening in the moment, you can only think so fast and do one thing. I obviously don’t think it was right, but I have no other way of knowing what was truly going on there to provide adequate substance on the issue.
In the case of Adolph Grimes, it was stated that he opened fire on the police first. In any case, if an officer is being fired upon they are trained to fire back. So if this was truly what happened then I have no problem with the outcome. Also, I feel terrible for Adolph’s family, but seriously, why would he be carrying a shotgun in his trunk? There is no reason for this, it seems very shady. In both cases and in the movie Crash, one could argue that police were executing racist acts. They could say that their actions were unfair and unjust. It all depends on what the cops truly experienced. Maybe Amadou did have a gun on him; perhaps Oscar was giving the police a hard time and trying to fight them; and maybe Adolph did open fire on the cops. I have no answers, but I agree with a cop’s decision to protect himself and ultimately U.S. citizen’s lives by eliminating possible threats in our country.
Sad but I am not surprised at either of the clips. If you live in the city or even at least near it, you hear of these kinds of stories of police brutality often. From friends and loved ones and people you know have done NOTHING wrong, or at least nothing to would justify the harassment that often goes on in these places. I really thing out of the six statements on Sam’s original post that bother me the most would have to be # 2 and #4. No one can really say anything about the reason people are getting killed and certainly should not perpetuate stereotypes and assumptions about people dying over petty things like the news and its propaganda would like you to believe. AND 98 percent of white people killed are killed by white people. Obviously, if you are going to kill someone and you live in an urban area and you HAPPEN to be black (or “brown”) you will be killing someone who looks like you because that’s who lives there! I really get upset when people on the news or on television rant and rave about this so called black on black crime, I mean are they going to travel somewhere else to kill? I find point # 4 a bit upset because obviously being a police officer is a stressful job, if you can’t take the heat, work somewhere else. So you get stressed and scared and kill innocent people? That’s bullshit…that’s just what I think.
It really makes sense to me to believe that the whole judicial system including the police is racist. And that is not necessarily to say anyone in particular (even though there are undoubtedly racist cops) but racism is systematic and in runs into every part of our American way of life. Both these situations could certainly have been handled different.
And for the second case, in New Orleans,…wow imagine if that was your son or brother and you don’t even know exactly what happen and no one seems to be in a rush to tell you. How do you get justice? How do you face something so big and unbelievable?
What I did find really interesting was that in both cases, the representative from the police department was a person of color…hmm. You think that was on purpose? Maybe if it was a white representative it would make what they were saying somehow less believable? Because another person of color can be a racist right..?lol
Time for a story! One day myself and my sister where of school because of one of those teacher workshops days so we decided to go to East Orange (New Jersey) to get our hair done. At this point I was about 14 or 15 and vvveeeryyyy gullible. Anyway, before our appointment mm probably around 10 am my sister and I were walking around laughing and killing time when we hear that unmistakable whoop (from a cop car that had apparently been following us). Being the geek I was and still am I was walked up to the car and asked the officer politely what he wanted. He told us to get in the car…no explanations no nothing. We did what he said and he took us to head quarters…he never dispatched…he never spoke to us. He ended up holding us for hours at head quarters, call our parents who confirmed we didn’t have school and we weren’t runaways but never let us talk to him or told them that he was holding us in custody. About two hours later, after he was satisfied that he had completely ruined our day he dropped us back where he found us. My mother was Furious! But when we came back to demand answers, he superior officer wouldn’t even let my mother or our lawyer talk to him.
I was really intrigued by what a blogger named Elias wrote. I think that he made some really valid points concerning both the cases. In brief, the main point he made was that it really isn’t fair to assume that racism was a factor in these cases. While it appears to be that racism COULD be indeed the cause of such violent acts, it has never been proven in the court of law. Elias mentions how the video of the death of Oscar Grant is blurry and difficult to see and hear. I honestly have no idea what is going on in the video, nor can I hear anything. Not that I want to see Oscar being shot, but I had no idea when the actual shooting took place in the video. To me, it just looked like a bunch of bodies moving around. I couldn’t even distinguish the difference between who was black and who was white. Call me crazy or maybe I just need my eyes checked? Because you can’t hear the audio, you really can’t determine what is occurring. So with that being said, it is hard to say what really happened in this situation. Of course, the cops are going to say one story, and the witnesses, one of who was a close friend of Oscar, will most likely tell a different story. Someone will be lying. Maybe it would be Oscar’s friend? It wouldn’t be the first time a friend or family member lied to protect a loved one. Maybe it would be the cop? After reading Bale’s Disposable People, it just furthered my beliefs that there are really people out there who are in “powerful” positions meant to help citizens, and they abuse their positions to wreak havoc and terror on innocent people.
Also, after watching the second video presented to us about Adolph Grimes, I think Elias’s idea that it isn’t fair to assume that racism was a factor in this case is another good point. Again, much like Oscar’s video, no one really knows the cold hard facts. There is no video footage or audio for this one, which makes it even harder. Do I think that racism COULD be involved? Yes. But will I say it is the reason why Grimes passed away? No. We are going off hear say again. On one side, we are hearing how Grimes was a great student at a top school in the city, and that Grimes never committed a crime before. On the other side, we are hearing how he shot fire first, and he also had other firearms and ammunition in his vehicle. Just because Grimes had never committed a crime before doesn’t mean he wouldn’t commit one at the time this occurred. Maybe the firearms were going to be used for a violent crime, or maybe the firearms were only there for protection?
There are too many missing facts that it is hard to say what was the real reason for the death of these two young men. It is sad, and I truly feel for their parents because I hope and pray that I never have to bury a child of my own. I don’t think we heard more about the New Orleans Police Department shooting because one, I don’t think there is enough information to make such a national accusation, and two, I don’t think many people would appreciate hearing accusations (because at that point that is what they would be) about law enforcers shooting innocent people, especially due to race. I don’t think race and racism is a topic of conversation favorite among many people.
I liked how Sam made a note in his six statements that we can’t label all police officers as racist unless we want to label all Mexicans as lazy or all Irish folk as drunks. I don’t think that ALL cops are racist. I am sure there are some. I am also sure there are some racist lawyers, politicians, dentists, teachers, and celebrities. It doesn’t make ALL people who identify with one of those groups or any other group a racist. It sucks being a cop in this day in age. Sam is right. It is not an easy job. A lot of people aren’t very fond of cops, especially when you think they are out to get you in trouble. Just ask any college kid. We can’t stand the cops that ruin our rioting fun or give us underage drinking citations. Being a cop, in my opinion, isn’t the most ideal job, and they have a lot of shit to deal with. But someone has got to do it. I hope though that these men and women who are supposed to be serving their towns and uphold the laws are exemplifying to their community what behaviors are right and what behaviors are wrong. If race is proven to be an issue in these two cases, I am sure justice will be served.
Beginning this response to this article I am at a loss as to what to write. I feel that this act of murder is ridiculously unjust and going unpunished. I wonder why these things are still happening today and what in the world I am suppose to do to speak out against it or to change these terrible happenings. It makes me completely depressed and scared to view the world in this way that a black person can be shot and killed for reaching for his wallet.
In the video of the shooting the police officers look as if they are completely to blame for this man’s death. A view that I have a problem understanding is that of the police. No one really knows what the people being arrested were saying or why the police felt the need to take such defensive actions. The angering factor about this story is that the police officers were white and the man shot was black. It is easy to jump to conclusions that the police were racist and just wanted to shoot a black man. For me to be at peace I need to be able to believe that there is still justice in the world and there is a perfectly good explanation for why the police acted in this way.
The world is full of unjust things happening every day. This does not mean that I condone them or feel okay about hearing them but why at this time does the family of the man shot have a million dollar lawsuit when people are being shot unjustly everyday and they never have lawsuits publicized in this way. I feel that there are inequalities in everything about this situation but even so it does not make any of it right. I feel terrible for the family of the man shot and am happy that they are bringing this terrible happening to the public’s interest. I also hope that the police officers involved in the shooting are held responsible for what they have done.
In the case of the second shooting I feel as if there police were completely in the wrong. Not only did they shoot a man without evidence of danger they also shot him fourteen times. They claimed to have been shot at first but I cannot understand the threat that would make someone shoot a person in the back twelve times. This is an act of hate and extreme ignorance. The family of the man that was shot was not even told why the shooting happened or what was wrong. I am very angered by these murders that have happened to these black men and their families that never deserved to die.
The chief police officer said the shooting was in response to a threat. I think it is interesting to note the police officer does not look white. The video did make the case that the officers felt outnumbered; maybe they did react irrationally because of their difficulties in dealing with the crowd. This one particular person they killed may have been the root cause of the disturbance.
In the first video, the officers are not pinpointing Grant. They are all there to respond to the entire the group of people. The second video sounds as if officers pulled over the one black man. They picked him out while undercover. I think the most definitive piece of evidence to argue that this was an act of racist violence would be the number of bullets fired. 48 rounds were shot; 12 went into Grimes. Even in an act of self-defense, this is an unjustifiable round of firing.
To me, it seems almost like police officers and other government officials are able to get away with racist crimes, especially while on duty, because they have the government to protect them. The government supports people who work for them, defending justice and the law. They know the laws more precisely than the average American. When authorities investigate police shootings, their friends are the ones doing the research! No one can admit that their friends and colleagues who uphold the government commit violent racist crimes. Their investigations will automatically be flawed due to favoritism.
The movie “Crash” dealt with this subject. In the movie, a white cop who was angry at a black person started taking his anger out on any black civilian. He pulled over a car with a black couple in it and harassed the woman in front of her husband just to prove that he was a cop who had the authority of the government and that he was white and superior to blacks.
I agree with point number 6; I don’t think these are isolated cases. I think that if the American public were more exposed to these acts of violence by their own authority figures, the punishment of these officers would be more severe. The media should carry stories like this every time they happen, and they should continue to follow up on them until the accused officer has been charged or released.
These two videos bring attention to a large disturbance and unraveling within the government that has been taking place since segregation. To a passer-by, it does not seem that these two men deserved to die, but we can’t hear the exchange of dialogue. If these people had threatened the cops, the cops have to right to draw a weapon. While these videos frame the victims to be innocent, the officers in the videos are the only ones who can correctly judge that.
As I read the blog, I found both of these shootings very disturbing, however I would not say I am shocked. For as long as I can remember, there have been many shootings, and many of them have been the conclusion of racism. After reading the blog, I would like to address the six points that were said. I would have to agree that the only police officers that are not shocked by Grant’s shooting, are probably white supremacists. I believe these are the type of police officers who have probably worked in urban cities for quite some time and have seen a lot of crime over the past few years. Because of this, these people begin to have racist attitudes, and that is maybe why Grant was shot. This is a really scary thought because this is why racial profiling exists. I would also like to comment on the fact that most murders are committed black men, whether this statistic is true is really not the point. Police officers need to be held to a higher standard because they are the authority and this is not how they should be using their power. I think the statement about racism is a cop out. I don’t understand why racism has to exist in our society. I think if people were just able to get along, it would be easier on society. I also think that the point about being a police officer in these hard neighborhoods is irrelevant. I think people choose to be police officers because they feel that they have a duty to society and the color of someone’s skin should not play a part in them doing their job. I don’t really think that President Obama being elected to office has anything to do with Grant’s shooting. I think it is just a coincidence that the shooting happened right before President Obama was inaugurated. I would have to agree with the last comment, that just because you rarely hear about violence, it doesn’t mean this is an isolated case. I think there is a lot of cases that include police violence and sometimes we do not hear about it because we live in a society where motives can easily be covered up. Grant’s shooting really struck a nerve with me because it is just another case of police brutality that does not belong in our society. I would hope as more of these cases become popular, people and policy makers will begin to make changes in our society so these issues do not occur anymore. After reading about many of these cases, I think something has to be done and racial profiling should not be an issue when protecting society.
Watching the actual footage of Mr. Grant get murdered was disturbing. To watch an officer of the law commit such despicable acts makes me question if anyone living in the inner cities is truly safe. The only thing that I can accredit to the officer’s regime is that there were a lot of people to back up Mr. Grant. I understand that to gain control, you must detain all of the possible accomplices. Looking at the tape, it is clear to me that the cop to civilian ratio was roughly even. In addition, all of the friends of Mr. Grant were successfully sitting on the ground, with their hands behind their back, handcuffed. Regardless if Mr. Grant was screaming obscenities at the cops or threatening them in any physical manner, he was (like his friends) successfully detained and kneeling on the ground. There was absolutely no need for the officer to shoot him multiple times which eventually killed him. There is no doubt in my mind that this officer was driven by racism and it’s upsetting to see that someone with so much power commit such disgraceful acts.
Part of the problem is that cops these days don’t require much intelligence. Many of the cops (that I know at least) have never went to college and never even aspired to go to college. They figure since they can’t succeed in higher education, they might as well become a cop. Sure, they have to go through multiple drug screenings and polygraph tests, but some of them are still simple-minded. It is a fact that college graduates are more open-minded and less discriminatory in their views opposed to people who never made it through college. There should be some sort of test in becoming a police officer that tests a person’s moral character.
I understand that cops working in inner cities have seen some horrible things and a lot of the time, they are prone to act on instinct. Let’s face it – instinct says to kill or be killed. However, a server of the citizens should have training to combat their instincts. It is unforgivable to kill an innocent person ESPECIALLY on the grounds of race alone. Cops should be treated the same way that civilians are treated. If they kill an innocent person, they should go to jail, not simply get stripped of their badges.
Regarding the second video, I think there are some things missing. We never know what happened before the victim was murdered. If the cops did have a legitimate reason to surround him, I would like to know what that reasoning was. To me it seems that they did not have a legitimate reason, which is why that information has not yet been leaked to the public.
It has always been a common characteristic of a large urban city to have police violence where there is a wide range of racial populations. For the sake of argument, I would like to take an opposition to the first statement in Sam Richard’s blog. As much as we tell ourselves that police do not racially profile people, the truth of the matter is that they do. Police all across the country judge people and hold prejudices against people whether it is consciously or subconsciously. Just because we hold police officers to a higher standard, doesn’t mean that they make the correct judgments. Police officers are normal people who also have built in stereotypes just like the rest of the population. Sometimes citizens forget that. I think in the two cases with the police officer killings, there should be a harsh punishment for the officers who murdered these people. The murder of Oscar Grant III was a prime example of letting a police officer use every rule in the book to justify shooting somebody. What more can a person do if a person is already on the ground and in a vulnerable position? There is no justification for shooting an un-armed man, especially when there were other officers to help him. The second murder of the New Orleans man was a great example of plain cold-blooded murder. The story clearly doesn’t add up and there is absolutely no justification for unloading 48 bullets on a man. There is something fishy about a crime scene when the victim has twelve bullets in his back. I’m no detective, but it seems that the New Orleans Police unloaded ammunition on this person when he wasn’t even looking at the police officers and had his back to them. The sad truth about these stories is that there are more of them that happen in this country. I think that it is good that the media brings these stories to the forefront because police officers should be held accountable for their actions too. Police officers should enforce rules as well as follow them. However, I think that the media should try to show every incident of police brutality in an effort to hold police in check. Just because a police officer kills a person, doesn’t mean that his or her death was justified. In fact, I would go as far as to say that no death should ever be justified. If more stories like these keep popping up in the media, maybe less police brutality will happen in the future. With sites look youtube and cameras in almost every phone, it is easier to capture and document police brutality. Police brutality incidents will continue to happen in the future and the more we document them, the better we can let the public know of these injustices.
These are the videos I should show people, when they tell me that racism no longer exists. It would be hard to give a person a “Are you racist or not?” test – and see whether or not they should become police officers. Police officers are placed in tough situations all the time – this is why their rational should be key. True, most of these decisions need to be made in a matter of seconds – but it is still a decision that has to be made, if a person is already biased, it is simply unfair.
Because no such test exists, I think that the consequences for hate crimes committed by police officers should be enforced and stricken. I can see how many police departments do not want to deal with the shame that comes along with these crimes, but it is best to fix it/prevent it than to mask it. I can also understand how police officers have jobs that put their own lives at stake all the time, and we should be thankful, but this doesn’t change the fact that killing a person because of their skin color is wrong.
We probably haven’t heard of the numerous murders that occur just like these two in the U.S. because people don’t want to hear that those that are suppose to protect us are doing the complete opposite. Others do not want to face the reality that racism is still very much alive, even if we now have a Black president.
This is not to say that things are not better than they were 20 years ago even. But there is still something clearly wrong when a cop still shoots a man that is on his knees! Or when a cop shoots a man 12 times in the BACK of his head! CLEARLY – these men were not attacking, nor putting the cops in any danger. I mean c’mon the one cop had like 2 other cops next to him, did he think this guy was going to kill them all while on his knees? His hands didn’t even seem to be touching the cops or to be holding a gun. It pisses me off that everything becomes hush hush once this happens. It angers me even more when the head chief is Black and the other is Asian. I guess its wrong of me to think that they would say something about it – when it’s their job to make this not seem like a huge scandal.
But this sort of silencing just makes it seem like they are trying to hide something. It almost seems as if these cops are trying to make the world right by killing off minorities. I think the police academy should talk about this and stereotypes that every single minority is a criminal – perhaps then we can begin a discussion about what’s really going on.
It was interesting to see Sam write an entry based on the Bart shooting. I was actually in San Francisco that day that happened, and planned on taking the Bart the next day to get down town with my family, I saw the news in the morning and decided that probably wasn’t a good idea. I think that the actions of the police officer had no excuses and no reason to commit cold murder, and I believe that is what it was. I understand if Grant was making some kind of fuss, the police could ask him to leave, and if he showed aggression, I could see reason to hold him down, but there is no reason to shoot a man whatever he is doing, unless absolutely necessary. It is just sad that this police officer could let go of any moral and ethical values and shoot as a reaction to a racist judgment of a human being he knew nothing about. He treated the victim like an animal. It is even worse because as a police officer, he is representing American authority. This is a big deal. Yes, most criminal actions are between criminals, but as a police officer his effect is much greater. An officer’s duty is to represent justice and equality, yet his actions prove just the opposite. Because of his uniform, he is also representing other authoritative members as well. What he did will now represent the thoughts of all police officers in San Francisco or in the United States entirely by other countries? Whatever his viewpoints were that gave him a reason to shoot a helpless human being are not the thoughts of other officers and he has worsened any view people have of officers of the law. How could any person of color now trust a man in uniform while on the bus in San Francisco? I know I wouldn’t be able to; and that’s a sad thing. He basically pulled what actions America has done to move forward in equality and destroyed them. This man took away any advancement authority has made. I honestly don’t know how he can live with himself. I want to say I was shocked when I heard this news. I don’t want to think that America still has these issues. I want to trust that authorities always make the best judgments and the world is a good place. It is sad to say, but I don’t think I should have been shocked. The world can be a terrible place and to fix it, we need to acknowledge it. For me and others I know is hard to do, especially as an optimist. I want to stay naive to what is going on around me because it does not personally affect me, but I know I can’t do that because, if it affects the nation, it does affect me or will in the future.
These videos were shocking to me, and yes, my immediate response was “I can’t believe this happens in the United States” – just as Sam predicted. It’s especially shocking to me because I just started reading Disposable People, and in the intro some of the focus is on corrupt government and police who actually assist slaveholders, and are not fighting for the people. This concept can be applied to both portrayals of police violence – the police are fighting for violence, not against it.
In my intro to psychology class freshman year, we talked a lot about the unjust killing of Amadou Diallo. We looked at the statistics, the numbers and figures. When shown a clip of a robbery, the overwhelming majority of white people recalled the robber as being a black male with a gun. In reality the robber was a white man with a gun. I can’t remember the exact statistics, but that was definitely the case. It’s just another proven example of the stereotype against black people – they commit crimes and carry guns.
In my opinion, there is no way to justify the actions of the police in either case. Though I do agree with the statement that it is difficult to be a police officer in high crime areas where people only call you when they need you, officers that patrol there are aware of what they signed up for. They should have undergone the proper training to handle situations. It frightens me to think that white supremacists, or any underground group for that matter, could be controlling the police force. These officers are supposed to be people you can trust and go to in times of need. They should be there for you even if they are only called when needed. It has to be an extremely stressful job, but again, one they supposedly WANT to do.
Going back to Amadou Diallo, I really wonder if the policeman would have shot him if Diallo were white. The same with Oscar Grant – what if he were white? One of my favorite points that Sam makes is that perhaps the officer just did not see Grant as one of his “own” people, because racism got in the way. Again, there was still no reason for the actions of the officer, but it’s an interesting sociological and psychological thing to look at. It kind of goes back to the idea of old slavery (as opposed to new slavery). The white people who owned plantations and black slaves treated their slaves as less than human because they did not view them as one of their “own”. Segregation is definitely a part of both cases of police “murder”.
I think that all of these cases deserve a closer look into the minds of each respective police officer. Police officers can’t be blanket stereotyped, but I have a feeling something is going on here – and it should be addressed.
Although I find it absolutely appalling that members of our own law enforcement could be so corrupt, that is not to say that I am necessarily surprised. The fact is, police officers are human just like us when you take off the gun and badge. Just like the local butcher could be racist, so too could the local sheriff. That being said, would the guy slicing deli meat at the corner commit such an egregious act? Who knows? Maybe if he were put into a similar situation with the same amount of authority to act as was possessed by the Oakland police officer. And what is to say that this white police officer was racist to begin with? Yes, it did happen to be a black man, but that is only because black men represent the biggest proportion of criminals in Oakland. We do not really know what it was about Oscar Grant III that prompted his murder. Why do we first assume that it was his skin color? Could it not have been the fact that he was a bum sleeping on the ground of a train station? Maybe this cop had an alcoholic father and took out his anger toward alcoholism on Grant. I am in no way justifying what he did, but I just think that it is not fair to categorize it as being based on race. But then again, that’s the world we live in. Look at all of the racial dissent among the Shia and Sunni in Pakistan. The situation there is illustrated in detail in Disposable People. These people are willing to risk their own lives if it means killing a few people in the other sects. Such deep rooted prejudice seems ridiculous to someone like mean, a member of Generation Y, with open exposure to all types of things. But for many, traditionalism is the only way. This gets back to the situation involving Oscar Grant. If I may stereotype this cop, he was probably a member of the working class, his father was probably a member of the working class, as was his father, etcetera. He is most likely very patriotic, and in favor of the war, and so on. Perhaps he saw Oscar Grant as a threat to all of this. How could a man simply be a drunk mess, asleep on the floor of a train station? This Oakland police officer saw him as a waste of life, seeing as he and his ancestors worked so hard to achieve what they have. Oh, and not to mention, this “bum” probably voted for Obama. Of course. All these thoughts and more were probably running through this police officers head, and it all made it much easier for his conscious to pull the trigger.
Last week, I wrote about how surprising it was to see that so many people thought that white supremacist groups still existed. Now, this week, people are claiming that these acts of racist violence are not unbelievable. The question I am about to asked is geared towards those who thought those white supremacist groups didn’t exist anymore: Isn’t this the same thing? Sam even says in his blog that the officers who didn’t think the killing of Oscar Grant III was murder were probably part of a white supremacist group. To me, racism is parallel to ethnocentrism which is parallel to white supremacist groups. So how can you say that you know these acts of violence due to race are happening, but you don’t believe that white supremacist groups still exist? People just continue to blow my mind.
But now, onto my thoughts of this blog. If you don’t see the killing of Oscar Grant III as murder, what is murder? How is that not murder? I could not believe my eyes, and for the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be white. Should I be, though? I would never kill a person for no reason, and if any Black person said I would because I am white is wrong. The problem with this world is that people generalize way too easily. For Blacks to say that all white people are racist murders because one group of white men killed a black man is wrong. For all white people to say that Blacks are all drug dealers and murders because that is what the stereotype of cities (which could be seen as highly populated by blacks) is wrong. Just because one person of a race, or even a group of people for that matter, does something, it does not go across the board and say that every person of that race is whatever. For example, because this group of white officers murdered this black man, (yes, I would accuse all officers present at the scene of murder) does not make all whites, or to narrow it down even further, all white cops, are racist killers.
The other video about Adolph Grimes is a little less definite murder case to me. Watching the video, a few comments made from various people made me think if it was murder. To defend the cops, Grimes had two guns with him that night: one on him, one in the trunk of a rented car. The thing that bothers me is that it was a rented car, not his own. I can see how some people may leave a gun in the trunk of a car that they OWN, but in a rented car? He rented this car to go visit family down in New Orleans. Why did he need to bring a gun? And if it was for safety, wouldn’t one be enough? Does someone really need a handgun and a shotgun to protect them for a weekend or week, or however long he was in New Orleans? That just seemed a little fishy to me. Now, to defend Grimes and his family, why are undercover narcotics police going after him. It said that he was picking up his cousin and just got out of his car when the police came over and surrounded his car. Police say that he fired first, but that seems to be unclear as to whether that is true or not. Then, the police fire 48 bullets. Forty-eight, are you serious? Don’t you think one would have done the job? And why would they need to kill him? Just shoot him in the arm and then tackle him, if he in fact was a threat to the police. This case just seems a little fishy to me and I think that a thorough investigation is needed, which they are doing.
But in any case, here are two murders by police. Shouldn’t our law enforcement team have better tactics than killing someone they thought were a threat? And it seems that the cops didn’t even have to think twice about what they were about to do makes it seem that they are a part of a white supremacist group. No wonder why people hate Americans…
I’m not shocked with the violence against races that is happening in American today. Although our country has come a long way, we still have a lot more work to do before we really are 100% the land of the free. There is no excuse for what these officers did and it leaves me speechless to how their captains are trying to find reasons of how the officer was right and how the victim was a threat. In light of Sam’s 6 different points…
1. I don’t believe that those who aren’t appalled by these situations mean that they are automatically a part of some underground white supremacists group. Sadly my step dad is extremely racist but he isn’t following rules for an all white America. To say that these cops are part of a group is a little too much of an assumption.
2. I totally agree how silly it is for someone to take someone else’s life for something like, “he called me out.” Sometimes I believe, even though racism is the leading cause for hate, that most violence and judging are going on within the race of the two individuals. I once read that humans, the most intelligent species and most advanced, (in ratio) kill their kind more than any other species on the planet. It’s sad, it’s time for people to open their eyes and look towards change.
3. Racism does allow people to act against people from different groups in ways they would never act upon with people “like them.” Although I said above that I believe that violence within races is a major devastation of their group, I feel that people think they have more of a reason or valid excuse of why they did it. For those who kill within their race (like I explained in 2) use ridiculous reasoning as self pride to kill someone but those who are racist may use their beliefs to kill others.
4. Being a police officer take incredible nerve and bravery, it must be insanely hard to work in an environment where people talk badly about you and only are positive (if that) when they need your help. But to kill someone like Oscar Grant’s situation is taking safety a step too long. If he was down a “reached in his pocket for a gun” you don’t kill the man you wound him to stop his ability to get to you first. The video is shocking and if they don’t see that this is a case of murder there is something definitely wrong with our system.
5. I really don’t see why it matters that these killings happened only 3 weeks before Obama was sworn into office. Police brutality like these happen all the time, the news of death from police are rarely put on the television to save the reputation of police integrality.
6. For Adolph Grimes case, there is no possible valid excuse for shooting a man in the back 12 times. To shoot a man 14 times is an obvious form of racism and even supremacist’ beliefs. If a jewelry store owner was being robbed at gun point and had a gun behind the counter and shot the thief 14 times there will be no question that it was murder but to have such in-depth investigations on something that would be a quick guilty assessment is showing how wrong this system is going. I’m sure Grimes wasn’t fully 100% obeying the law but this is not how this situation should have been handled.
I understand a police officer’s work is extremely dangerous they put their lives on the line every day. They have to make split second judgment calls to protect themselves as well as civilians around them. As I watched the first video I believed they had Amadou Diallo under control. The police officers were not outnumbered. Reaching for his wallet, police assumed he was reaching for a gun. I know that mistake can easily be made because it is the same motion. You never want to put the blame on the victim, especially in this case, but if he knew to not make any threatening motions toward the police the police would not have reacted violently. On the other hand police officers should take precautions and know one hundred percent whether or not the victim had a gun before reacting. I do not know whether or not the police officer thought the victim was dangerous based on race or not. Hopefully police officers employed are not corrupt and try to arrest someone on probable cause. Maybe if the victim was white the police officer would not have fired. Who knows? All I know is the victim was laying on the ground and an officer restrained him by placing his knee on his neck which means there was no way the victim would ever be able to overpower two or more officers on his own. He should not have been shot.
The New Orleans Police Department has obviously dug themselves a very deep hole. Forty-eight shots were fired at one man. That is unbelievable. I know the officers are trained to respond to a fire with a fire from their own gun. But forty-eight? I think the victim would get the message that the police will fire back if the police fired back no more than two times. I believe many cases which involve police hurting people do not make the news. If viewers see over and over again all of these shootings caused by police officers then the public will lose faith in police officers. Police officers will no longer be respected as people enforcing the law peacefully. They will be seen as the “bad guys”.
My initial thought was not “I can’t believe this happened in the U.S.” My initial thought was if police officers really react in this way there needs to be some changes in how police officers are trained. I know bad things happen on the street but the people who try and stop those bad things do not need to murder and overpower people who break the law. They will be fairly punished later in by our court system. Race could very likely be the underlying reason why these police officers murder but I believe the vast majority of police officers in our country do not let race affect their decisions when dealing with a law-breaker.
Racial Profiling
To be honest, I am not really that surprised. I am saddened by the fact that it happens so regularly, but surprised? No.
Where I grew up I regularly heard about the Hartford Police shooting an unarmed suspect. This would happen every so often, there would be a community outcry and noting would come of it, except maybe more distrust of the police force. This is a common issue all over the country, and I’m not really sure what can be done about it.
I have a friend who is a police officer who works in a poorer city in Connecticut. He once was talking about racial profiling, and openly admitted to doing it. He would never call it that however. When working from his cruzer he told me he would always have another reason to pull someone over other than them being black. He told me there have only been three times when he wanted to pull someone over and he could not find a reason. Although he did admit to making up reasons just so he could check people out. Is this kind of action ethical? No. But does it produce results? Yes. He told me he know it was wrong, but using his gut nine times out of ten he did stop a bad guy.
The issue at large is racial profiling. This is the reason that at the airport a man with middle-eastern heritage is more likely to get stopped by security than a white man. While either are just as likely to be a terrorist, and some would argue, that the white guy was probably more likely to be the terrorist. Also the way that the TSA have set up the expanded security screening are designed to embarrass the detainee. Not only are you barefoot, which I have a problem with but, they go further if you need extra screening. I once was in that position. They took me to a holding cell where I could be seen by everyone, and the proceeded to use the magnetic wand on me. They then did a pat down search. After that was complete, they opened all of my carry on luggage and laid the contents out for everyone to see. Then I had to put it back myself, with not so much as an apology from the agents who were rude to me during my entire process. I was upset that this happened once. I have one middle-eastern friend, and this has happened to him at least six times.
In some cases I can see how racial profiling could be useful, but honestly it is just racism plain and simple. And that means it is completely unacceptable.
In response to the first video, watching it shocked me on so many levels. I believe that police have an incredibly tough job and I give them all the respect and recognition they deserve because of the job they do. However, I do not understand how the first video happened. There were many other police and bystanders around. If the one officer could not restrain the man, there were many more people around who could have helped. Not to mention I believe police carry tazers and tranquilizers that could have been used to restrain this man if he were giving the police a hard time. I just see drawing a weapon against an unarmed man to be the last resort, and in this situation it seemed completely unnecessary. Also, if an officer had a gun pointed in my face I believe that I would stop moving and comply with the orders of the police in fear of being shot. It didn’t even seem like the officer gave the man time to respond to the weapon, he just drew and shot. I had not really heard about this incident until I saw this clip, and although I knew that things like this happened in world, it is sad that now they are causing massive unrest in our country. Is the officer racist, was he fearing for his life, what was going on here? I know that the job of police is a tough one, and in a state of danger I too would probably draw my gun as protection. But was this officer really in danger? I am having trouble responding to the second clip. No information was really offered as to what happened to the man. It seems as if the second incident is really being hidden from the public view. I believe this is why we are not hearing about the second incident. No one was around to witness the incident, and therefore the police can just brush it off and push back the investigation until people start to forget about the shooting. In the first incident, however, the police aren’t as able to hide the shooting because so many people we around to witness the event. I am a sure incidents similar to these happen all the time in our society. I believe that usually the police are able to hide the incidents and keep them out of the public eye. Unfortunately for the officer in the subway, his luck ran out and it occurred in front of hundreds of people with video recorders. So I guess now the question is not “how could this happen?” but “why does this happen?” If police aren’t feeling safe and are drawing and using their guns on innocent people, why are they feeling threatened? Yes, I completely understand that police should be able to use their weapons if someone is threatening them, but I don’t believe the title of Officer gives a person, even one who may be in a white supremacy group, the right to shoot and kill.
My father was a Police officer for nearly 20 years in Reading Pennsylvania. He was a patrolman in the most violent parts of the city known as the sixth ward. The Sixth ward is an area of reading filled with gang violence and drugs. It is not common to hear of execution style killings in the Reading Eagle. During his time as a police officer, he has been witnessed some of the most violent crime scenes. As a result this caused to become very stressed and threatened by people he came in contact on the streets. He received many death threats and threats made towards our family. I recall him coming home being stabbed with a syringe by drug addicts and having to undergo the anxiety of having aids test conducted. It takes a certain individual to become a police officer. One of my father’s close friends and fellow officer was gunned down in an undercover raid about two years ago. It is a very dangerous occupation.
The case of the Oakland Police shooting is horrible terrible. After having the guy already restrained, there was no reason he should have been shot, even if he was resisting arrest, there are other ways of properly restraining a person. Do I believe it was racially driven? I don’t know for sure. It could have been or perhaps the officer got so nervous and he panicked. However, there are police officers who are also mentally distressed. In Reading many officers committed suicide or entered a severe depression from their job. I feel that officers especially in an urban city such as Oakland should be psychologically evaluated annually to ensure they are not a threat to the community. Now the Oakland shooting, makes me wonder if it was racially motivated. The video shows that the majority of the cops were White. Now it is not clear if this was an act of hate towards the black community. Sam brought to my attention that there are underground white supremacy groups for police. It is sickening to know people still commit to organizations like these. Especially for people who are suppose to be enforcing justice. As Sam mentioned this happened a few weeks prior to the inauguration of the first black president, It I difficult to correlate these murders with Obama’s inauguration. Urban areas such as Oakland have high crime rates and police shootings are not common. So perhaps the officers had a sick thought to think they could get away with it. They often have the idea that because they are a cop they are untouchable. I know of many cops getting pulled over for speeding who never got the ticket. It is looked at being a code of honor to not give another cop a ticket, and if the cop does he is looked as a “stiff”.
The case of Adolph Grimes is appalling. The video showed that the majority of the police and the police chief were people of color. New Orleans, is a city that has a very diverse population. What I don’t understand is why he had a shot gun in his trunk. According to the police Grimes fired the first shot. Even if that’s true was it necessary to shoot him 14 times. This sounds like brutality on the hands of the police. Therefore action needs to be taken. It is often curious to know what goes through a cops mind when they reach for their weapon. The adrenaline must be uncontrollable and perhaps causes for the brutality. I am sure that many more crimes happen that do not make the news. The news media is selective on what makes the prime time news. This brutality can be caused by other reason besides racism. In these two cases it is not clear what caused the shootings was. However you never know if they are racially motivated. Either way there needs to be more restrictions for police. These two young men were killed in cold blood for no apparent reason.
The shootings of both Oscar Grant III and Adolph Grimes are horrific and appalling acts, but I would not say they are unbelievable. We all know that becoming a police officer is a dangerous job. Whether one works in a predominantly white area or a very black area, there are a lot of risks one takes when deciding to become a cop. Although I do not think “All cops are racist” and would never say anything like that, I do not understand why Oscar Grant III was shot. It appears as though he did not pose a threat to anyone, especially the officers on duty. One boy in the video even states that the boys were cooperating with the officers, so why would the officer feel threatened? We will probably never know why in fact the officer shot at Grant, killing him. The family, however, wants answers. What a terrible feeling that must be, knowing their son’s death was not justified. My grandfather happens to be a very respected police officer down in Florida and I often ask him about his work. Although I worry about him as a result of the dangers his job has to offer, he tells me that the rewards of his work greatly outweigh the risks. He says sometimes he feels threatened by people but he knows that he can protect himself. However, I always worry about him and know that in a situation where he felt threatened he would definitely protect himself. The difference between him and the officers that shot these two black boys is that I know for a fact it would not be an act of racism if my grandpa were to fire his gun at someone. I can’t say the same for the officers mentioned in the blog. The two killings mentioned in this week’s blog are horrific acts of violence. Although I would like to believe that this doesn’t happen often. I know it does. We don’t usually hear about acts of violence by police officers. The reason being is that they often try and keep them under raps. Imagine if you were always hearing about innocent people being murdered by police officers. There is no way you would be able to feel safe in your own neighborhood. I have to believe, for my own sake, that for the most part our law enforcement officials have good intentions the majority of the time. After reading this blog post I truly wonder if these were in fact acts of racism. Would the same thing have occurred if both men were white? We might never know. It is sad to believe that there is still racism in the world today but the reality is it may not ever fully go away.
Okay, when I first heard about this case, I was in a state of shock. When I was watching the you-tube videos, my mouth literally opened. That was absolutely disgusting. How can a person just open fire on an innocent man? According to the first video, Oscar was following all the officers’ requests. He was on the ground and, by the looks of it, cooperating. But then again, I was not there so I don’t know all the details. Was it absolutely necessary to pull the gun out? Oscar was on the ground, defenseless, and was it necessary to shoot him? That part doesn’t make sense. I know that the police were following orders, but this seems a tad extreme. Maybe if Oscar had a gun or was holding someone hostage, then another weapon in the police’s hands would be advisable. But that wasn’t the case. Oscar was complying with the police, and still was killed. No, not killed, murdered, in cold blood.
This incident reminds me of a famous movie that came out a few years ago, Crash. I don’t want to give the whole plot away, but Ryan Phillippe’s character, Officer Tommy Hanson, gives a ride to Peter Waters, played by Larenz Tate. Peter notices that on the dash board of Hanson’s car is a figurine of St. Christopher. While Peter reaches into his pocket to show Hanson the exact same statue, Hanson pulls out a gun and shoots Peter, killing him. Hanson assumed that Peter was pulling out a gun.
The two cases are similar. Both police officers (in the movie and real life) had pre-conceived notions of what the other individual might do based on color. I think that these feelings or notions have been engrained in our unconsciousness since birth. All these notions, I believe, were taught to us in a very subtle manner through the media. One prime example is the Disney princess movies. All the early princesses are white, and until very recently stayed that way. An innocent movie taught us that white is better than all, and the fact that step mothers are extremely evil.
On another note, was it the free will of the police officer, or was he just shooting on the call of duty? It parallels the cases with the soldiers who perform heinous acts while on duty. Were they being forced? Was it an act of free will? Were they following orders of a higher superior? For example, was the police officer forced to shot that man? When the police officer goes on trial for that murder, what do you think the verdict will be? Free will or following orders?
I just found this extremely shocking and wrote down what I thought. Any other opinions?
I keep reading and re-reading hoping that I missed a detail that would have somewhat justified this man being shot in the back. There is no detail. There seems to be no just reason that this man died at the hands of police. It just sucks. It sucks that there are people, hateful people in this country. Its even worse that these people are in law enforcement are given guns and let out on the streets where they have the “authority” to make those type of decisions. But I’m not surprised there are some messed up people in this world and in this country. The other story seems even more suspicious. There seems to be a lot of details missing. I mean I don’t think that the police by are by any means innocent. But what I want to know if his family knew he didn’t open fire and knew he wasn’t violent, then why did he have a gun in the first place. Yea everyone is allowed to carry a gun with the right paperwork but what are his true intentions on having that gun with him at that time and a shotgun in the trunk? That seems weird to me maybe because I wasn’t raised in a household where guns were around or had friends who had guns in their home.
I really don’t’ have much else to say here because I feel like I said a lot along the some lines in last week’s blog. I think the purpose of this entry was shock value and eye opening. But here’s my problem, I know an accept that there are racist people in this country. I don’t support these people and I’m not friends with those people. After just a few weeks of this class it get the point that are some pretty hateful people that are closer than what we one thought. But I feel like this idea is being driven home again and again. I can only say so much. I’m doing what I can within my own life to keep racism and hate out. I’m not going to change the world but I can control who comes into my life and shares their ideals with me. And I accept that. Last week’s blog talked about a town of a lot of racist people who said things that were hateful and excluded people form color form the tight inter community. Ok so this week here is 2 cases where police shot two seemingly innocent men that were black. It seems that yes they shot them because they feel superior to their race but is that the only reason. Is there no other causes to go along with that. I think there is. These people probably are racist but does that mean that they’re going kill any black person they see. If that’s the case they are psychopaths who happen to be racist.
Maybe I’m just being naive, but I find it to be very shocking that police officers would kill someone for no good reason. A lot of times, we don't hear about these stories of police officers shooting innocent people without a clear reason as to why. I think it’s especially disturbing that the young man, who was in New Orleans, was shot 14 times by officers. Although I don’t know the whole story, I find it absurd that this man, who was visiting family for the holiday, had any reason to be shot and killed. I definitely don’t think there is any justice for the officers to shoot so many times, especially in the back. How could they possibly feel so threatened, with this man’s back turned to them, that he needed to be fired at so many times.
I understand that being a cop is a tough job, and I wouldn’t want to have to do the job that they do, especially in rough cities. I know a lot of times officers are disrespected and only called upon when they are needed and someone is endangered. But I would still like to know when the police find it necessary to go to such extremes. I hope to find out more about the case with the New Orleans man, and hopefully see the other side of the story and understand why the situation happened like it did.
With the case of the man in the subway at Bart Station, this situation seems to be a little unclear as well. I understand that the man had a gun with him, but to shoot and kill him in front of his friends in a crowded subway, seems a little strange.
I think a lot of the time; law enforcers can be discriminatory against race. I know their main duty is to protect people and themselves of any danger, but especially with officers working in inner cities, they have a tough time trying to separate themselves from being discriminatory, and just doing their job. I would think that most people wouldn’t want to assume that someone is a criminal based on their race and where they live, but often times it may be hard to draw the line between respecting someone and protecting the people.
I just hope that the families of the people that were killed, and people all over the country who are affected by wrongful killings, will get some answers and hopefully get some closure in the deaths of their loved ones. I’m not trying to blame the police officers, because I know I would never want to be in their shoes. But I just hope that one day these people could see the other side of the story and understand why these things happened the way that they did.
My first thought is, “interesting”. After dating the son of a State Trooper for almost four years (in addition to him going to the State Police academy in May), I can say first hand this type of behavior is not condoned. However, there is always talk amongst them about the protection of “the shield” and I will tell you one thing, I've experienced it first hand. Police stand up for other police, they protect each other, and it is true police officers get off a lot more than civilians. Just dating a son of a State Trooper, I got out of a huge speeding ticket. All I said, as I was going 18 over the speed limit, was I was dating him and they trooper simply said, “okay, that's good enough, have a good day”. It was astonishing to say the least.
However, no matter what differences I may have with them and how I personally feel about this “protection”, killing in cold blood is not tolerated. I do believe that police officers are charged differently in these situations. It is not good for the police force, in general, to convict one of them, it is bad for their image and all police stations.
Two cops from my TINY hometown have, in the last two years, gotten in trouble. Granted, they had already left my town and were working in downtown Pittsburgh and Masontown, Pa. The one was caught, on video, punching a black man into his squad car, and for no reason. The other, was arrested for pointing his gun at his wife in anger. The result? Both were suspended, without pay, for a period of time, and nothing happened after that. If it was any normal person, much more would have happened.
So what do I think of these killings? Personally? I think it is typical. Not all cops are like this, but it is sad that there is a great percentage that are. As a result of their protection and feeling of superiority, they know they can get away with a lot more. It is a known fact the majority of cops are racist and sometimes they can go to the extreme. I don't feel they do it on purpose, but they let their emotions get carried away in the heat of the moment. But, that is not excuse for murder. No excuse to take someones loved one away. It has gotten to the point that police violence is just a small blurb in the newspaper, new headline news. But, the second a black man kills another black man, that is a big deal. It is a protection that we can do nothing about. The police act as one big family, the legal system protects them. So what do we do about it? Deal with it, but that doesn't mean we have to think it's right.
After watching both these videos, I was not that surprised by the shootings that occurred. While I believe they were both unjustified, it is just a known fact that events like this occur. In the first video, I did not understand while they shot him. It looked like he was reacting calmly and cooperating, although that is just what we see in the video. It is unclear as to what made the police come over in the first place. It is unclear as to what happened before the situation started being videotaped. So we do not know if it was truly justified or not, to me though I definitely see it as an unjustified shooting. I also believe that if Oscar Grant was white we would not be talking about this because the shooting probably would have happened. I believe that the police officer might have felt threatened more because he was black, and he probably figured because he was black he had a gun, two occurrences of stereotyping. And seeing that Grant turned out to not have a gun and just his wallet and that he was no immediate threat, I believe that the cop basically murdered him. The fact that he is a cop though gives him immunity and he can just put it as he was “threatened.”
In the second video, there is no footage of what happened so that makes it hard to actually talk about what happened and whether or not it was justified. Although I do know that 14 shots is a little excessive, actually let me rephrase that- extremely unnecessary. Because I do not know exactly what happened, I cannot say whether shooting him was the right thing to do or not. I do know that after a few shots he was most likely dead, so 14 shots was completely unneeded. I think the cops just felt like showing their power, like “hey let’s just keep shooting to make our point made.” It said in the video that 48 shots were shot that night. While I have never shot a gun, I can imagine that the cops were not able to keep track of how many they shot, but they would be able to realize if he was dead or not. Then why did they shoot 48. Obviously they missed a lot, but how would you know if you missed all 34 which they did. They were most likely planning on getting more shots in, but thankfully their aim sucks, or this would have been an even more horrific shooting. And being that these 2 cases were quite extreme, it still makes me wonder how many occur close to these but are not as excessive and do not make the news.
There are many ideas that come up to mind when I read about this, and watch these different videos. One anonymous comment states that police tend to stick together, and that is true. I think anyone within a certain social subgroup tend to stick together. I was a volunteer firefighter in my hometown before college, and I noticed that whenever someone needed something, we were always there to help each other out. Another example, my friend from high school, her brother is a local police officer. One day while riding to school, she ran through a red light (as it was changing) and was pulled over. She stated to the officer that her brother was a policeman with X Police Department – she got off by being told “Oh, tell him I say hi!”
However, this does not go to say in any way that the police actions in either video were right. One man seemed to be fully cooperating with law enforcement and was shot and killed. The other incident, which is very unclear, a man was shot 14 times, but 48 rounds total were fired. 48 rounds! This sounds like an old western shootout! There is absolutely no reason to fire 48 shots at any person, and then not release the details of the incident. In these two cases, this just sounds malicious. Especially with the first video, where we can clearly see that, (even though he is being arrested), seems to cooperate somewhat with the police. I can understand the need to use firearm force when someone does not cooperate, but this is ridiculous.
I also would like to agree that, even though they have a rough job, policemen tend to discriminate against race. Yes, yes, everyone knows about the Rodney King videos, but I truly believe that police do discriminate. I hate to be stereotypical here, but, what do you think police see the most of? What race do you think police have to deal the most with, especially in larger cities? I totally agree this is unfair, but you have to look at this standpoint. I somehow wish there could be some sort of reform to law enforcement, but I think this is a situation that is certainly stuck. Yes, I think that police need racially retrained to offer services that do not discriminate against different races, but it does. However, do you think that law would be passed to do this? Hell no, and I can easily say this for sure, because the for sure “lock the key” discussion is that police protect the public, and they have hard enough of a job as it is. I think these situations are hard to deal with, but hopefully someone within the law enforcement area will realize what’s going on and do something about it.
The things I saw in this video were absolutely horrible but not surprising to me in the least bit. I as black man who have spent time in many lower class areas I am well aware of police brutality. I my self have been subject to police harassment and I must say it is not a good feeling. The officer spoke to me in away that I felt was no becoming of a man in his position. It almost felt like he was showing off to his partner talking to me and my friends like we were some kinda of common thugs. All we were do n was tryn to walk home after a basket ball game at our local high school. However I am quite surprise by the openness of the first video never had I seen police brutality like that this wide n the open. I mean they literally shot the man right in front of all those witnesses that is scary. I mean I don’t understand how someone can just kill another person like that in cold blood the man was clearly defenseless. I don’t feel that all police are raciest but I think there is some what of a culture with in the police department where blacks are seen as the enemy. Not because they are black but because they are the ones whom they often end up arresting so they see them as the enemy. I feel that many police officers do not have a good d idea of how to work with blacks or understand their culture. I feel that because many officers don’t know the black culture its makes simple situations far more volatile than they might be if they understood the black culture. May be they wouldn’t feel so threaten by them. I also feel that much of the problem that is a part of police brutality is that not enough is done to the officers that are convicted of assaulting people. In many cases theses officers are not given a throw investigation in most case they are just suspended for a few games then they are but right back out on the streets. How we are as a society supposes to make officers believe what they are doing is wrong with such light punishments for those who break the law? I convicted of police brutality feel those officers who are convicted of beating on suspects or worst killing them should be kiked off the force and have to face serous jail time. Only when we have serous punishments for those officers that beat on suspects will we truly be able to put an end to police brutality. Witch I hope one day we will b able to eliminate
Though these two stories on police officers killing possibly innocent black men sadden and at the same time outrage me, I do believe that these type of actions can and do happen in the U.S. I have heard similar stories before, especially from a race and public policy class I took last semester, which might be why they are so believable to me, but still just as shocking. So though I am not allowed to say that the police are racist, I will confidently stand behind the statement that police officers are trained in ways that induce prejudices and formulate stereotypes in their own minds. Police officers routinely use pretext stops to stop drivers based on the color of their skin to search for drugs. A pretext stop is where a driver commits a minor infraction such as failing to single they are changing lanes in the “proper” amount of time or having a tail light out or anything that anyone could easily be pulled over for, which is completely legal. The discrepancy is that an unusually large number of people are pulled over because of the color of their skin, when one realizes that only 13% of the country’s drug users are African American. The DEA in one state even told police officers that characteristics for people with drugs included people who wear a lot of gold or who “do not fit the vehicle”. After digesting this information, why then are 74% of the drug offenders who are sent to prison black? There is obviously something wrong with this overall picture that makes it seem that police officers are looking at more than just the actions of a criminal. Going back to the videos, the first clip showed a victim on the ground and with his back to the police; to be shot in these conditions and for no apparent reason is a heinous crime, likely much worse than whatever the “original” criminal must have done to be arrested in the first place. And the second video goes along with my above information on racial profiling. The people who shot this man were undercover narcotics agents who descended on this man’s car. He was in his car and had committed no other crime, except for being black. To have about 50 bullets shot at one person in this situation is insane and highly suspicious. So why do we not see more of these stories covered in the news? Well, that would go completely against the roles of police officers and criminals that are portrayed in the media. Police officers are usually shown as white and if anything being a hero and/or a victim. On the other hand, criminals are usually shown as being black, when the reality is that the real criminals in this country are overwhelmingly white. To reverse this concept and show police officers in a negative light and black criminals as the victims would make people have to change their perceptions of the “way things are”. For many reasons that would take too long to explain here, showing the “realer” of the two “realities” would not be beneficial to the ideologies that have been created and maintained by the powerful minority.
Only a few weeks ago, I somehow stumbled onto the first video clip posted on Sam's blog. Upon seeing it and reading the scenario, I couldn't avoid feeling pretty low. Very plainly put: it sucks. It sucks real bed. It sucks that there is such potential for murder - that it's so easy to kill another human with the proper machine, it sucks that essentially anyone can get his or her hands on this machine, but most of all, it sucks that anyone would have the desire to murder another. Oh, and the large possibility that the murder took place as a result of racism. What is racism, anyway? As I've said before, it's a learned mentality. We aren't born hating.
So I have a question; do some cops go into the field so that he or she can legally bully others? What really makes people gravitate towards the field? Now, I'm not suggesting that the majority of police officers would be violent criminals if it weren't for the badge, but seriously, what makes the man in the uniform with the badge have any more authority than anyone else? We're people, and that's that. And what makes him any more moral? Again, we're all human. But most importantly, why would he be immune to facing the same fate as other murderers. The video is relatively clear. There were eye witnesses. Oscar wasn't being especially difficult (and even if he was, I think that shooting him to death is a bit extreme). He seemed to be listening to the cop. And the BAM. A life, over. Obviously the cop saw a remarkable difference between himself and Oscar. Had he seen anything that resembled his own reflection, or that of his uncle, or that of his brother, or best friend, he never would have pulled the trigger. I think that that's a fairly safe assumption.
So the question is, how often does this happen? I am all too aware that everything that we see on the news or read about in newspapers is completely censored. So how much are we left in the dark? The second clip is a perfect example. Sam was right, I hadn't heard a thing about it. Not a word. But an entire life was lost, and it doesn't seem that anyone will be held accountable. No was around to see, so the cops could easily get off free. Or maybe they didn't do it in cold blood. I understand that I wasn't there, so how should I know? But, I do understand that these things do happen. It's tragic, really. It seems so far away, especially to the white folk, I'm sure. But what if YOU were the minority that was viewed by some as lesser than the majority? What if YOU were discriminated against regularly, and then tormented by the police? And shot? Or what if it was your brother or sister, or mother or father, and all you knew was that they were dead. No witnesses. It's nearly inconceivable, but it's important to try. We have much to lean by placing ourselves in others' shoes.
These two videos are once again a shock to me just like the Israeli shootings I read about in the previous blogs. This class has definitely opened up a lot of information I would have otherwise never known. But then again you ask what do I think is really going on out in the streets? I would have to say I thought the police were out there doing their job, and quite peacefully actually, because I have never been directly affected with any police needed issues. I can understand working as a policeman is a great responsibility and they face tough situations dealing with all races such as drug busts and violence every day. Maybe reasons for a police man to watch an African American more closely would be he has previously worked in an area where black men were particularly the trouble and that is all he’s known; I do not think that is particularly racism. This could be the reason saying “police are racist” is not true. But, I am not sticking up for these police officers who committed this crime. Yes, I see it as a crime. Seeing these officers in the videos shoot with no hesitation or even hard evidence at all is hard to watch. And that fact that it has been kept quiet is hard to understand.
I want to comment on the fact as to why we have not heard about these shootings like the one in New Orleans. First of all I think Americans are afraid to admit or even talk about the fact that they may be racist or at least may look at a person of another race with a sort of stereotype. Policemen, with attention on them constantly, must feel the same. The public does not want to hear about a police officer shooting a black man with no proof of committing a crime because then that policeman is labeled a racist. The county they are working for I’m sure would hate this kind of publicity because their officers are seen as failing the community. I know I would not want to live in a town where police were firing 14 bullets into anyone they pleased. Media plays a big part in showing the public what they want to see. Sure we want to see the latest mistake of Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan, but we’d rather stay away from serious issues like raging police officers. This is not good. We need to focus on those serious issues like this issue with the police, because it is simply not right. Anyone can see that, except maybe those white extremists that are one hundred percent still out there today. It would be nice if the media took out bullshit news on celebrities, educated us on real issues we have no idea exist, and inspired us to make a difference in our racial views and hopefully our actions.
Well, let me start off by saying that there are always two sides to a story and unfortunately when watching the news, the public only sees one of them. However, in the Oscar Grant III case I think it seems fairly clear who is in the wrong. To be honest, in this situation it seems as if the police officer panicked and instinctively shot the victim. It is very obvious in this video and from the way the case is unfolding that the police officer was clearly in the wrong and that the death of Oscar Grant was not justified to any extent. I hope that now not only does this police officer have to face the same consequences that any other citizen would have to face for committing murder, but regrets his actions knowing that he killed a man that left behind a loving family. I think the part that is most upsetting about this story is that he had a four-year-old daughter at home that had her daddy was taken away from her due to an officer’s brutal mistake.
Now going back to what Dr. Richards said about the six statements of this story. First, I do not believe that all officers are racists. I believe that in this incident it just so happened to be a black victim and a white officer. I don’t believe that the reason this man was killed was because of the color of his skin. Also, I believe that sometimes it seems like officers are racist due to the crime rate of black American citizens in the United States. I feel it’s unfair to call the officers racists if they are honestly doing the job and arresting people for the crimes they have committed. On the second statement, I think that the amount of crime that happens in the United States every day is beyond ridiculous. There is no reason for Americans to be killing other Americans because one called the other one out. Crime rates are way too high in the city and I feel that most of this has to do with the amount of gangs and drugs that are on the streets. On the third statement, again, I do not believe that the officer was racist. I simply feel as though he reacted to a situation completely the wrong way and is now going to have to face the consequences for his actions. Being a police officer has to be one of the hardest jobs out there. Like Dr. Richards said, everyone hates you until they need you and expect you to save them. I do feel that most police officers are trying their hardest to maintain a safe environment for their community but there are also officers out there that honestly seem like they’re just out to get people caught. Lastly, I feel as if the statement about Obama coming into presidency three weeks after this incident happened is irrelevant to the story. I think that the media played a big role in releasing this story and to increase their ratings for that night released it closer to Obama’s inauguration.
In conclusion, I feel as though incidents like these give police officers a bad reputation leading the public to have less trust in the law enforcement. I feel as though the public puts so much pressure and emphasis on police officers to do everything flawlessly on their job, that they forget that they are human as well and from time to time they too will make mistakes. I feel that in order for our society to maintain feeling safe, we must believe that all police officers are not like the ones from the above stories and that they really are here to protect us.
I find it completely horrible that something like this could happen. It makes it even worse that it is not an isolated case. Things like this happen. There are people in the world that would do these kinds of things. I’m sure there are actually people out there who hear about this happening and are glad. They sit around and think to themselves that they would have done the same thing. As horrible as it is, not every person in society is good, at least not in my eyes. A cop who has it in him to pull the trigger with his gun facing a man who isn’t clearly a danger, isn’t good. Even if the cop was scared, it still doesn’t make it okay. When you take the job of a police officer, that’s what you are signing up for. You are accepting the job knowing you are going to be in dangerous situations. The point is that to be a cop you need to be able to keep your cool in these situations and make the right decisions, free from bias.
Maybe they should set up some sort of screening for police officers to try and determine if they are capable of dealing with these kinds of pressures and if they are able to make decisions in the heat of the moment. Those are some of the most important things about being a police officer if you ask me. The police officer in the video lost control and killed a man. Why couldn’t he have just shot the man in the leg or arm? Even this still would have been bad, and probably uncalled for, but at least a life would have been spared. In my opinion, cops should never shoot to kill. There is no need to end a life when a bullet to an arm or leg can make the situation manageable.
The question I have that really cannot be answered is this. Would the same thing have happened if the man who got shot was white instead of black? What if he was Asian or Latino? Did the fact that the man was black have anything to do with the decision made by the cop at all? Maybe the cops poor decision wasn’t even made based on race, but just out of hatred? I think it’s hard to say that the decision was made based on the race of the man alone, but it is very hard to imagine the events playing out in the same way with two white men. I can remember learning in psychology class about a research study done on cops that even black cops were more likely to perceive blacks as dangerous than whites. Would this still be as big of a deal if it were a black cop shooting an innocent black? I think it would still be a big deal, yes, but not nearly as big of a deal as it is with a white cop and black civilian.
This blog surprised me because I haven’t heard any news about any police shooting innocent people in a long time. It makes me feel that I am in my own separate place in the world at this point in time. I rarely watch the news or know what is happening in the United States. I know what is going on with the war only because my step dad is over seas right now. I feel isolated from society and what is happening in the United States.
The police shooting innocent people is shocking to me. I plan on joining a CSI department when I “grow up.” These shootings of two innocent men are surprising to me. When I watched the video of the man getting shot in the back, it seems like there was no reason for him to get shot. It was like the cop did it just to shoot the kid. He already had him on his back; he could have just handcuffed the man and left it at that, but he didn’t. This frustrates me. I am white and when people do stupid stuff like this it irritates me. This also makes me wonder if it was a black cop, would it make any difference to the story, since they both would have been of color? I don’t know. It just makes me sick to my stomach how there is no explanation for either of the men being shot. I think that people look up to police officers because they expect them to help, but then why do most people hate cops? I mean yes they pull us over and fine us and stuff, but who do we call when we need serious help, 911. The police aren’t liked until we need them.
I think stuff happens like this all the time. I mean it might not always be a police officer shooting someone in cold blood, but it could be other murders. It seems like people are waiting for a chance to make race a big deal, when it is not a big deal. People just need to be more open minded. I know the world is not a safe place to live in. I know that people will make a big deal out of something just because of skin colors, but that doesn’t make it right.
I think both these men and the families need justice. The police who shot the innocent men should be tried in court. It doesn’t matter if they are cops, they killed someone. It is not fair. This reminds me of how people who have money can get away with things. I don’t think that is fair to anyone. The families of these two men need justice. It makes me wonder why I haven’t heard of the ending result of the second shooting. After reading this article, it made me think of how the world is still not safe, and yet the United States is supposed to be safe.
I really like this “Let’s stay focused” blog, because it is very important to look at. I want to become a police officer when I graduate, so this is especially important to me. We will start with the Oscar Grant killing, and I will talk about both sides. First off, I watched the video on the killing. In my mind, the officer has no defense. The only idea that I can come up with is that the officer thought he was grabbing his taser, and not his gun. Quite frankly we do not know, but I think that charges should be filed against him. Even if that was the case, it’s not excusable. I do not think he was racist, but he did make some really terrible decisions. On a side note lets remember the student at Florida State that was at a John Kerry speech, and he went over his allotted time and was tackled and tasered by police officer. He was white. It made the news, and there was an outcry, and that was obviously not a racist act. These two cases seem very similar, only one died and the other did not. I will consider the Grant killing a murder, and the officer should be thrown in prison for the rest of his life.
Now lets look at the Grimes killing. This one is different I think. Yes he was shot 14 times, but it was said that he did have a gun on him. First off, never carry a gun, because it gives the cops a legal excuse to shoot you. If you don’t have a gun, you have to do a lot of things before you get shot (unless you are Grant, I am talking about in general). In my opinion, I think that the cops acted correctly. If someone pulls a gun on a cop, they are going to open fire, and they are going to continue to fire until the person is on the ground. It said they fired 45 shots, and obviously most of them missed. This means that either the cops were hiding or the suspect was hiding, which would explain the number of shots being fired. My guess would be that Grimes ran out of bullets or just decided to run, which would explain the bullets in the back. Every officer in the United States carries a gun, and 99% of them will never fire it at a suspect. That less then 1% that does, only remembers what they were taught in the academy, which is if you get shot at, return fire until they are unable to return fire against you. Officers need to defend themselves. All I can say is that I hope to never pull a gun on a suspect, and I think that if I was ever did end up shooting someone, I would retire the following day, because I don’t think I could go to work anymore after that, no matter what the circumstances.
Finally I think that when an officer shoots someone, it is blown out of proportion. Every day, people shoot other people, and it never makes national news. I am going to use Andy as an example, because I have known him for years. Andy said in class that he does not like police officers, and he has no reason to feel that way, yet many people don’t like police officers until they need help, which is what Sam was talking about. So when an officer does something out of the ordinary, even to defend him or herself, everyone jumps on them for what they did, even if they were in the right. I am not defending the officers in either case, and I am certain that Grants killing was truly murder, but there are always two sides of a story, and we need to respect both of them.
I am actually not surprised at all by innocent people being shot on the streets by “authorities”. I feel as though yes, this happens a lot more then we know but I am not shocked by it. I feel this is one of many things that go on in the outside world that we know exists, but its kept “hush hush”. Its one of those things that is silenced and when it is spoken, we act as if its something new.
I feel the second shooting in New Orleans received a lot less attention due to the fact the victim had a gun present. Although it is said “he shot at the police first” no further information is being released. Which in my mind makes me think the police are hiding something. I would think that if the man was such a threat that they would have complete evidence to back it up, in which they don’t. Which is why I believe the parents seem to be so confused. I would be just as angry as those parents if my child was shot and I wasn’t being given any logical reason as to why. The news broadcasters say, “Ohh the family seems so angry!” Well YEA! I would be too if the police had no evidence as to why they shot my son!
I feel that the first story is just as ridiculous as the second. WHY would a police officer shoot if there were no threat? The video says that the police indicated they were “outnumbered”. They did not look too “outnumbered” to me on the video. Clearly there was no motive for gunshots. If a cop does not know how to hold down and handcuff a victim without using gunshots than I do not want these officers protecting my community. They cannot possibly be trained correctly if they have to resort to gunshots when they are working with one victim. I highly suggest some form of self defense requirement, without the use of weapons.
As much as I would like to say these “murders” were not based on some sort of issue towards race, I think they were to some extent. I believe that personally the officers may have felt threatened. I think it was an individual act of murder. Meaning I am not calling all police officers racist. However, maybe these two officers personally felt threatened dealing with a different race than them and acted upon it. Say for instance in the first video the man was white. I guarantee no shots would have been fired. I mean racism obviously still exists. I am not indicating that the police fired at these innocent men “because” they were black, I am just implying that they may have felt more threatened causing them to act more quickly and violently towards them. However murder is murder. Black or white it does not matter and according to the videos these officers had no ultimatum for shooting these innocent men.
As bad as this type of thing is, it definitely is a relatively isolated case. Racist police killings in this country are not a huge problem. Of course it happens, but it does not rank up high in comparison with many of the other things happening. Of course, when this type of thing does happen, it has to be paid attention to. Stuff like this is outrageous in today’s times. After all the progress we have made and the state of our society now, we cant have cops killing for no reason, especially racially motivated killings.
I think it is a bigger deal that a cop killed someone for no reason than that person was black. Obviously there is racism and hate around, but its easy to forget that there is still cops like that, who will kill people for no reason. It links to all of this corruption in the political world. I feel like the high end political arena, like the senate and the house of representatives are completely corrupted. It is so difficult to break into the political world, that you practically have to lie and cheat to become a successful politician. I wouldn’t be surprised if 90% of those guys were somehow corrupted or taking bribes or making back door deals.
I think that every article on this blog is about the same thing. It is getting repetitive. We all know racism is still alive I’m ready for a new angle on this whole thing. I also think that he could expand his horizon on what to write about. The blog is about race not just racism.
I didn’t like yesterdays lecture. I felt like he was trying to give a deep look at a really simple concept that wasn’t really worth lecturing on. When it comes to predestination vs. free will, its pretty much you have your own opinion and your not going to convince any one else. I think that arguing over which one it is is pretty pointless. I think that it’s a mixture of both, but personally I lean toward free will. I like to think life is more about free will because if it is all about predestination, then to me I don’t really see a point in living. If everything is already set to happen, life is pretty boring. I believe in free will just because if I don’t believe in it, then there is not much point to living.
Racism is pretty much going to be around forever. We can try as hard as we want, but it will always take a new form. Even if everyone in the world was white, there would be different levels of white, and if everyone looked the same, it would be about what country your from.
My first thought after reading this article is what happens next? The FBI is obviously going to do an extensive investigation but how do you prove that this act was a result of raciest thinking? There are so many factors that lead into these cases that I for one cannot imagine having to piece them all together. After seeing both of these videos I definitely want to say that the police officers that were involved in the situation are corrupt. I do not understand how you could kill a human being point blank. But it is not fair to think of this situation from one perspective no matter how bad all of us want to. What if Amadou Diallo had actually had a gun in his back pocket and the officer failed to act, then a dead officer could potentially result from this action. Please do not get me wrong, I am not saying that the police officer’s life is in any way more important than the victim but in the heat of a moment I would not be sure what I would do. But in the case of Oscar Grant I’II I would have to say this was a blatant act of murder. My step mother is a retired state police officer and after reading this article I called her to see if I could get some insight into the matter. She had not seen much in the media about the case but she did tell me there are always other options than to “shoot”. My step mom then went on the defense and said that sometimes you have to make a choice for the better of everyone in the situation. She stated that being a police officer is about trying to keep the peace and sometimes a decision is made that cannot be undone unfortunately. When I hung up the phone with my step mom I started thinking about the Media and its influence in this whole matter. Why don’t we hear much about these issues that plague our society and when we do is it only the information the media wants us to see? I get completely thrown off by the fact that I am just hearing about this stuff for the first time. I have to admit that I am not an avid news watcher but I do read the news papers religiously. I wish that cases like these would be more publicized. With the technology that we have today we are getting a better look at the truths in our society. If that witness did not take that cell phone video I can almost guarantee that the case would have already been closed. These situations are upsetting and the reality of the situation is that these families most likely will not get the justice they deserve.
After reading this blog, I feel like Obama’s actions and what he stands for is being overlooked because of his skin color. The idea that we are making history with the first black president is overwhelming and a great step in history, but now that he is inaugurated we need to support his actions and become more aware with his decision-making. It was obvious as soon as Obama became a serious running mate in the election that race was going to be a major part of the discussion surrounding his campaign. It was also evident that many people were going to have conflicting reactions to him. Some were going to love him and some were going to hate him. It is sad to see that people are forming new racist groups simply because of our new president. I think that as much as we try to end racism it is never going to truly end. I hope that we can one day look towards a future where actions such as these do not occur and all people are accepted equally. I also think that Obama’s skin color brings a realization to America. Race has been overlooked and many Americans are in denial that racism still occurs. But some of the people that feel like Obama is out to attack the white community are not looking at the whole picture. They are looking at the aspects of Obama’s campaign that support their “belief.” Anything that can be said or done by Obama that can be misconstrued will and always has been by any president, of any race. The actions following Obama’s successful win over McCain were outlandish and outright unacceptable. The posters that were shot at, the churches that were burnt down, and any other minor form of violence that displayed hatred is not unifying the nation, nor is it going to change the results of the election, whether you like it or not. At some point you are going to accept it, whether it be in a time of war or financial crisis. There is always someone to point out and hate, what we need to learn is to find the positive in people, make your own opinions, but as many mothers have said across the nation, “if you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say it at all.” The idea of racism, especially against such a leader as Obama, is something that cannot be overlooked and is really disheartening. Negative thoughts and images of such an influential leader does not inspire the nation that elected him president. It almost makes us question if we made the right decision in order to unify Americans in such a financial crisis and during a time of war. Overall, I think that racism is going to persist for a very long time and that these actions need to disappear quickly.
The fact that police killed these two seemingly innocent people is astonishing. Not because I can’t believe that it may be an act of racism, but because there was no reason to do this which in a way, only leads to racism. In the first shooting mentioned, Grant was following directions, complying with police orders, and didn’t seem to make any significant moves. So why were firearms out in the first place? This is most definitely a wrongful death. It should not have happened. In the video the chief mentioned that he would have to “talk to the officers”, but what will he mention or talk about? This clearly wasn’t a defense act; it had some other motive behind it. The officer who shot Grant clearly did not see him as one of his own people. He did not consider his daughter, or where he was from, or his position. Instead, he had something else fueling him and that eventually lead to a shooting and a death. I do agree that being in the police force is a hard job. But I do not think that this is a reason to kill, especially when there seems to be no reason behind it. Also, I wonder why it is that police men seem to be the ones who are more likely to shoot and kill and not police women. Is this because women do see others as their own people and they are more emotional? I believe to a certain extent that the media wants to shelter us from what is going on. Although there are reports like this, this is not something that can be shown on TV everyday and most things are kept well under wraps. No one really wants to think that racism still exists but it does. Sadly, sometimes this racism ends in violence and when it is reported through the news in stories like these is when we begin to open our eyes again. This is coming from the people who are supposed to serve and protect us every day. I do not think all police men and women are like this, but it is disappointing to know that there are some that are like this. Regarding the second shooting, why was it hours before the family had information from authorities? Was there something that they were trying to hide? This absolutely makes the situation more questionable. Also, the fact that 48 shots were fired and that Grimes was shot 14 times, 12 times being in the back is unbelievable. Why were so many shots fired? Why was this necessary? It all just does not add up. I know that racism still exists; I have seen it occur to my family. When I was 13 my mother parked left me in the running car while she ran into the grocery store to grab some milk. It was nighttime and there were no front parking spaces so she just left her blinkers on and ran inside. Within a minute a police officer was shining a light in my face and when my mother came back, he handed her a citation. However, he gave her no real reasoning for it at all. Now this is not violent, but I still consider it an act of racism. If it were a white person, they might have gotten a warning, if that. No one can convince me that my mom deserved to get a citation because I know that she didn’t. In the end, my mom went to court and won, but just the fact that it happened will always remain in my memory. I have more stories that could really open someone’s eyes about how racism still exists in this country. However, they did not end in violence and I am very sad and disappointed that these cases ended up with a loved one dead. It is not right and something must be done to stop this.
Every time that I hear a story like this, it is extremely bothersome. Both of my brothers are state troopers, one in Nevada (near Las Vegas) and the other in Georgia (near Savannah), and I can’t help but think of them in similar situations. Given point #1 of the blog, I have talked with both of them about this subject in the past and they are appalled at the fact that these sorts of things happen. Both the Las Vegas and Savannah areas have their share of violent crime and a large black population and I cringe to think of what might happen when either of my siblings get themselves into a situation that requires them to draw their weapons. I believe in my heart that neither one of them would ever intentionally fire their guns unless the situation absolutely called for it, but there are so many outside factors that come into play. When watching the first video embedded into the blog that actually showed the footage of Oscar Grant III being shot, the first question that came to my mind was “Why did the officers have their weapons drawn and ready to be fired anyway?” I really don’t know all that much about proper procedure for police officers in these types of situations, so everything that I say from here on is just my personal opinion and I very well may be wrong. I understand that in order to get the situation under control and to prevent it from escalating any further, the use of force and having weapons drawn may have been necessary. But, when Oscar Grant was on the ground and obviously defenseless, there was no need for guns to be pointed directly at him with fingers on the trigger. Some people have very short fuses and emotions had to have been running high. Any type of remark my Grant could have resulted in his death at the hands of the police officer. I think it is a tragedy but I think that it is 100% unnecessary to make the claim that all police officers are racist. There is much more that went into the making of this situation than meets the eye. I like to consider myself a realist and that I am relatively aware of all of the differing views and opinions of those around me, but I still think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone at all that would argue that this type of police brutality was justified. It is a shame that this is not at all an isolated incident and I think it is unfortunate that some incidents of this nature get the highest publicity possible while others go unknown by the vast majority of the American public. I feel that if every incident like this was known and openly discussed by the majority then their occurrences would lessen dramatically.
I am not able to grasp these types of stories. Not only are they devastating for everyone affected, but they could be seen as disgraceful to those few involved. I cannot understand how someone could be lying on the floor of a subway station while being restrained by two police officers and still be considered a threat. And then to top it off, he was shot in the back while lying there. I understand that police officers put their lives on the line everyday and that ninety nine percent of them are just as appalled by that video as I was. But when I see something that appears to be as coldblooded as this, it causes me to question what exactly people are thinking in this type of situation.
After watching both of these short video clips, I have to wonder how many more of these incidents occur every year in this country. Our media chooses what stories to disclose and while watching the news, I rarely hear much about these kinds of crimes. Just seeing that these two police shootings involving young black men happened on the same day makes me realize how much more common it is in our country. And after seeing the way Adolph Grimes’s mother and father were in obvious pain over their son’s death, it made it even worse knowing that they had no information regarding how it happened. They even told the reporter that he knew as much as they did. How can that police department not disclose anything to just try and alleviate some of that suffering? And he was shot twelve times in the back! You only hear of people being shot in the back when they were running away. I realize that I was not present for any of these occurrences, and I have no right to make assumptions when there have been no definite findings in either, but it is suspicious.
I feel like people; including myself, need to start realizing what a problem this apparently is in our society today. I am not even sure how to approach the racial factor in these shootings. I do not think it is a coincidence that these two men who were shot, assumedly unprovoked, were black, and that the officers involved were white. I believe that it has something to do with the media coverage these cases get, because if a white person was shot in the back twelve times by a black cop, reporters would be all over it. It is upsetting that these young men have yet to get the justice they both deserve. I am glad that Grimes’s mother said they were never going to give up, and both lawyers are fighting for both men. I do not think we will ever really know everything that occurs in our country, but hopefully we will all become a little more aware.
These two killings are startling, yet not all that surprising to me. I guess you could say I’ve somewhat become immune or numb to this kind of news but honestly, I’m just not surprised anymore. To say that these cops were racist would be quite a statement in itself because I do not know for a fact that they are. I honestly don’t think its right to say this especially after seeing that the police chief was an Asian man. Granted, this might not actually mean anything since it appeared and was stated that the officers at the scene of the killing were white. This topic is hard to discuss and make sense of. In regards to the first video of Oscar Grant, I don’t remember hearing why this man was approached by the police in the first place. Second, whatever the words were that may have been exchanged between Grant and the officers, whether they were hostile or not, doesn’t explain why when he was pulled down and held by the neck that the officers continued to shoot him in the back? Was there a struggle or was he fighting? This is where I simply do not understand the actions of these officers. But, if I flip the coin, look at this situation from the other side, the side of the officers I might see something completely different. Whatever the case may be as to the reason why these officers were talking with Grant and forcing him down to the ground, they may have at some point felt scared and perhaps threatened. When these types of emotions take over anything is possible and our actions are sometimes startling to us. Now, by no means am I saying that what these officers did was “right” in any respect. I’m just trying to see both sides of the story here. I think its really easy to say that cops are racist especially when we have many sources telling us that perhaps they are. Take for instance the movie Crash. Remember the scene in that movie with Matt Dillon pulling over the black couple. Clearly this man was racist and because this movie was so “eye opening” in regards to race and perhaps discrimination, I think people often take these movies and apply them to real life. I think the best word to sum up any authority figure is that they are “suspicious people.” Depending on what part of the country you are in and where you are (city or suburbia) really makes a difference with whom you deal with on a daily basis. I feel like we have the tendency at times to take the actions of a certain type of person and apply that action to the rest of that group of people.
In the blog, Let’s Stay Focused, these two stories I watched and read about was really no surprise to me. I have seen in the news and media stories like this plenty of times in the past. I live in a city with a very high crime rate. I think that stories like this are sad and depressing to hear about. The various crimes that I have been exposed to in the past have influenced my decision to no longer watch the news. I don’t watch the news or read the newspaper because I feel like there is nothing positive in it. I want to start off by saying that these killings were horrible and I truly believe that there was a cover up behind the stories of why the killings were done. Now the media and news reporters can be naïve if they want but like I said I come from where this happens all the time and there’s always a motive. I absolutely agree that policeman have a dangerous job, and are trained to protect themselves and fire back when shot at. My father was a policeman and he has told me countless stories regarding his occupation and what he had to go through. I think that police officers should do their job to the best of their abilities, but in these situations it’s different. In the first video, it was said that the white policeman thought the guy was reaching for a gun when in fact he was reaching for his wallet. I think this cop was just looking for an excuse or cover up for why he shot the man. I don’t believe that policeman are racists but I do believe that race had something to do with that shooting and that the cop took his power and authority over the African American man to the head. In looking at the points that Sam pointed out for us to look at while writing this journal, I have a few comments about. I totally agree with the first statement about whatever cop who isn’t somewhat remorseful of these two stories are either heartless or apart of some underground white supremacist group. The second statement is also very true. Some stories that I have heard that have occurred back home have involved black men killing other black men particularly over drugs or money, and not involving the police at all. So this proves that not all killings that occur are done by the police and they are not always the main culprits. Most crimes are done by people of their own kind. In the third statement, it seems as though Sam contradicted himself unless I am interpreting it wrong. He said that racism allows people to act toward people from other groups in ways that they would not otherwise act -- and we have to imagine that the officer did not see Mr. Grant as one of his own people. So wouldn’t that mean that it could have been an act of racism? Because normally this officer would not do this especially if it was another white man opposed to an African American. In the second video, I thought it was rather heartbreaking that the victim’s family had not heard anything regarding the case. The parents deserve to know what happened to their kid. They received no information from the authorities which is pitiful. I don’t believe that the victim fired at them especially if he was just waiting in the car for his cousin. He would have had no motive or reason to fire at the police although he did have a gun that was licensed. He had no previous record and it just doesn’t seem clear to me why he would shoot at the cops. I think they suspected he was a drug dealer or something because the video said that these officers were narcotic officers. Another thing I don’t understand is the 14 shots. All of those shots? Is that really necessary? It seems a little extreme to me and all the parts of the story given don’t add up if you ask me. In both of these cases it seems to be a lot more to the story that we are not receiving and probably never will because that’s how things work now. The government and a lot of other things are corrupt now days.
I’m actually not that surprised by this absolutely awful shooting. I grew up with people around me constantly talking about how corrupt the police are and always hearing about things like this. When I think back, I have absolutely no clue why. I don’t think my parents were ever even a little bit into talking about race. I just know that I have heard news reports like this all the time. Every time I am dismayed by the act and think of how horrible it is, how much racism there is in the world etc. I never even consider where the police are coming from, I just always automatically label them racist and add it to my list of reasons to hate police. Sam brings up a good point that this case is not ALL policemen, and the they work under a lot of stress and such. Still though, it’s extremely grave to have a racist policeman, most definitely worse than if the racist individual was just a standard worker. In order to be in a position like a policeman, It is necessary to have an open mind and NEVER jump to conclusions. In this case, the policemen hugely overreacted in an unjustifiable way, but I highly doubt that they woke up that day thinking…”I’m going to kill a black guy today, just for kicks” I’m actually guessing that at the moment of the action they thought that they were doing the right thing.
Maybe it’s partly because I feel as though the media usually focuses on showing crimes that involve people who aren’t white but I definitely have the perception that more minorities commit crimes than white people. I have no stats to back this up whatsoever, which makes me feel completely racist in saying that so I will blame it all on the media. In the media they make a point to say that the suspect is some sort of minority, but very rarely will say that he/she was white. I don’t know if this means that minorities commit more crimes or if it just shows, once again, the way in which the media can make us feel a certain way. They show us only a small portion of what is actually going on in the world/country, and tend to focus on what their audience wants to see. I’m guessing that the majority of people watching the news are white because well, there are more of us. White people don’t want to see other white people committing crimes, so the media shows the minorities committing crimes. We never sympathize with a minority who is caught committing a crime, where as I feel like when a white person does something wrong I can hear my grandmother justifying it. It’s completely ridiculous.
The world is a corrupt place.
What happened in Oakland is totally uncalled for and the court system should punish the police agency for as much money as possible. Even though this happened here, it has been happening for years now and people just do not see it. The main reason why this was publicized so much and brought to the nation’s attention was due to the inauguration of the current black United States president, Barack Obama.
The first reason for this happening concerning if this was an underground white supremacy group seems a little far-fetched and outside of the box, but it might just be true. If a white supremacy group were trying to do something within the States, the only way they could actually do something would be through getting inside and through the government’s side. Obviously they could not make it known or clearly evident, but with incidents like this they could possible accomplish some of their goals. Most of the officers in the police force are most likely not part of this group, but there definitely is a chance a certain amount of them could be. Furthermore, being in cities like Oakland and such gives them much better opportunities.
Another possible reason for such a crazy incident like this happening is that people really do not understand what these police officers actually have to go through on a daily basis. I am pretty sure from what I hear about Oakland, that the crime there is not pleasant at all. This means that the job there for the police is also not a very easy on either. Subsequently, this means that people there are tend to hate the cops there more too, since the crime rate is high. However, these same people want the cops to help them out when one of their friends get shot as well. In all, what I am trying to say is that it is a very unsafe and unstable world out there for some officers and they also have families and lives of their own that they need to take care of. If there is any doubt of danger, these cops will probably do whatever it takes to put away that danger as soon as possible.
The last possible reason for this happening goes back to what I said at the beginning of this about the inauguration of Barack Obama. This of course is our first black president as a nation. Not everyone currently is happy with that of course, and wants to make that known very clearly. The killing that happened is a great demonstration and protest against a black president coming into office. No doubt this is very wrong and something needs to happen so that it never happens again, but the reason for it happening could clearly be seen here maybe.
It’s very easy to say that the police officer was racist and that he has a thing against black people. But what I want to know is how many white innocent people have been shot by police. The stereotype for black people is the fact that we always get in trouble with the law. In some ways it’s true but who is to blame? This comes down to what learnt in class the other day about free choice and determinism. One can argue the case of extreme determinism:
The streets are filled with crime and drugs is because of the fact that the blacks have started off in a hole in which they cannot overcome. It’s the fact that we are discriminated against by whites and that the whites don’t really care what’s going on in the streets unless they find blacks doing things that are wrong. Schools in the black neighborhoods aren’t good and children don’t find any reason why they should achieve an education. Also the kids in the streets are surrounded by negative people that will only hinder them by introducing the kids into street gangs and drugs. This leads to black people being easy targets for officers. If only whites cared enough to actually help black neighborhoods. I mean just imagine if whites were living in the streets. The exact same thing would happen. Whites would then fit the stereotype of getting in trouble with the law instead of blacks. It’s the whites that put blacks in this shit-hole in the first place. They only care about arresting and harassing us, not helping us. I mean come on..let’s all be honest…if those people who got killed we’re white, they would get tasered or something. Cops shooting innocent blacks has happened so many times…its just kept under wraps from the media and the police try to cover it up so that they won’t be seen as racist. I guess whites to have this sense that they the more superior race.
Another person can argue an extreme case of freedom:
All the people that get in trouble with the law are doing their unlawful actions by choice. There are many that are in the streets that strive to do good and to make a name for themselves instead of lowering their selves to other peoples level. It is their fault that they have the sterotype that’s against them. It’s their decision to do crime and not anyone else’s.
These are the extremes of free choice and determinism. The cop that killed the black kid did the wrong thing (no question).Cop or not, he killed a man that was in hand cuffs and wasn’t even a threat to him. It’s much easier to judge the cops actions from the first video because their was actual footage of the assault. He did act freely by making the decision to shoot, but one can only ask “Was there more to that?” What lead him to do such a thing?” And if he was by any chance racist, what factors lead him into thinking like that? What if he wasn’t? I think they’re so many questions that are out that we’ll probably never know.
No one can just blame someone without all the facts. It seems so stupid to me that someone would assume that’s all there was to it. Clearly something set off these officers and clearly now was it worth killing someone who knows. What if in the second case the man had gone for his gun, I would fire first too and I probably wouldn’t stop shooting until I was sure I was out of danger. I mean everyone gets so wound up they have to blame someone and it winds up being either the cops or the victim well my question is why not wait till you have all the facts then tell the story? I am sure this kind of thing happens all the time and we just never hear about it. I bet it happens a ton and there are no witnesses so everyone just moves on. The question comes in when we have to look at the situation and say if this was a white person would the same thing be happening? If the answer is no then there is a serious problem with that. If the answer is yes then we have to look deeper into what happened there. So many questions went unanswered in that new segment like why did the man have a shotgun in the car and a registered gun? These things beg the question what happened before the shooting did he mistake the plain clothes officers for regular men or did they instigate it? We may never know what happened but it is wrong and irresponsible to just assume this was anything we cannot prove. As for the first man, the video is hard to see but it does look like he was cooperating with the police and had no reason to be assaulted much less shot. I feel terrible for his family and friends they must be going through so much confusion on why this would happen to him. I would really like to follow that story and see what reason the police give for doing what they did and if it was justified. I find it easy to believe that this kind of stuff happens all the time. It is not like it is totally unheard of there have been many instances where we hear about police brutality or over aggressive behavior. I just think that it is really all the in eyes of those people who see it in person and anyone else will forever remain in the dark. We can speculate and assume anything but until we are in the shoes of the victim or the police officers we will never understand why they make the decisions they do.
I would say that these videos shocked me, however, as an American citizen who watches the news often, I would have to say I have been kind of conditioned to not even really flinch at this stuff anymore. It’s really sad to say that this is true for so many people. We are totally desensitized to the absurd and disturbing violence that goes on all around our country. However, most of the time we see violence where the cop saves the day or gets everything under control. This obviously is not the case in these 2 videos and to me this is really distressing to see. I see police officers as people who I would want to call when someone breaks into my house, or threatens me in any way. When I see footage of those cops shooting a man who did nothing to deserve that sort of treatment, it overwhelms me. I know not all cops are bad or corrupt. Most cops do their jobs, and even if we do think they are annoying, it is wrong for us to hate cops for stopping us from doing what is illegal but then expect them to save us when we are in trouble.
In someone else’s posting they said something like, “Why would the man even have a gun in the first place, and another one in his trunk?” Apparently this person was ignorant to the fact that there are quite dangerous areas in the United States, and since the man had a child maybe he felt that where he lived was not safe and he needed to be prepared just incase something happened. It is not terrible to own guns. It does not make you a bad person if you legally own a gun. It does not justify the fact that that same man was shot 12 times in the back. If the man wasn’t even facing the cops how could he have been the one that started firing at them first. The stereotype that young black men that live in the “ghetto” are dangerous and up to no good is ridiculous. Yes, there are some people that are dangerous in the cities, but the fact that some cops assume that they are up to no good is absurd.
The video of the man at the train station was even worse. The man clearly did not do anything and he was already pinned down to the ground. What could be possibly do to the highly trained cops while pinned to the ground with his hands held behind his back.
In conclusion, I believe that the cops in the video were wrong and really jumped the gun. (No pun intended.)
I am definitely not shocked about these videos and the actions the police took. I’ve heard of many situations and different issues were the police have made decisions that the general public does not agree with or support. There are also those situations in which the opposite have happened and the police are looked at as why didn’t they do something. I do think that in both of these videos most people who see them look to the police as the culprit. That isn’t to say that they are always the culprit though. The police have to make quick decisions about their actions but no one is perfect. It’s hard to point fingers because there are so many factors that play into those decisions. Just because the videos looks like the man on the ground is just cooperating doesn’t mean he wasn’t whispering something to the cop that we didn’t pick up, or maybe something occurred before the video was being taken. There are plenty of things that can give reason for the action that the cops took. But on the other hand, it could simply be what is being shown in the video. A man cooperating with the cops and just gets beat up and shot. No one really knows the true reasons behind the cop’s actions except himself. Maybe he was just having a bad day and thought that guy was annoying him just lying around the subway. Maybe he was the last straw and the cop took his anger out on this man. But people like that shouldn’t be cops. Who knows though? The truth is really only with the cop himself. We can ask the question why did the cop have to go shoot the man? Did he think that he was in a life threatening situation that he had to use a firearm? And in the news video clip the police chief said that the police at the scene ‘felt out numbered.” I think that is bullshit. The police are trained to work in situations like the one with Oscar Grant. I’m sure there are plenty of times when they feel outnumbered but that doesn’t mean to shoot someone as a way to fix that. I think that is just an excuse to probably just add onto whatever other excuses they plan on pulling out next. But I guess regardless of what actually happened and what was seen in the videos everyone will have the own opinion. Now stepping back to another type of situation is when people ask why the cops didn’t take action. For example, the Columbine high school shooting – why didn’t the cops (or SWAT) go in and stop it from all getting as bad as it did. I’m sure many parents were thinking isn’t that their job, risking their lives to save others. Maybe because they felt it was unsafe. But wasn’t it unsafe for the students to be in there with these mass murders. It’s just so situational. People always need some one to blame. Overall, I definitely don’t think that violence committed by the police is an isolated case. We see it often in the media but it just depends on how you personal take the news and let it affect you.
It was good point brought up in my recitation, that a lot of these video clips you see are just that, “video clips”, not that full thing. I would rather see the entire situation, to base a judgment on the situation. But from what I’ve seen, that was completely uncalled for. The man obviously wasn’t a “threat” standing on his knees with his arms behind his head. Although the police are supposed to be aggressive with individuals they are dealing with, it doesn’t say in the “Police Rulebook” that shooting someone in the back is just. With a few videos to prove that, even though I couldn’t really see them personally, I’m really wondering what story these officers are going to come up with to justify the situation. And the situation in New Orleans is just as bad. I think that the “he fired first” line is bullshit. I think they honestly were looking for something to do, and it got really out of hand.
Because we only hear so many stories about situations like this, many people are making generalizations that these situations only happen to black people. I’m a little half and half on that statement because most of the violence that is heard of on the media is usually related to a person or people of color. In certain ways, I don’t want to think that the media is out to get black people, and portray them as barbarians because these stories are true and all way too common. And once you’ve seen a story like that, it’s kind of numbing on how to feel about the situation since you probably heard similar news the previous day. And to top that off, when a police officer kills a brown or black person, the cop has some interior intentions for doing so. I really don’t like thinking that way. Now on the other hand, I feel like if a situation arose where a while police officer shot a white person, it’d be a completely different story. Just as much as CNN is constantly reporting news about a missing little girl, this would be the perfect story.
Just like the girl in my recitation that mentioned, not all murders or situations like that involve police. However, I would not be surprised to hear about unjustified situations like this that are covered up in steps toward protecting their police station and the reputation it holds. As many crooked cops and politicians we have lurking the USA, I feel like a lot of people are oblivious to that.
As I read through Sam Richards blog post “Let’s Stay Focused,” one thought kept going through my mind: none of this is new to me- why is he posting this? Maybe it’s because I’m from a city but it is a well known amongst my friends that people, minorities especially, get mistreated or abused by the cops. Richards seems to call people out for knowing that cops abuse their power by saying that I’m standing behind some stereotype. I’m sure many, if not all, of the police officers are appalled at the unjustified murder of a person but that doesn’t mean that cops still don’t misuse their power. I don’t know if cops seem to target minorities because they themselves believe a stereotype or because of past experiences that they have had- does it really matter at this point? The bottom line is that when a cop does step the line and go too far, the city is going to do everything it can to protect “one of its own.” It seems to me that the only time cops have someone to answer to about their actions is when there is a media frenzy and the city has to do damage control.
Richards says that “… you rarely hear violence committed by the police” which is news to me. There might not be national headlines over an individual killed in some inner city on an everyday basis but my friends and I see it and experience it all the time. The local NY newspapers will cover cases of police brutality often enough so one cannot even ignore it. Richards is right in one regard- how can one say “I can’t believe this could happen in the United States.” It happens all the time- you only hear about extreme cases.
A striking example of how police abuse their power, cross the line and has the city save their ass is the Sean Bell shooting. There have been reports that Bell was a known drug dealer and had a shady past but ultimately, he got shot dressed as a pedestrian who was coming home from his bachelor party. Bell and his friends were shot an obscene number of times and two years after the incident happened, the cops were found not guilty. What does that say about the NYPD and what message does that send out to the public? I get that being a police officer is a dangerous job and I’m sure they do their duties by safely patrolling the streets but there is no one to protect the public from the police. Even when the police do something clearly wrong, they are still slapped on the wrist while the public, not to mention the victim’s family, can only sit back and be quiet.
These police that are responsible for such acts of murder, need to be punished as any other citizen would be. I feel so bad for the victims families who may never get answers. These two killings were, in my opinion, overreactions resulting in someone literally “jumping the gun.” In a time when society could stand to put more trust in our police and legal system, how do these cases help?
The first killing may have been a result of something we do not see in the video tape, although witnesses say otherwise. However, the second killing seems to be more obviously at the fault of the police. Perhaps this is why we have heard so little about it. After all, the family barely knew what happened. Do the police know more than they are letting on? Most likely they screwed up and are attempting to cover their tracks. However, if they did not mess up, then keeping the information to themselves just points the finger back at them, which does not benefit them at all. So what is their motive? Will we ever really know? One thing is for sure, at leas the family deserves to know what happened to their loved one.
How many more acts like this have happened that the media just did not get a hold of? The number could be scary, and probably is. I hope it is not too high, but my gut is telling me otherwise. We need to be able to trust our law enforcement, but how can we gain that trust when the police are killing innocent people? These police need to find a way to get the trust back. In order for our society to work, we need to work together.
When watching these videos, I was appalled. Do no think that I am naïve, I was aware that incidents such as these had happened, but I had only ever heard of maybe one. Why would the police broadcast this anyway? These type of things just do not happen in my area, we are friends with the police (most of us) and their families, we call them by their first name, and have known them our whole lives. If they were put in such situations as the police that committed these killings, they most likely would not know how to react. It is all about how they are trained. For example, our police probably have more meth lab busting training than the police in question, this is because we live in “Meth County.” It is all about location and training. In saying that though, the cops in question should have obviously been better trained in situations such as these.
As a society we most likely do not see all the mistakes made by our law enforcement, actually I know we don’t. While we do deserve to know, would you really want to know every little detail? These are the people you call when you’re in trouble. What if you didn’t trust them at all? Chances are that even if they knew you didn’t trust them, they would help when you called because that is their job.
After watching the video of a man being shot in cold blood, I believe the issue here should be murder—not racism. In the high-tension society we live in today, people can’t wait to blame racism on everything that happens. Let’s get in the streets and riot and vandalize over 50 businesses because that will bring change. That will make the American people sympathetic. Well THAT seems like an awfully skewed way of looking at things (to me, at least.) While it is unfortunate that the shooting officer had to be white and the victim had to be black, why do we immediately assume racial profiling? I thought the general consensus in the country right now, especially after putting the first (half) black president in the White House, was that we are taking great strides to reduce and eventually eliminate racism. Would everyone be reacting the same if a Mexican-American cop shot this man? Would they be reacting the same if a black cop shot a white guy? I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. It just floors me that the main issue here isn’t the fact that an officer abused his power and shot a man in cold blood (aka MURDERED), but that it was racial profiling. This just follows the mindset that too many Americans still have today. When in doubt, call racism. Today in the news, there was a segment about the New York Post publishing a comic likening Obama to a chimp. I don’t think I need to even elaborate about the backlash this received from Al Sharpton and company. However, it seems to be acceptable in everyone’s minds (and even humorous to many) to compare Bush to a chimp. Why is that okay? Why have we set a double standard in this country to the extent that white people are afraid to do or say anything, because even the most innocent comment could be construed as racist? For a country of people who so desperately want to ‘see past color lines,’ we do nothing to get out of the deep racial rut we’ve been in for decades. A cop murdered someone. THIS should be the issue. Not whether the victim was black, white, Chinese, gay, Arab, Jewish, etc. A cop MURDERED someone. To turn nearly every situation that occurs into one of race does nothing but perpetuate the problem. When is someone in the media, or some figurehead, going to stand up and tell it like it is? A man was shot and killed by a police officer after being restrained. Not a BLACK man was shot and killed by a WHITE police officer after being restrained. When we can get to that point, perhaps some progress can be made in reducing racial tension in this country.
There's another case in which the course of police immunity has shown that it is not along racial lines that the police are protected from prosecution.
Here's the article:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/14/BAPU15UF6V.DTL
From the article:
A San Francisco judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the state for a near-fatal stabbing by a parolee who was mistakenly released from San Quentin State Prison without supervision, a ruling that left the victim's mother frustrated and bewildered.
"There's no recourse for anything that they do regardless of how grossly negligent their behavior is,"
I pretty much think these videos are controversial, I’m definitely not going to say ridiculous only because situations like these two incidents happen every day whether we want to admit it or not. There are many different sides to the situation, some people might not have the best perception of police, honestly there are some corrupt but not all are, and others might say that the officer was racist and that what he did was a disgusting. There will be those who think that he was just defending his life, because honestly it’s the media, they are trying to make some sort of point with the video they show, it’s just a clip from the event, not the whole thing. So I don’t really think its fare to make a complete judgment over a summary of the incident when there could have been many other factors that led to the actions of the police officer. There were probably better alternatives to the situation that he could have better gone through with; he could have just cuffed him that would have suppressed any threat. The video doesn’t really show the any instigators for the cop’s actions, but who am I to say I wasn’t there. There could be underlying racism to the whole event and that’s how the media and most people will see it. We won’t really know until they question all the officers there to determine whether or not it was a legitimate threat. Whether or not the officer actually wanted to kill him is also a very grey area, he could have shot him in the head, he also could have just shot them in the leg. People look at these incidents and say “How could anyone do that?”, but things like this happen all the time there have been records of law enforcement mistreating blacks for years, just go back and look up the Rodney King riots.
The second video wasn’t really a surprise, I don’t know if you could say that it was a racial related incident. I mean yea I guess you could, but according to the police report, he fired at them first. Cops are taught that if someone pulls a gun then you shoot to kill the threat. The situation itself was pretty shady itself; if you think about it, he was sitting outside in his car waiting for his cousin, why couldn’t he just wait inside with the rest of the family? It really comes down to if you think the police are telling the truth or not, if he didn’t pull that gun on them, then it becomes a racial situation, but until that is known I don’t think you can say that. The only thing that I think is a little ridiculous is that they shot 48 bullets, if there were cops that reloaded and fired, and then I would say there was probably something up with the situation.
First I want to start off by saying that this blog has a strong impact on me because I feel some closeness to it. I live in Philadelphia. I live in the actual city. My father was a Philadelphia police officer for 21 years, but he has now retired. He worked in the worst neighborhoods just trying to do good for people. From all of his stories, one will forever be engraved in my brain. I asked him if he ever shot anyone. He said he pulled his gun once, fired once and missed. He was a rookie cop only being on the force for 6 months. He told me that cops would use their guns as a last resort. When reading this story, I was appalled. I don’t know how to react. I do believe that there are good cops and corrupt cops. My father was a truly good cop. I do not think he was racist or whatever people say about cops. After all, his best friend is black. It is true that it is not easy being a police officer in some bad neighborhoods, but these men and women are trained to be protectors and help people. I don’t really know what to make of these two shootings. It is horrible to watch. The police departments are doing a very good job of covering it up. Last week in Philadelphia a police officer died. For myself it is sad to think about. You know these men and women go out every day to make our streets safer and they know that they might not come home later. For some people it is just news, but for me, it was a fact growing up with. Thinking about this police officer who was killed in Philadelphia makes me angry. That is the only thing I can think of to make sense of these two shootings. Maybe, as in number four from Sam’s statements. Maybe these police officers felt threatened. However, that is not an excuse. In the first story, I did not even understand why Oscar Grant was being arrested. But the video showed no signs of him resisting arrest or being threatening. Shooting him was cold-blooded murder. And the second video, Aldoph Grimes was shot 14 times. And why? Why was this man shot, and that many times? My father told me that police officers are never trained to kill someone. They are trained to either shoot someone in the leg or the arm to disarm them. With this being said, and my background in knowing police officers that want to just be honest working people and make better neighborhoods, I cannot make sense of why these police officers murdered these men in cold-blood. It makes me shutter to think that there are so many other unreported cases of this happening all over the country, and I have no idea why.
Yeah, stuff like this happens in the United States. We know that, and there’s no hiding it even if the media doesn’t always make a big story out of it. Neither of the two cases surprised me at all, regardless of how horrible.
I know these are real stories, but after reading the blog and watching the videos, I can’t help except to think of the movie “Crash.” It was pretty popular a few years ago, but for those of you who don’t know what it is, it was a movie all about race and race relations on the community level. The basic storyline was about different groups of racist people, all of different races that ended up needing each other in the end. Part of this movie is so much like what happened in the first shooting mentioned. There is a white cop who is racist against all colors training a “newbie” young white cop. The racist older cop pulls over a black driver for no reason and then feels up the guy’s wife, who he thought was white (really she was just a very pale black). He gets away because the black husband didn’t want to give the asshole cop any other reason to give them crap. Later, the young cop says he doesn’t want to work with this racist cop, who replies he’s not racist, that how he acted is just the way it is on the streets and that black people are always the ones up to no good. The young cop ignores it, and continues to try to be objective about crimes. The next part is going to be familiar, as it is almost identical to the train station. Later in the movie, the young cop is off duty and picks up a black hitch-hiker. They ride for a while and then the white guy thinks that the black guy is laughing at him, so he asks him to get out of the car. The black guy understandably gets irritated, because he wasn’t laughing at the white guy, he was laughing at a dashboard hula-dancer. When he goes to reach into his pocket to pull out the same ornament, the white guy freaks out and shoots the black guy. He dies on the side of the road after the white cop pushes him out of the car.
Maybe you don’t think it is the same, because they were a bit different situations, but to me they are identical. In the movie, the white guy saw that the black guy had no gun, and he felt an abundance of guilt, but he never turned himself in and so he got away with it.
What do I think of these murders? Much the same as I imagine anyone else would feel. It disgusts me that cops get away with this. And I know it’s not all cops, but obviously it’s enough of them that incidents like this aren’t limited to just one. It’s enough cops that we know about these shootings. It’s enough cops to make many of us blame all cops in general, even though that’s just adding to the problem at hand. I’m appalled and yet I have no idea what I’m supposed to do about it.
These types of reports to me have become less and less surprising. This is a clear example that peaceful negotiations are not yet over. I believe that there are two sides to every story, and in order to get the full picture you truly have to put yourself in each of the persons’ shoes. It is clearly not right to shoot someone while they are pulling out their wallet to show ID, but as a cop in Oakland they have to always be on the defense. When, however, is it crossing the line when it comes to defending yourself and making sure that you are safe? Was this something that would have happened in a white man was pulling out their wallet? We will never know. I do not believe that all cops are racist. I come from a family that has six generations of New York City Police officers. I believe life as a cop is a dangerous job because there are people in this world that don’t respect officers, and they have to constantly watch their back so that they can come home to their families after their shifts are over. Being a cop is not an easy job, but it certainly does not give them a right to pull their gun out on someone and kill them because they THINK that the situation is getting out of hand
I completely agree with Sam’s bullet point that it is NOT easy to be a police officer in a neighborhood where you are already hated until you are needed. This is completely true. The people of bad neighbors have feelings of hatred towards cops because they won’t allow the people to live the way THEY want to live, but when they need the cops on their side everything is changed. This makes the officer’s job hard because they spend a lot of time defending themselves against the people they are told to protect. So did the officer know the man was reaching for his wallet or did he really think his life was in danger? NO one knows. We didn’t walk in the shoes of the officer day in and day out of every shift. If the cop killed the man because he was black and reaching for his wallet then I believe his decision-making was out of line and completely wrong, but maybe it wasn’t a matter of race, maybe it was a matter of safety. It is unfortunate that an innocent man is dead, but until police officers and the people they are protecting can learn to work together sad things like this will continue to occur.
The police shooting shown in these videos is extreme and upsetting, but back home in Philly I hear about police beatings on the news at least once a week. I am not going to say that what happened in the video was an act of racism but when you grow up in a city where most of the police beatings and shootings are of brown or black people, how can that thought not jump in your head. These police officers do have tough jobs where they are putting their life in danger every day. They have to make quick decisions that could greatly affect the way you and the police force are viewed. The thing that irritates me is people using that as an excuse for obvious out right ignorance and murder. You chose that job, you knew how dangerous it was before you joined the force. You had a choice to choose a different career so saying that their job is dangerous is not an excuse for what happened in the videos. From what I can see in the first video, the man was clearly being held down by a second police officer so why did deadly force have to be used. I understand that many officers have to make snap judgments and decisions but that is your job. Again, you chose that job; if you cannot do your job then you should be fired. You would not keep an Accountant in your company if they did not know accounting, Right? So why a police officer would be allowed to stay on the force if he cannot do the job that he is paid to do.
The second video sounds like a complete cover up. The victim was sitting in his car waiting for his cousin so what was the need for him to be shot. What makes it worse is the fact that he was shot 14 times, what excuse can they conjure up about that. Like in the Sean Bell case in NY, where he was shot 50 times, how does shooting someone that many times not cause suspicion?
Many people in cities say that the police are the biggest gang of them all; they protect their own no matter what. The fact that so many people did not hear about these shootings raise a question of how many times has this really happened? It seems like the police are hiding the wrong things that they do because we hold them to a higher standard. Well if the American people hold you to a higher standard, you should be striving for that, not covering up your wrongdoing. The officers in both of these videos should be severely punished because if the video was of a regular citizen doing the shooting, they would be in jail no questions asked.
The case of Oscar Grant III and Adolph Chris Grimes are devastating. Even though Grant case is unclear to me I find Chris cases worst. That young man was shot twelve times on his back. How possibly was he going to hurt the cups for them to shot him forty five times. The worst thing is that his family did not even have any information on what had happen. They were angry and I think they had every reason to be angry. Let’s all put ourselves in their situation. Just imagining losing a brother or a son for the cups not for the streets not only would I be hurt I would have animosity toward the cups. I think the reason that the cups were not talking to the family is because they knew they were wrong. Families have every right to know for what happen to their child. The law enforcement had taken this young man’s life but there are no explanations behind it. How can they explain that? Chris came home from Huston to the holiday. He does not even live in that city. He does not have any criminal records. What possible answers can they have for it. It got worse when the cups decided not to disclose any information to his family. I do not think I would call this racism; I think it is just been careless in this case. I believe that these officers were not in danger, even though we will never know exactly what had happen that night. With that in mind I don’t think people should hate cups but to hate bad cups. Let’s be honest if it was not for their help many people’s lives would not have been saved. There are many cups that care about their community or individuals. But I think sometimes small group of people can ruin others with the same color or kind of people. I think people dislike cups or don’t give the respect that they deserve because there are many other cups that do dirty work. This few dirty cups can make many people think that there many cups that don’t care about others. May be that is why people do not cooperate with cups. People keep their mouth shut even when they know who shut who or when had just seen a crime going down in front of their eyes. I think the reason for this that people do not trust cups will protect them if their neighbors would to find out they were helping cups. I think this all go back to small number group of people can ruin ones repetition. I do not believe that all police officers are bad and I think that this kind of reasons give all police officials a bad reputation when it should not be.
I can believe this happens in the United States, and why does no one wonder if it just a coincidence that these victims are black? I think they could have just as easily been white. We have no reason to believe that these two victims or any other blacks who unfortunately killed by police officers were killed based on race at all. I really do not see color as the issue. I think it’s circumstantial based on the situation and the police officer. I don’t think any training can fully prepare police officers for all that they could potentially face. These particular officers and others who have found themselves in the same situation could not effectively manage their stress in the situation and became overwhelmed enough to resort to the use of their guns. How would you feel if the officer had given the victim the benefit of the doubt and assumed, “No, I don’t think he has a gun.” And then two seconds later the officer is shot. Yea, maybe that’s his or her line of duty and part of the dangers of the job but an innocent life lost is upsetting no matter what the cause just like in the case of Oscar Grant III and other lives that have been lost. We live in a society where sometimes in some places you do, and probably should fear for your life and unfortunately when people with guns fear for their lives they are likely to shoot who or whatever is threatening them.
Also I do not believe that the only police officers in the country who were not appalled by Grant’s killing or murder are those who are members of some underground white supremacist organization. I think that only those who have been in a similar situation or at the very least have the same line of work can make such a bold statement and even then it is not fair. How does someone know what every other police officer thinks?
I think that a lot goes on on the streets that we might not be seeing. I like to think that if you live a pretty “straight” life you are providing extra safety for yourself. I don’t know the best word for it, but by straight I mean avoiding unnecessary conflict, uncompromising situations, steering clear of drug use and excessive alcohol consumption. I think that by following these measures you have less of a change of finding yourself in a bad situation.
It is very clear to me that the police in both situations jumped to conclusions about their victims. Whether or not these specific police officers jumped to the conclusion that the black men had mal-intent and were armed simply because they are minorities is to be determined. In the first video it is evident that there is a struggle between the officer and the victim, Oscar Grant. The police officer obviously had been speaking to Grant while on his knees. Words were spoken and Grant was taken onto the floor. Upon being knocked down, Grant appears to struggle a little bit. While he reaches for his wallet, the police believed that he was reaching for a gun. This is the moment where a determination needs to be made about whether or not the police officers acted out of bigotry or out of instinctual self defense. If it were white man laying on the ground, would they have assumed that he was pulling out a gun? Would the have waited to see what he was going to expose. Why was a weapon the first thing that they presumed was going to come out of Grant's pocket? Did they believe that most minorities were gun owners? Would they believe that a minority would shoot a police officer if things were not going his or her way? The major question is whether or not those specific police officers would have even started a confrontation with a white person in the first place.
The second story, with Adolph “Chris” Grimes is very similar. He was shot fourteen times, twelve in the back and two in front. The report stated that there were drug police involved. The interesting part about the story is that Chris was a stand-up citizen. He had no criminal record, had never been in trouble with the law. He was on a visit to his grandmother's house for New Years. He wasn't from a broken home. He appeared to be the opposite of a criminal. He did have two guns on him, both of which were legally registered under his name. It makes me wonder why they chose to pick on this man. They were obviously looking for another person who was involved in a drug ring, but they found this man, clearly not a criminal. It is disputed about who opened fire first. Was it Chris or was it the police. The matter appears to be heavily disputed. I believe that because the NAACP is involved that race is a large part of the matter. The interesting part about this incident is that it appeared that the police officers involved were of several different races, including African American. This incident is not just the white man beating up on an innocent black man. Just because the police officers may have been black as well does not mean that the issue wasn't racial. Perhaps there is some common believe by all law enforcement officials that black men are typically involved with drugs or are more likely to carry firearms. Who knows why this happened to them? Perhaps these are just select stories. I'm sure plenty of other races are killed by police. Maybe our form of law enforcement is just power hungry and corrupt?
After watching the video about Oscar Grant’s shooting, it at first seems like the tragic epitome of racism. The event seemed unwarranted and represents a sad reality of race relations in this nation. However, this class asks us to peel back layers and not just to view situations through a black and white lens. I’m finding it really hard to comment on something I don’t know any details about. All I have to go on is a news report and the words of a few witnesses. Of course, after setting the video, it would be hard to side with the police officer. But Sam brings up a good point about the pressure police officers face. I can’t help thinking about the movie Crash. The one white officer, played by Ryan Phillipe, was a very naïve cop working alongside another jaded, racist officer. Though Phillipe’s character had not been on the force long enough to garner racist feelings (whether that is right or not), he still pulled the trigger and killed an innocent black person. Because of other people feeding into prejudices, he too became paranoid and defensive against black people and it ended in murder. Could any of this have been going on in the case of Grant? I wasn’t there, and I’m not the officer, so I could never say.
This, of course, does not excuse the officer. And I’ve heard of white officers killing white people for no reason, or vice versa. A routine traffic stop turns into an ex-criminal pulling out a gun. It’s no wonder police officers are paranoid. But when conscious or subconscious racism comes into play, I think it’s another story. Was he more prepared to shoot Grant because he was black? The man was on the ground and obeying the cop’s commands. Sadly, it could be argued, Grant was on the receiving end of years of fear and animosity toward other races.
In the case of Adolph Grimes, I think the two cases are similar but there are also two very clear differences. First, Grimes had a gun (though licensed) on him and reportedly a shotgun in his car (perhaps also licensed; maybe he was going hunting). This fact itself could have tainted the officers’ perception of him and might have caused them to use extra precaution. But this brings me to the second blaring difference. Grimes was shot 14 times. It wasn’t just a one-time thing; it was 14 times. It must have taken a lot of conviction on the side of the officers to do that to another human being. Did Grimes shoot at the officers first? That’s unclear until an investigation is done, but somehow I don’t think the situation called for 14 shots.
The saying goes that “there’s two sides to every story.” Yet it is difficult to understand, explain, or even identify the side of the tragic story assumed by police responsible for the death of Oscar Grant III. After watching the video, there appears to be absolutely no rationalization behind the violent chain of events that transpired. The tape conveys no reason for the police to have turned to such hostile and unnecessary actions. . . . except perhaps one: Oscar Grant III is an African American.
Research indicates that charges of police brutality echo from virtually every American city with a significant black population. Likewise, statistics prove that police meet minorities with excessive force far more often than they do when dealing with white individuals. I have to ask myself why this is. Is it because white police officers, who are already granted a more superior, authoritarian station, feel that they are more capable of implementing their power upon minorities and getting away with it? Is it because police officers view individuals of minority groups as more dangerous or threatening to the wellbeing of society and feel that they must crack down on them even more severely? Is it because the “dominant” group of American citizens—that being whites—view minorities to be more menacing, and thus, being cognizant of this, police officers are more quick to judge and harshly act when faced with such individuals in order to quell the fears of whites?
Regardless of the reason, this immediate, and more often than not, unnecessary, police brutality against African Americans and other various minority groups, is a serious problem for our nation. This brutality is the epitome of prejudice, discrimination, racism, or all of the above. It is the tangible, observable evidence which proves that such hate and mistrust is still very much a present reality within our country of many colors. However, this bias is plaguing, and dramatically diminishing the justice of our legal system, and the justice that Americans are promised as an inalienable right.
Yes, I understand that police officers are trained to fire their weapons upon being shot at; however, Oscar Grant III never opened fire on them, nor did he even have a firearm in his possession. He posed as no threat, and took no action which may be interpreted as one intended to jeopardize the wellbeing of the police officers, or of anyone in the premises, for that matter.
Law enforcement, before ever being awarded their badge and sent out into our cities to patrol the streets, should be thoroughly skilled in examining and analyzing the danger and severity of a situation. The actions and measures they choose to make should be a direct result of careful scrutiny and logical, responsible judgment, rather than on impulse or gut reaction. Criminals act upon impulse and gut reaction. It is not unreasonable to expect that members of the police force think before acting—especially when a life hangs in the balance. I am fully mindful of the fact that stress is a prominent factor in any occupation affiliated with law enforcement. I am by no means saying that being a police officer would be an easy job, and every human being makes mistakes. However, when the life of a person is at stake when a mistake is made, the police officer on duty should meticulously survey the situation at hand before acting. The loss of an innocent human life is a heavily significant mistake. The role of a police officer is to make our communities and everyday environments safe, and thus protect lives—not end them.
The first thought that popped into my head after reading this article was the 1991 Rodney King case. I learned about this incident in depth in one of my criminal justice classes that I took here at Penn State. His story obviously came to mind after reading this article because Rodney King is a black man who was a victim of a brutal beating by several police officers back in March of 1991. The incident sparked riots all throughout LA and in the end only two officers were found guilty and sentenced to 30 months in jail. This case was huge and I think most people when asked if they have ever heard about it will say yes. This definitely does boggle my mind then as to why these incidents of police killing black men have gone so unheard. The videos are definitely really disturbing to listen to and watch. I think the incident in Oakland was the most alarming because of where it happened and how the video shows no resistance from Grant. One comment in the blog says how it’s tough for cops living in bad neighborhoods where most people hate you until they need you. However, I don’t think that has the least bit to do with this killing. This occurrence took place in a public train station where hundreds of innocent people were around to watch. It wasn’t like Grant was in a bad or dangerous neighborhood at the time. Grant showed no signs of fighting back he seemed to cooperate with the police especially once they laid him face down on the ground. After they did this they should have just handcuffed him and dealt with him from there. I do not see why firing a weapon at him had to take place at all. I have no other words to describe this besides absolute absurdity. It was harder for me to get a feel of the other shooting in New Orleans but this seemed more suspicious to me because it was very late at night and he was in a car in a not so good neighborhood. Also it was said that the victim might have pulled on the policeman first which would change things a little bit. However that doesn’t call for shooting at someone over 40 times. I think these types of incidents go so unheard these days compared to Rodney King’s case because first off, the events didn’t occur in towns that big like Los Angeles. I think Los Angeles is a place where if anything out of the ordinary happens, it will get made publicized. Also, I think police departments are doing a “better” job of keeping these incidents hidden from the public eye. I typed in “black men killed by police forces” into Google and a shocking amount of results came up. I think a lot of hateful and violent acts against innocent people never make it to the news or public eye and it’s really unfortunate. I don’t think every single event that happens should make national news but I think at least the most violent ones should and the rest should be on local channels to ensure that the people living in the areas surround the incident could be aware.
n regards to the shootings of Oscar Grant and Adolph Grimes, two young black males, I can’t help but think that the cops in both situations had to be thinking similar things. I think these cops felt threatened because of the bad reputation young black males get in this country. Rodney King’s case was another example of police brutality against a young black male caught on tape. Being a police officer in bad neighborhoods is a very stressful job and I thank these people for putting their lives on the line to protect others, but I think some officers need to take a step back and learn some self discipline. When I think of the “bloods and crypts” gang wars, I immediately think of young Black or Hispanic males. I don’t know if this is because I am white, or if everyone thinks of members of these gangs as being Black or Hispanic. These gangs are notorious throughout the country as being two of the most feared gangs and are just examples of inner city crime occurring in this country. Police are the ones who mainly deal with this crime, and I think white cops in inner city neighborhoods are defensive when around young black males for what they have seen. One of my friend’s father was a Philadelphia police officer for 20 years, and hearing his stories of when he was on duty, I started to realize that almost all of his stories involved young black males. When I think about this however, he worked in sections of West Philadelphia which is inhabited by almost all blacks, so it would make sense that the crime stories involve mainly blacks. I am from a suburban town about 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia, and when I think of who performs most of the crime in our town, its mainly young white males, because the town is mostly white. I am not saying in any way that my friend’s father did anything controversial or I agree with these cops and their decisions. Anyway, getting back to the stories, in Oscar Grant’s video, there really is no evidence of Grant fighting back and warranting a bullet in his back. The officer who puts his knee on the back of Grant’s neck should have had the sense to realize that from that position anyone is pretty much defenseless. There was no video showing Adolph Grimes’ murder, but it sounds like it could have been a serious mix up between him and the police. If fireworks were going off, and he had a gun on him, maybe the police heard the fireworks and mistook it for his gun firing. Either way, in my opinion, these cops seemed to use complete unnecessary force against who seemed to be innocent citizens because they fit a stereotypical description.
Reading this article and watching these videos made me feel entirely oblivious to world surrounding me. I will be the first to admit that I have never heard of either the cases mentioned (before today), which seems rather pathetic to me—both on my part and the part of the news. So reading this definitely makes me wonder how many cases of controversial police shootings are out there, and why aren’t bigger headlines made about them.
Initially, these shootings seem to be racism at its finest. It seems almost natural for people who watch these videos to presume that the reason behind the killings is racism. When there is a controversial confrontation between different people of two separate colors, racism is the first automatic suspect, whether or not it is in fact the culprit. I think that just about everyone who has seen these videos relates the conflict to race.
It is clear to see that these policemen were in the wrong. For no reason should Oscar Grant III been shot, and for no reason should Adolph Grimes been shot 14 times. However, as it is stated that these cases must be thoroughly investigated for answers, we, the viewers, do not really know the circumstances under which the shootings occurred. Although it seems in the videos that the shots fired by the policeman were completely unwarranted and unprovoked, we do not know what it was really like at the time (especially in the second video), and although it seems that they were completely and directly related to racist motives, I don’t think we can conclude that they were. I am not arguing that these crimes are not appalling, because they are—regardless of the circumstances in my opinion. I’m just saying we don’t know the justifications that policemen had; they may indeed have had a reason for what they did. And furthermore, I’m just saying that I do not see why it always has to be about race.
If Oscar Grant III happened to be white, would it be so crazy to think that something like this would never happen? I don’t think so. After all, maybe they are numerous cases out there of white policemen taking controversial shots at white men, or black policemen at black men. With the minimal news coverage on these particular cases, it seems that such instances are very possible. It’s just the fact that he was black we automatically make it a racial hate crime. And maybe it was. But maybe it wasn’t. Maybe that policeman, and others alike, are just sickly ready to shoot their guns at someone first chance they get, regardless of their race—even though that is a terrifying thought. Obviously though, everyone naturally assumes, when they can, that it all comes down to white man versus black man.
In responding to the blog Let’s Stay Focused, I believed that a lot of these shootings that occurred by police officers at times are racially motivated. Just use the incident what happen to Amadou Diallo when he had reached into his pocket for his wallet and the officers had killed him. The officer thought that he was reaching for a gun but, in reality that was flat out racist. If that that was a White male in the same situation then, most likely that wouldn’t of happen. Another incident in 1991 to Rodney King and again that was racially motivated of what had happen to him. There are other similar attacks by police officers that have been in occurring in the past and even now. When a White police officer beat or even kills an African American male, at best they the police officer has to resigned from the police department. There should be more serve punishment to police officer and other law enforcement officials who discriminate on African Americans and other minorities. The police officers who commit horrific crimes like these usually get a slap on the risk. This is due to a lot of white people the United States of are still prestigious against African Americans and other minorities groups. The one reason why these incidents such as Oscar Grant III because they are a lot of stereotypes that media put out world about minorities. I believe that some of these racial issues that occurred because, Barack Obama is present and of bigot aren’t happy about that at all. Some of the police officer s at times could possibly abuse their powers to ruin someone careers. In large cities a lot of the police officer doesn’t get treated with respect and that is an issue that should be taking into considerations. Police Officers should not discriminate on a person color, but treat every individual equal. It has being going on for years about police officers racially profile. If an African American male has a Nissan 2005 and a White male and both were driving chances are that the African American male get pulled over. Reason being is that a lot of White police officers could be jealous of the African American males having a nice car and some of the police officers don’t. I believe that law enforcement should respect people but and the same time citizens have to respect the police officers. If some of the police officers would stop discriminating on African Americans and other minorities then, it will be better for everyone. Like another incident that occurred when Adolph Grimes was shot 12 times to his back by a law enforcement official which I believe that it was racially motivated and abusing their powers. That is why a lot of people say that they hate cops is that a lot of the dirty cops make the good ones look bad. Hopefully, someday the racial tension with racism will get better a lot more people can be more open minded about people that are different from you.
I think the average person is oblivious to the amount of hatred that still is out there among people directed towards minorities. I think that ever since the Civil Rights movement the majority of people in the United States feel that racial discrimination and violence directed at people because of their race has almost in a sense been depleted. While on the one hand its good that most people are now more accepting towards the Blacks, Mexicans, and any other racial/ethnic group that’s out there, but on the flip side people need to be aware that there are still a lot of people out there who still carry these hateful vendettas towards people of color. I am a Crime Law and Justice Major and hearing about these shootings is disgusting and I think Sam is right; the only police officers who don’t feel that these incidents are horrific are the ones who carry the same views and beliefs. I am positive that there are more incidents against people of color that don’t get publicized. Why? Well that’s a good question, and a question I don’t really think anyone can answer. As a police officer you are given a certain amount of power. Like any person who is given power, there are those people who will abuse the power that is given to them. We see the most extreme case in the video of the Oakland police officer who without a doubt shot and killed a defenseless man in cold-blood. While I feel that this extreme abuse of power is rare, there are more common abuses of power that are seen in police work. I think that man police officers still teeter on the line of excessive physical force. When a person is caught committing a crime or a cop has to run down a fleeing victim that have the absolute right to do almost anything in order to catch that person and detain them. With that being said, what’s to stop an officer who is chasing a black man, who personally hates all black people, from being more physical and possibly hitting him a few more times then he needed if they were to get into a scuffle. I think that the power given to police officers is the source of the problem when put in the hands of the wrong officer. As far as why we have not heard more about the second killing in New Orleans, I think that’s because the New Orleans PD and the city in general probably have done a lot more to cover it up, and because the scenario was extremely different. On one hand we have clear cut video footage that shows a police officer shooting the victim when he had no need to. In the other case there were no eye witnesses, the victim had a gun on him, and there was a shotgun found in the trunk of his car. The fact that he had a legit license to carry the weapon carried no weight here in the eyes of the PD. They are probably asking why he needed to carry a gun in the first place, and were probably successful in spinning the plot that he carried a gun because he was a crook, or a criminal, or a thug, a stereotype that many young black men are forced to deal with. I think the number of violent acts both verbal and physical that are committed against innocent people are much higher then people are aware and I think it is in part do to the violence and nature of police work. Not all police officers however feel the need to abuse the power and authority given to them. Just as there are good people and bad people there are good cops and bad cops, it’s just hard to tell them apart sometimes because of the stigma that comes with being a police officer.
I mean how can you even begin to explain these statements? While the majority of police officers were appalled by this situation, why is it that we never see black law enforcement agents kill white men like Grant. I mean the majority of the time, we the news only portray “innocent” black men being brutally and unfairly shot to death by white police officers. Is this because there really are very few instances of black officers who shoot white men? While this may be true, I also feel that the whole “oh my goodness what will other people say” attitude comes into play. Because some people feel guilt, if something was said about a black cop shooting a white man then his morals and ideals and whole person would be questioned more so than a white officer’s. But right after those condescending comments were made, they would be just as quickly rescinded for fear of being too racist.
White people never seem to have problems with white on white violence so why do blacks? It is like the thing Sam was saying the other day in class, is it an issue of determinism or free-will? Mostly blacks in the areas that have a high black on black death are choosing to carry guns and for some reason are killing their own people. And if they keep killing eachother does that mean that they are racist against each other? Like what factors or mindset can provide an explanation for this astounding statement? And even outside of a black man’s personal decision to carry a gun (either legally or illegally), what larger factors are at work? Could it be a group think mindset where if one person is doing it, then you do it to? If I knew that everyone around me was carrying a gun, then heck yeah, I would be carrying one too. I wouldn’t want anyone to have an unfair advantage over me.
Police are taught to act rationally in the face of adversity and in whatever states of confusion may arise. They are supposed to stay strong in the line of fire, but what threat did Grant pose to them? That reminds me of something my law professor told me last semester. If you ever get pulled over or approached by a police, don’t move. Even if you didn’t do anything and are simply reaching for your vehicle’s registration in the glove compartment, such actions can be viewed as sudden and shady (Grant reaching in his pocket for his wallet) and thus misinterpreted. Instead, ask for permission before you move and tell him exactly what you plan on doing.
I suppose the reason we have not heard more about the New Orleans killing is because of the Hurricane Katrina situation. Like we feel that if we say anything negative about the horrible things these people went through (and it was and is no doubt horrible), then for some instance that makes us bad people because we never went through what they did.
I think that things like this happen more than people know. This is not to say necessarily police killing people, but there are many ways in which it is easy for police to discriminate against race. One reason this is could also simply be that inner city areas and the more dangerous areas of a city are filled more with minorities. These areas are often also much easier to take advantage of the residents. For example, it may be easier for a cop to rough up a suspect or take advantage of them in other ways that they would not normally do because it is the cops word against someone with poor credibility and these charges would likely be brought up all the time. Even if the person was to try to take this police misconduct up with the authorities, it would probably be discarded, if not for the fact that it probably will not result in anything, then for the fact that the charge would be so miscellaneous that there are much bigger problems to tackle and it would be a waste of time for many people to look into. I am not saying that all cops that patrol in areas such like this try to take advantage of its citizens, but rather that the temptation is there and it is very hard to monitor police misconduct such as this so there are police that will use this to their advantage, either knowingly or not. This reminds me an example from a movie. Now, obviously movies are one of the biggest propaganda tactics and you must take anything that you see in any media for with a grain of salt, especially if it comes out of Hollywood, but I believe it to be a good example. In the movie Training Day, the character played by Denzel Washington is a corrupt narcotics agent that bases most of his work in the inner city. In one scene, he goes up to a house with a fake warrant, which is very illegal to do, and then procedes to show it to the woman living there and takes all the money in the house saying he is looking for something there. Although events such as this might not happen all the time or even to this effect, if something like this does happen in certain areas, what would happen. The police obviously have credibility over the woman so even if she did press charges, nothing would ever happen and she would not see her money again. The most she could have possibly done for vengeance is exactly what she did which was to go outside screaming and hope that someone that heard her would help her get her money back.
I think what this all boils down to is that police will do what they want to do when they think they need to do it. They don’t always think correctly, they don’t always do the right thing – they are still humans after all. These two cases present an extreme end of the spectrum because they both involve what appears to be murder of innocent men. I think it was absolutely wrong for them to shoot either of these men; I would even go so far as to say it is morally wrong when they shoot criminals that “deserve” to be shot. It is no different than when they break the law and violate the rights of citizens on a small scale; such as illegal search and seizure. Im sure that
In the case of a man who is already face down on the ground and appears to be no threat to anybody – well maybe those cops did think he was a danger, but in my mind that doesn’t grant them the right to shoot him. I’m not aware of the statistics on police brutality among various races – maybe there is a higher level among minorities, I’m not sure – but I know that when they make an arrest they don’t do it with care and courtesy. My own white friend was beaten by a circle of police officers at the Phillies parade – he was on the ground with his face in a puddle, and although he was clearly in their control he still continued to be beaten, they were sure that as he lifted his head out of the puddle to breath that he was clearly resisting arrest. He was not shot, thankfully, but the mentality he described of the officers surrounding him would lead me to believe that if they had thought he was a threat that it could possibly have happened. He is innocent of the crime they believe he committed, but it is doubtful he will win that case, and will probably be charged with assaulting an officer.
I feel that police officers are given some leeway in their obedience to the laws they enforce. It must be a stressful job; I would not want it myself – but I don’t feel that the stress and adversity they face is grounds to give them special treatment. I can’t imagine an officer arresting another officer though; just as I can’t imagine the officers in league with the man who fired on Oscar Grant III to testify against him. For that reason I’m unsure what the police chief is claiming is “inconclusive.” He claims to have reviewed both videos, and that he still needs to talk to the officers in his force – did he not see the man being shot? What is inconclusive here? I don’t see how the family could lose the case against the police that Oscar Grant III suffered a wrongful death at their hands. I also don’t see how twenty five million dollars is a fair retribution for a wrongful death – but I guess it would at least be something.
This soooooooo ridiculous. There is no reason AT ALL for that man to have been shot. This is one reason why there is still racism in this country today. This young man was obviously cooperating with the police officers, so why did they shoot him? I bet the police officers present and the one who actually shot him will come up with some bs excuse of why they shot him. And the thing is that the police officers were caught on tape from two different angles, so let’s see how they get out of this one. I mean they might, but if they do, that shows you how corrupted our law enforcement is. It also shows that if you are white with a gun in some areas of this country you can literally get a way with murder. Another thing that rubs me the wrong way is the stereotype all police officers, black and white will acquire from this horrible situation. Most police offers whether they are black or white already have stereotypes in major cities, but this will just add flame to the fire. That really gets to me because I have a family full of cops. My mother and step father are cops and they are great cops. Now they have to be drug further into this stereotype because of these stupid, reckless, irresponsible, gun happy, maniacs. My mother’s partner is white and she is also a great police officer and this here foolishness will also pull her deeper into the stereotype. This is worse than the Rodney king beating. This young man is DEAD, I ask again, for what reason? I fell so sorry for his parents and his family because they had to witness there son and father, and boyfriend die for nothing. For absolutely no reason at all. I don’t know what I would do if that happened to my brother. I think I would honestly want to go out and just start killing white police officers with no remorse. I know that sounds bad but that’s what it would be without any question or hesitation.
It maybe true that a lot of shootings of black and brown people come from people that are black and brown. And the shooting are usually over stupid stuff. This is also not right, but for a white person to kill a black or brown person is looked at to be worse and if the white person is a police officer it’s ten times worse. Don’t ask why, it just is. I personally can’t explain it but I feel the same way. You darn Skippy this officer did not see Mr. Grant as someone like him, such as a nephew or brother. I don’t even think he saw him as human being. It seems as if the police officer thought that Mr. Grant’s life just was not worth living anymore, which in all honesty is not his decision to make. This shooting was not a good way to bring our new half black president into office. It’s pretty much a slap in the face if you ask me.
After watching the news article about the death of Oscar Grant III I found it very upsetting seeing what happened and it makes me wonder why I did not know about this incident before reading this blog entry. Are these types of incidents hidden from the American citizens so that the citizens do not develop a negative opinion about the police force in this country or that the citizens do not lose trust with the police department. Watching the news report it reminds me of the video clips that I would see in history class of the white police officers beating the black civil rights protestors. This was a time when the police officers could be classified as white supremacists and would arrest citizens or drawl their gun on blacks just because they did not like them. In this video clip it looks like Grant did nothing that would make this police officer drawl his gun. I mean I thought police brutality was behind us and the role of every police officer in the United States was to protect every American citizen. However, in the defense of the police officer the video clip that was shown does not have sound which would provide the dialogue between the police officer and grant and in addition the viewer does not see all the angles to see if Grant really tired to reach for a gun. If Grant did try to reach for his gun the police officer was just trying to protect himself from being placed into a dangerous situation that may have caused him his life.
I find it really hard to think that the real reason that this police officer killed Grant is not because the officer was involved in an underground white supremacist organization. I feel this way because my brother is a state police officer and he and his fellow co-workers take their jobs very serious and know that they duty is to help out all citizens and they would never commit an act, such as drawling their gun, that would make them lose their job because of a prejudiced that they may have against a certain race or ethnic group. I know that there is still racism that occurs in our country and that is evident from the article that reported the enrollment in white supremacist groups have increased since Barack Obama has become president, but I want to believe that when an officer finishes the academy and takes the oath that they will protect every citizens and take a persons skin color into consideration. I am not sure what the outcomes were from this event but I want to believe that this incident was not an episode of hate against blacks but this occurred because the police officer was watching out for his own personal safety.
I don’t know what to say about these shootings aside from the obvious. It’s awful, and hard to believe that there are people out there like that who would take a person’s life without a second thought in the moment. That being said, it is hard to believe that someone would do that. Maybe there was more than what was posted in these videos. Maybe the police were shot at before they shot in the second situation. Maybe there are some circumstances that we don’t know about. For instance, what did the victims do in the first place that made the police stop them? That wasn’t addressed in either video. It is awful for anyone to die, and in my personal opinion, guns in general should be under way tighter control. Here is what upsets me though. I am so tired of hearing one sided stories. It’s so frustrating that I don’t even trust the news because I don’t know whose side of the story that is. If these officers did cold bloodedly murder this guy, then that is upsetting, disturbing, and offensive to just about anybody, including just about every white person who sees it. Those who don’t react that way are a select few, and those who would commit that crime are even fewer.
I’m also fed up with people acting like since rare cases like this show up, that most white people are like this, or that most white people are racist in general. Black people shoot random innocent white people too. It’s both sides. It’s just as racist for a black person to assume that because I’m white, I must be prejudice against a black person. Like it was posted in the blog, unless they are underground scum white supremacists group members, most police officers, black or white, think that these deaths were awful things.
I can’t say that I have a solution to this. Shootings like this happen because hate started on a small scale, and was fostered and accepted even through little things like racist jokes. I think that racism is a problem and that in some cases, blacks are undoubtedly cold bloodedly murdered with no defensive pretense on the cops’ parts. The only way that I feel I can make a difference is to judge people for their actions, not their skin, which is the mindset instilled in me since I was little. I think to fix these bigger problems like shootings, mindsets need to be altered with little problems like racist jokes. I think if there is any contribution that I can make, it’s to let people know that it’s offensive if they even joke about other cultures or races. These police shootings are upsetting cases, and there are a lot of emotions that run through my head. The violence and racism makes me sick on white supremacist’s parts, but the assumption that it’s just the white man’s fault (especially when not all information is presented) also is just plain discouraging. Everyone needs to take a step back and analyze themselves and how they think and act towards others before they start pointing at someone else. If those officers shot those men without due cause, I hope they are punished severely.
I feel terrible for Oscar Grant, his family and his friends. A death of someone close is NEVER easy and the fact that a family lost a father is sad enough. But, not only did this man die, but it seems that there was no reason for this man to die. I don’t see, by looking at the video provided, any reason for a firearm to be taken out, let alone, used. So, I would be really interested in knowing WHY this police officer thought using his gun was necessary. I also understand that being a police officer is hard work. Everyday, I am sure they are asked to make decisions that the common person would never be asked to make. I think it is very true that people hate police officers until they need them, but is that our fault? No, I don’t think so, but I also don’t think all the people that say they hate police officers actually do. They might have had something bad happen to them, but ultimately it was that person’s fault that they got in trouble with the police officer. That is hard to admit, but we know deep down that the cops aren’t out to get us- us meaning white people, right? But, are they out to get black people? I am SURE there are cops out there that look twice when they see a black man with a big coat in a store, opposed to a white man. The cops that are white supremacists and belong in organizations are disgusting. They made a promise to serve and protect everyone as equals, and they are going against a HUGE code and a HUGE promise they made, which I believe is equally as bad as practicing this supremacy. Something else I find interesting is that the majority of murders of young colored men are committed by other young colored men. The disregard of another person’s life is so sad and something that needs to change and the sad part is, that a person’s opinion may not change until someone close to them is killed. It is also sad that this killing had to happen right after President Obama was inaugurated because I am sure that it is going to shed an even worse light on the police officer involved. Did he shoot Oscar because he is a true-blooded racist, because he was scared for his life, or because he was mad Obama was elected president? I think all of these are possible, but I really hope it was because he was scared. I hope he wanted to go home to his family one more day instead of selfishly killing a man that had the same option.
After reading the blog and watching the video about Oscar Grant III, it’s hard to be anything but surprised. Although there is a lot of animosity towards police officers, especially in the minority communities, I think this case is obviously extreme. This is not to say that things like this do not happen ever, but I can’t help but wonder if this case would have been as big of a deal if the victim had been a white man. Police officers are taught to protect themselves and although this officer seemed as though he was not in danger, it is hard to understand how he felt in the heat of the moment. However, this should not excuse his behavior. Police officers are trained to use the appropriate force to defend themselves and killing a man who was already on the ground and under control is absolutely not appropriate force.
Police brutality is always an issue and should be something police should be trained to deal with. One could always argue that race has nothing to do with these occurrences; I would be hard pressed to find an example of a white police officer killing a white man he was detaining. Since many of these murders seem to happen in the inner city areas with high levels of minority residents, it seems almost obvious that these issues must have something to do with race. This, however, does not mean that all police officers are racist. These issues seem to be few and far between (although that could also be due to the lack of media attention they receive) showing that not all police officers have an issue with members of minority groups. Personal feelings of racism, whether wrong or right, should not be brought into the job. This goes with other professions as well. Being a police officer includes representing justice and the law and choosing this profession means an individual needs to represent not only the law but all of the American justice system.
A lot of police brutality takes place but does not make the news. For instance, without reading this blog and watching the two videos, I would not know any other examples of police brutality except for the Rodney King incidence. This seems odd because any time a police officer is killed by a “criminal,” the story is all over the media. Regardless of the situation, you would expect that these two murderous situations would receive the same amount of media attention, regardless of race. However that is often not the fact, displaying the fact that racism is deeply institutionalized in American culture. This is part of the problem when analyzing why it can be so difficult for minorities to rise out of their lower status.
The video showing the “murder” of Oscar Grant III by a white police officer is one that not only is disturbing in nature, but it is just one example that racism is still very much a part of society today. In this video, a black man is shown lying on the ground as a white officer pulls out a gun and shoots him, for apparently no reason at all. The video provides no such evidence that the black man was reaching for a weapon, or even posing a threat to the officers, and pedestrians, that were standing around. Yet, it is apparent and appropriate to say that this man was killed for no good reason, and quite possibly because he was a black man, and the shooter a white cop. Stories like this one, I find, are extremely common in today’s world; sure, it may be less frequent than say, fifty years ago, but, nonetheless, it still exists.
The bigger issue, in my mind, is not the fact that here we have a white man killing a black man, but rather that that white man was a police officer, a man that we call on to protect us and rid society of the criminals – and, yet, here he is as the criminal. From this video, one can make the assumption that racism played a substantial, if not complete, role in this gross murder. Furthermore, how can we say that we live in an equal society that denounces racism, when, in fact, those working to uphold this way of life are, indeed, racists?
In a case like this one, the entire police force is oftentimes frowned upon and criticized – even though they are obviously not all to blame for one man’s apparent racist feeling towards blacks. Saying that the “police are racists” is extremely inappropriate and completely false.
Now I would like to another type of story of a police shooting that usually comes into public view. That is the one involving a black suspect that is gunned down by police (usually white) after it was believed by the police that the suspect was reaching for a weapon or posing as a direct threat to the cops or innocent bystanders. In cases such as this, the shooting is oftentimes reported by the media and the black community tends to interpret this as a hate-crime by the cops to gun down a black man, based solely on race. However, we are often quick to make interpretations of this, and instead of looking at the racial implications that a case like this has, we should look at the details of the situation. If it was determined that the suspect was a threat and reached for a gun, we cannot say that this shooting was wrong, and a result of racist feelings by the cops. If the cop had been black, the idea of race would never be a factor; but, on the other hand, if it was a black cop, would a case like this even be taken seriously by the media and shown on the news and in the newspapers? Probably not. From what I usually see in the media as far as inappropriate police shootings of suspects, it usually involves two parties of different race (i.e. white cop, black suspect), but we cannot assume that is always the case.
I hate violence, I hate fights, and I can’t even watch UFC fighting because I just don’t like watching that sort of entertainment. So to watch this video of the killing of Oscar Grant just makes my stomach turn. We all hear the stories of gangs having shoot outs or a drug bust gone bad, when the shooters are people committing the crimes or starting the fights. It only rarely comes to the media’s attention when a police officer, the men who are supposed to be protecting the streets and stopping the violence actually commit it. You have to look at this situation two ways I guess. One in the BART police officers position. It’s about two in the morning on New Year’s, a bunch of drunk people are starting a fight and you have to throw yourself into the fight to tear it apart. The man you have detained is resisting arrest so you have to use force to control him. Now I don’t know if this is true but I have heard that police officers are supposed to use one force higher than what the delinquent is using. For example if he is using a knife the officers use a gun. So when Oscar Grant was resisting arrest the officer thought to use more force, not thinking twice just controlling the situation like he was taught and trained to do. Now on the other hand the officer thought that Grant was “reaching for a gun” when in actuality Grant was unarmed. The officer was misinformed and used the wrong type of force. That the officer should have had more control of his actions. The officers’ argument was that he wanted to go for his taser rather than his gun, and maybe that was what he wanted to do, but that’s not what happened and he should take responsibility for his wrong actions. I think that this is why so many people don’t like the law, because if the BART officer gets off on all charges it will cause some to think the only reason he got off was because of his status or position in society or even the color of his skin. The second video about the man being shot a ridiculous amount of times seems like there is more to the story that the police haven’t told. A person doesn’t just get shot that many times without doing something first and even if he did shoot once first getting hit 14 times and being shot at 48 times just seems outrageous!! In order for the police to earn respect they need to be honest in times where they make mistakes. I know police officers are in our society to control situations and reinforce the law when needed. I know that they are trained to use a gun and when and how to react to certain situations, but if anyone is being shot at they’re not going to just sit there, they’re going to shoot back if they have a gun in their hand, their emotions are unfortunately going to take part in the event. It’s just sad that in some cases officers react wrongly resulting in death.
When watching both videos I felt it was odd that they were both on New Year’s Eve. I am very confused as to why both men were shot, especially multiple times. I guess however this is just another show of prejudice in our country. I am from outside of Pittsburgh, so when I watch the news I always see stories about shooting. On average there about 3 or 4 shoots on the news each time I watch it. I do think it was ridiculous the number of the time the man was shot in New Orleans. 14 times is very excessive. The report stated there were 48 shots fired during the incidence. I also think it is not right that the family has no idea what happened that night. I do think it was interesting that the (I believe he was called) superintendent was black. That could prove this was not a racial motivated “murder”. The one man in the video said cops are trained to shoot when a gun is drawn and also to shoot more than once. I guess 14 times is more than once. Especially 12 times in the back is just ridiculous. The first video with the name in what I believe is a subway, was every extreme. However I do not know the circumstances of the incidence. From the video it seems the man was just sitting/laying down and the cop came over made him get on the knees then forced him on the floor and shot him. I wish there was a news article or video that told us what happened. I find it hard to judge the incidence without it. Sam wrote in the blog that “the claim that is made by so many people of color, especially black people -- that police regularly mistreat people of color and sometimes kill people in cold blood (and then receive immunity for their actions)” . He did not mention anything about these police officers being white or not. In the first video they clearly are but the second one does not show. I personally believe police do need some immunity. Sometimes they are in situations where killing/hurting someone is necessary, but I feel this can go too far. When does the line of self defense just become murder or assault? I think this is something which is hard to understand unless you are a cop. I don’t know what it is like to have to be out on the streets of the bad neighborhoods of Pittsburgh at night. I try to avoid them as much as possible. It is also hard to determine what someone is going to do. They might be reaching for their wallet or a gun you truly don’t know. Sam also points out the vast majority of murders of young black men in the United States are committed by other young black men not the police. I feel that these killings to reporters aren’t as news worthy as a cop killing a young black man, which is why we might feel as all these cops are just out there killing, when this is not the case.
My first thought on the subject is that I think sometimes we forget that police officers are real. They are real people who grew up just like the rest of us. They have families and lives outside of the police force and have had experiences similar to those that we are accustomed to. I think that many times, myself included, people tend to see police officers as more than human, or at least above the law. These murders that were committed by police officers prove that police corruption is real and not just fodder for action movies.
In the first video, the anchor makes note that the video of the shooting was taken on a camera phone by a random passerby on the train. The new technology of today makes it easier for the public to share events with each other, and not just wait until the news is broadcast at 5 o’clock in the evening. Without the event being recorded by witnesses, who knows if even these crimes would be captured by the news media. When Rodney King was brutally beaten by LAPD police in 1991, it was captured on video by a bystander. When incidents like these happen, we tend to be more invested if there is photographic evidence that we can relate to, to prove that it happened. When no one is there to prove it happened, in some cases, it can mean that it never happened at all. I believe this is the reason that we aren’t exposed to police misconduct, whether it is racially motivated or not. The second video, which details the killing of Adolph Grimes, was not captured on film. The crime was possibly worse than the killing in Oakland, yet we haven’t heard about it, because there isn’t photographic evidence.
How often does police brutality occur? I don’t think we will ever know. When there isn’t evidence and there aren’t people complaining and protesting, who knows how often events like the two profiled in the blog happen. We don’t know if these crimes were racially motivated, but I think even if they were, the officers will get off easy. The police in this country sit up high on a pedestal and when you try to bridge the gap between them and ordinary citizens, things can get messy. Because they are supposed to take care of us and because we are supposed to trust them, it is hard to imagine that they are not as perfect as we think they are.
I don’t know exactly what I am trying to say here. I do know however, that I think these crimes were racially motivated and if the men were white the officers probably would not have taken it to the level that they took it. I also think that in the end, the officers will come out shining with nothing but a slap on the wrist.
Obviously something went very wrong in the shooting of Oscar Grant III, but as with everything, there’s always three sides to the story, in this case there’s the side from Grant’s perspective, the officer’s perspective, and as with everything, the truth lies somewhere in between.
We don’t know what was being said or done, yes there is video evidence, but obviously it’s not like it’s in high def or anything, the video is very grainy so we don’t know the extent to which the “struggle” escalated, therefore it’s not easy to throw the officer under the bus from the get go. Did he over step his boundaries and wrongfully kill someone? Probably, but no one, except the officer himself can say for sure.
I am friends with some cops, as much as it pisses me off sometimes to admit that, haha, but given the fact that this was a white cop in the middle of Oakland makes his job even more difficult. If you get a chance to watch the other video, which has since been released (warning, even more graphic than the first, including the gunshot audio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNWw0jTMPy4) you can hear that everyone in that train station is yell “What the fuck? Let him go.” I’m sure a fair share of “Fucking Pigs,” and other lovely cat calls were being shouted as well. He was in a hostile situation and obviously probably felt threatened before Grant started resisting on the ground, for all we know, maybe he saw what looked like a gun in Grant’s pocket. Also, and recent stories have come out that may support this, there is a chance that the officer was reaching for his taser and instead pulled his gun (before you start to yell that tasers and guns look nothing alike, check this link http://www.spycentre.com/images/Air_Taser_Gun_Style.jpg). So there’s a chance the officer made a mistake when reaching for his taser. That said, it does not mean the officer should go away scot free. If it is found that this was, by police standards, and unwarranted killing, he should go to trial and be punished to the full extent of the law. Even if it was due to negligence he should still be punished because police officers should be held to a higher standard, especially when they are trust with deadly weapons with the intention of protecting our society.
In terms of the black/white issue, I think it would still be a pretty large national issue had it been a white cop shooting a white man. Regardless of race/ethnicity, a police officer shot a man in the middle of a crowded train station with hundreds of people watching. Had this happened in a back alley, it wouldn’t even be an issue, which is unfortunately, but the way it goes.
If an investigation and/or court of law rules the officer had no just cause in killing Grant, then he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, but just because there’s video of the killing doesn’t mean the case is closed, cut and dry. It’s far more complicated than that, and as always, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of the two extremes.
The killing of Oscar Grant III is of course unfortunate but I do not believe it was an act of racism. It is not surprising to learn that there are many crimes, maybe murders that police commit and the rest of society do not hear about it unless we are directly affected. One may propose that many police crimes occur because of racism or prejudice but I do not believe this is the case. Although this is not an excuse for committing a crime, especially a murder, one must consider the dangers of being a police officer in dangerous neighborhoods. Those police officers may be frightened and paranoid about some of the issues that they need to face. Therefore, like the officer that killed Amadou Diallo, one can think they are in danger when in reality they are not. This is still not a reason for murder, but it is interesting to think about what you would do if you were in a police officer’s position when an incident like that occurs. In addition, it is important to keep in mind that police officers are not racist and that should not be used against them. Just because of one’s skin color, it does not mean that a police officer is more likely to kill them. I do believe, though, that if the person that was committing the crime somehow was able to relate to the police officer that they have a less likely chance to be shot at. If they were relatable to the police officer, the police officer would be able to compare them to a family member or friend and would not likely shoot or harm them because he would think about them more as a person or human being. It is a wonder why the rest of society does not hear about the rest of the cases about violence police commit. I do not believe many cases are made public because law enforcement and government do not want to portray a negative reputation for police. Police are meant to protect us, not harm us, so when they make a mistake and murder someone it is almost brushed under the carpet in an effort to protect all police officers reputations. I do not believe that these cases should not be shared with the rest of society. Whenever a murder happens, it is almost always publicized, so why should it be any different if it is committed by a police officer? They are people too, and it is unfortunate when they harm innocent people. Therefore, people should not be fooled and believe that police officers are inhuman and do not commit crimes against innocent people, but also keep in mind that when these unfortunate incidents occur that they are not out of an act of prejudice.
The killing of Oscar Grant III is another example which we see too often of police abusing their power, and being backed up by “the law”. Granted, Mr. Grant may not have been cooperating with officers and resisting arrest, but was it necessary to shoot him 12 times? From the looks of the video he was practically executed by the officers. The man was on him knees, already in handcuffs. At this point he was probably secure, and there were multiple officers around him. The police who committed this murder were probably placed on “administrative leave” for a while, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they walked away with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.
The other video about the young man in New Orleans who was shot and killed in his car by police officers during a drug bust was also suspicious, but in this video they never mentioned anything about the man NOT being involved in the actions which the police were trying to bust. And also he had a pistol in the car and a shotgun in the trunk. Unless you are planning to participate in some illicit activity, you would not normally drive around with these types of weapons in your car for no reason. I was a little more suspicious about this story. However, it says the police shot him 14 times, several times in the back. I think after the first shot or two, he should be subdued, and if the police are shooting at him and can’t hit their target, they need to be sent back for some more training with their weapon because at that point they are just as deadly as a criminal if they can’t hit their intended target.
These incidents of police brutality are not the first time these types of actions have been publicized in the news, and I’m sure they will not be the last either. A decade ago the Rodney King story was all over the news, and it got a lot more press that this story has gotten. These stories should make police departments around the country aware that racist actions will not go unnoticed. As the blog says, these are not isolated incidents, and I’m sure similar situations around the country have occurred. If a person is a racist, and they want to take their anger and emotions out on the people they are biased against, becoming a police officer would allow this person do to this to an extent and get away with it. We all know or have heard of situations of racism, even if it is subtle, being committed by police. I have heard from various black acquaintances that they have been pulled over for no reason, not speeding, no lights out or anything and then the police officer gives them a warning or a ticket for a bogus reason. It was obvious the officer simply wanted to stop them because he/ she thought because the person was black they should be harassed.
Unfortunately racism in the police forces is hard to detect because officers are granted some sort of immunity because they are “upholding the law”. If the media makes a conscious effort to show more of the racist incidents that occur by police perhaps the public will become more aware of the circumstances and will begin to push for more to be done to stop these types of officers from being on the street.
Growing up in a community with that is evenly populated by black and white people, but is also split between a black side of town and a white side of town, I can attest first hand of the racist attitude of a majority of community police officers. My community is in no sense a small town where “everyone knows everyone” but it is in essence a place where most people are born, raised, married and then beginning raising their own family. Almost all of the local police reside in the community, grew up there and went to school there, so the racist attitude which everyone knows exists has always somewhat surprised me. I’ve always felt that our town’s black community was a part of our community, mainly and almost stereotypically because of sports. The same kids who these officers are cheering for Friday night under the lights, they’re pulling over just for “being black on Saturday night”. I imagine the response from one of these officers of the law when asked about their racist behavior would be somewhere along the lines of, “The black community has a history of attracting trouble, and we are just trying to protect our own”. This is an outrageous statement to make because even if the color of our skin is difference we are all part of the same general community, one which we all black and white wish to feel safe in.
This summer two kids I grew up with graduated from the police academy and received jobs from a neighboring town with an extremely similar social make up to that of the community the three of us grew up in. When talking with one of these police officers about his new job the topic of race came up. He told me on the first day of the job he was told by veteran officers to simply pull over a vehicle driven by a minority and issue a ticket, the thought process being if some continues to receive tickets in a particular town, they will find a new route to travel. I asked him what traffic violation he could just pull them over for and he told me “there is no specific requirement stating how far a vehicle should be from another car”, so the traffic violation of choice: tailgating.
I’m sure this type of racist attitudes by authority figures is prevalent in towns across the United States. I believe a resolution to this problem would be for more black men to enter the police. It’s not a difficult task to completely and basically only requires a high school degree to gain enter to the academy. If police forces started to become more integrated it would drastically diminish the us versus them personae.
I am kind of embarrassed to admit that I did not hear about either of these two killings. After I read the blog I decided to look up articles about Oscar Grant’s shooting and was very surprised by what I found. An article in the The Huffington Post reported that, “[Bay Area Rapid Transit] spokesman Jim Allison has said the officer's gun went off while police were trying to restrain Grant.” The New York Times, in an article one day following the shooting, said that, “The officer who fired the shot thought he was using a taser rather than a handgun.” An article also in The New York Times reported the next day that Mr. Mehserle’s lawyer, Christopher Miller said, “’I fully expect Mr. Mehserle will be cleared of the charges against him.’”
All of these details add to the confusion that surrounds this shooting. But I do not believe this case is so hard to figure out. Outside of Sam’s six statements, I believe we need to put our blinders on to all other factors and face the situation like it is: an unjustifiable killing. Once you start including things like economic background and race you begin to make excuses for both sides of this ordeal. It is easy to sympathize with the Oakland police officer if you think, “This is some young, black thug, coming from a bad neighborhood trying to disrupt peace using violence.” The same thing goes for Oscar Grant. When you start playing “Racist white cop” card it is easy to think all white cops are out to get black men. This categorization of both groups is very dangerous, and is why I think so much violent protest erupted in the days following the shooting. While I can absolutely see why people were upset, I fully support Oscar’s family for begging the violence to stop. Violence like that only helps to further racist assumptions about both groups of people. Here is a family that is mourning the shooting of their son, and even more violence is erupting all around them.
The only solution to this kind of problem is to keep communication, honesty, and justice open on both sides. This lack of communication is what frustrates so many people when it comes to police/civilian violence. I fully understand why Adolph Grimes’ family would be so upset about the lack of information surrounding his shooting. It is one thing to be shot in the heat of a neighborhood battle, and a completely different situation when you are shot 14 times in the back for no apparent reason. When one party is left with no details and a lack of understanding it seems reasonable they would become angry and upset. An open, honest relationship is needed for both sides, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may seem.
The problem I have with these police shootings is that the situation is so complex. It extends so far beyond racism and delves into deeper psychological issues. For example the statistics that we saw today in class indicate that African-Americans have a higher crime rate than white people. Say a police officer has been on the force for 15 or 20 years, he would have arrested many people but I think it is safe to say that a majority of the people he arrests tend to be black. So by the laws of nature he is already preparing himself in the back of his mind for a violent reaction. What he did is not acceptable and not excusable. However, it is a reaction he had based off of tensions he has coming into the experience. It is sad that things happen this way, but they often do.
The other point I want bring up is that police are taught that when they shoot they only shoot to kill. So once they start shooting, they are not taught to disable the suspect they are supposed to shot vital points of the body to kill. And the only reason I am saying this is for examples like the Grant shooting, if the officer felt threatened for some reason if he shoots at all it would be to kill. In the Grimes shooting there are many suspicious things that are going on that do not add up. I just feel like 48 shots fired is way overdoing it. Once a victim is down I think firing should cease. Since there are no detail being released other than the suspect had a gun in his possession and fired at police first I cannot make any judgments.
This is such a sticky situation because the police are there to protect us and keep us safe and keep crime off the streets or at least do there best to minimize it. But when you see and hear stories like this it really makes you question your own safety. The only reason I can think of why many of these incidents go unreported is that people to not want to be responsible for a panic. It would be an even worse situation if civilians lost trust in police. What would happen then? Things could get even more violent. It leaves people wondering why and how could this happen. It’s a confusing situation and do not think anyone can really understand why or how it could happen until you experience what a police officer goes through on a daily basis. I am not justifying what happened, I think it is sick. I think that it has been an issue in the past and will remain a mystery of human nature for some time to come.
Simply unacceptable. People who go to the academy to become a trained law enforcement officer known what they are getting themselves in to. The job of an officer is to rid crime and protect the community. There is no question that a lot of stress and issues come about when talking about policing. But this is the quality that makes police officers so special. They have the ability to handle the extraordinary amount of stress that policing has. Police brutality is caused by the negative scenarios each shift that one may encounter. The officers who have difficult times handling these situations are same exact ones who you see on the 11 o’clock news. He lost control and ruined many peoples lives. No matter if the African American child said something or if he was threatening the officer. A man held down on his belly can do practically no harm to others. A gun shot to the back for what? Why would he shoot? The officer can give any number of bullshit excuses, but not one should stand up for his actions.
Behind all of the excuses given by the officer, do you think in the back of the head that he was black so it was a different situation? Maybe the officer has been in several encounters with African Americans and none have been positive. So the only way to think about this man is in a negative manner. The officer must think this black man is causing trouble and will do no good for society. Simply cause he is black. But if for a second, the officer looked to his right and saw a baby and a wife and family and saw that the black man has a social life just like the officer, would that have changed the situation?
When a white cop approaches a black male, automatically running through his head is the idea to take extra precaution. That is how they are taught and how society teaches them. Forget the idea that he is a cop. White males are taught while growing up that black males have potential to do serious harm. It is wrong absolutely.
Here is the difficult park to decide. There are 2 options in my opinion that were going through the officers head. First, the stress and situations that the officer must go through every day may get him fed up and frustrated that eventually the build up inside his body will explode. It just so happens the innocent black man was not the lucky one. The second possibility was that the officer took extra extra extra extra precaution because the man was black and him being black gave him a reason to shoot him. He didn’t know what the “black” man was capable of.
Stories like these two are definitely no shock to me. Growing up in the middle of West Philadelphia (which has some of the HIGHEST rates of murders in the US) has forced me to not be surprised to see police officers killing young men in cold blood. However, it seems that both videos the young men were not doing anything out of the ordinary…one may have been hanging with friends, possibly being a little too loud, and the other was supposedly waiting in the car for a friend. So why did the police officers fire the guns and kill these men? If one were to say that the cops may have been a little crazy and that it was just a “coincidence” that the two men shown in these videos were minorities I would say that is a bunch of crap. How many times have you heard of a woman or even a white person being shot “accidently” by police? It is usually minority males. If the cop was “crazy” and just lost it then why does he do it on minorities and more than likely not white people? I think it is obvious that there is an issue of racism. Many, not all, cops do not view black, brown, or Hispanic people as they view other white people. Many cops seem to look at minorities as though they are supposed to commit crimes, and they expect them to open fire, sometimes before the victim even tries to open fire.
There are many reasons why black, brown, and Hispanic people do not like policemen and it is these kinds of events. Many minorities have family members or friends that have either been mistreated by police or even killed or hospitalized by police. I know that I have a family friend who was knocked off a three story building by a police officer. He was holding on the edge for dear life (obviously not threatening to the officers) and the cop stepped on his hands forcing him to let go and fall. The guy did not die but he was a vegetable for months and has just recently gained for movement in his body. However, his life has changed forever because he cannot speak or talk correctly after suffering such injury to his spine. His family has a lawsuit against the officers but who knows what will actually happen. How many white families can really say that someone in their family or a family friend has been severely injured or murdered by the police? Not many, which is why white people may have a more positive outlook on police and why minorities see them as “Legal, Law-Enforcing Thugs.”
Many cops do not view minorities as they would white people. Some of them cannot relate a 20 year old black male to their 20 year old white son. This therefore allows some of them to regularly mistreat young black males at the excuse that they are on a lower level.
Honestly, if racism did not exist would we really have as many cops killing minorities who were not threatening them? My answer is NO.
I really can not believe that this kind of thing happened in America, and the fact that I didn’t hear about until now shocks me even more. There is clearly something we are missing here. Why was this story not headline news around the country? Does it possibly relate to what we discussed in class today? The idea that we are used to seeing black people arrested and battered around by cops. Are people not shocked by this atrocity because the cop was white and the suspect was black? I do not know the answers to these questions, but they are interesting questions to raise. I do not think any one of the comments made by Sam make this ordeal any easier to swallow, but they do need to be taken into consideration. I understand it was a heated situation, but this is still cold blooded murder. The worst thing about this, and this ordeal not getting more media attention is all the other things that we are probably missing out on. Cameras are rarely out there in the streets capturing the way people treat others. We really don’t know what is happening out there, even if we thing we do. I’m sure this isn’t even the worst thing that has happened. I certainly did not know about this instance and can only imagine how many other acts are slipping by without the necessary media attention. I am curious if the lack of coverage stems from a fear of backlash, like the Rodney King incident of the early ‘90s. I think that is a crap excuse, but think it may influence the decision not to show more of these acts more often. Maybe they are trying to get us to believe that racism is over and we are all loving friends with everyone else. The reality is that’s not the case and this Oakland cop killing an innocent black man is proof of just that. I believe exposing this racism is good thing. It shows people that racism isn’t dead and there is still a lot of work to be done to unite everyone in our country. While it could spark anger for the black community, I think it is important to publicize events like this. I would also be curious to find out how much media attention this would have received if the cop had been black and the suspect been a white man. Would this have made headlines around the country then? Would there be a fear of white people starting a riot and going after the cop or is that something our society can only imagine a black person doing? I think there would be a lot more media coverage of the event without anyone even considering that outrageous behavior, and I think that’s really unfair. Somehow we need to remove these stereotypes and I think one way of doing that is by exposing these horrific events that show how unfairly we as whites still treat others.
Taken at face value, I think all anyone can say is, “What the hell?” From what we can see, and that is the key phrase here, there appears to be no immediate threat from the detainee. He is lying face down with a couple police officers surrounding him presumably each doing his part to hold the man down. The real question is then, what provoked the officer to respond in such a manner? What provoked him to pull out his gun and shoot the man lying on the ground who was seemingly helpless. Until we’re presented with the audio and a clearer depiction (preferably unbiased) or account of what happened, we most likely won’t have the full story.
In the larger picture though, is this police officer’s actions representative of the general public of police officers or is this just an isolated case that could have happened anywhere in America. This then stirs memories of police brutality in the past to blacks. To understand the situation though, I think we have to take a step back and look at the larger picture. I feel as though police officers are held to much higher standards because of their position. Anyone really in the realm of enforcing rules or laws is held to a higher standard. I can make the case that even within my own fraternity myself and my executive board, we are held to a higher standard in that we can say, “Don’t do this or don’t do that,” but immediately once we screw up and do something we say not to do then the entire chapter is all over our backs. This can be seen in common society when police officers, or elected officials even, screw up the media are the first ones to jump all over it. Not that these individuals were not in the wrong and didn’t make mistakes, because they certainly did, and big ones, but the media has a certain way of twisting things into far worse than they truly are as if in attempts to cause a frenzy in the masses of people. A lot of the time this media sensationalization of a situation much before the facts are even fully determined can lead to awful wrong conclusions. This is one of the many reasons I decided to switch out of journalism.
Interestingly enough along the same lines of police shooting first and asking questions second was the story of Zeta Psi’s dog that was killed by an off duty police officer who shot him three times. Of course this comes down to the ever classic situation of “his story versus mine” according to the gentleman who was walking Bruce at the time. While it is important that our cops are upstanding citizens at the same time we need need to make sure that we hold them to the same standards that we hold ourselves to and realize that they are humans too.
The blog Let’s Stay Focused reminded me of the harsh realities that Black people have to face in America from day to day, including the unfair treatment from law enforcement. The unnecessary death of Oscar Grant III and the mysterious death of Adolf Grimes allowed me to reflect back on the notorious beating of Rodney King and the death of Queens native, Sean Bell. While it is not necessarily fair to say that law enforcement “has it out” for minorities, the hateful actions that police have taken against people of color simply because of the color of their skin is an unfortunate trend.
When I hear about police brutality, it often makes me sad. When a person is younger, they are often taught that the police are good people, who are there to help in a time of need. Many kids have aspirations of being a police officer because they are often glamorized in a positive light. As you grow older, you start realize that life is not all rainbows and sunshine, and that not all police officers are superheroes. It is unfortunate that some people do not have the best character or the best interest at heart for all people; regardless of race, gender, and so forth. However, it is even worse when these types of people take such eminent roles in society. Law enforcement is a very important and high powered field. Police officers have lots of authority over the common citizen. When a person is commanded by an officer to step out of the car, or put their hands behind their back, they must obey. Failure to obey puts a person at risk of being “put into check” through force. It is understandable that there needs to be some type of hierarchy over society as a monitoring tool; however, when does it become acceptable for law enforcement to be above the law themselves?
In the cases of the gentlemen mentioned in the article, it seemed that the police officers took advantage of their position and rights. For 22 year old Adolph Grimes, it is both unfortunate and frustrating because there seems to be little-to-no clarity on the reason of his death. Regardless of who shot first, there was no reason that 42 shots should be fired at any individual, especially when that person was hit twelve times in the back. Once the police realized that Grimes was on the ground and defenseless, there should have been no more reason for them to shoot at him. I simply do not understand why police shoot people down multiple times, it makes me question their incentive. The purpose of officers being equipped with a gun is for protection. Shooting at a man or a group of people fifty times, like in the tragic case of Sean Bell, is just unnecessary and downright inhumane. When watching the video of Oscar Grant III, it was very disturbing to watch the police continue to force him down and shoot him, when clearly he was not putting up much of a fight. I feel like the retort of saying that these officers react in self-defense is absurd especially when it leads to murder. It is not okay for people to be treated this way, and hopefully there will be a decrease in injustice in America.
When my friend first told me about this story I instantly went to YouTube to watch the footage. I could not believe it. I was appalled. What is the world coming to? Or did the world ever change? First Rodney King, then Sean Bell, now Oscar Grant. This is why many minorities do not have faith or respect for the Cops now. This “IS” clearly an open shut case so what is the problem. I just do not understand the law. This cop clearly shot this man dead after he was totally subdued. Now, I know a lot of blacks are looking at this as a racial issue. I did at first, but I am going to change my perspective and just look at as a Cop slaying another innocent young man. If he was White, Latino, Indian, or African, it would still be wrong. But I do not want to not look at the facts. The cop was white, and the victim was black. When do you ever see police brutality directed towards Whites? When was the last time you seen in the news a Cop killing a white man, after he was completely subdued? I highly doubt that it was recent. I thought we left the entire Cop on Blacks crime back in the 60’s; I guess not. But I will forget about the race issue as you have asked me too.
In response to the second question out of the six that you have asked, I feel that violence among black and brown men is irrelevant to this situation. I just lost a friend of mine February 9th, 2009 to the hands of another young man. I live in Philly, the cities with the one of the highest murder rates in the United States, so I do believe that black on black violence has to stop. Well, violence period needs to stop. I feel like this statement is basically saying, “Well, I know I got caught selling weed, but my brother does it too.” It seems as if this statement is trying to place the blame on something else, not to justify this action, but to sort of justify this action.
I could care less if the officer seen Mr. Grant as one of his people or not! Killing someone because they are different is cowardly and un-called for. I know that if someone is not personally attached to someone, they tend to feel different about their feelings or well-being, but that does not give a person a reason to kill. The Officer probably was not threatened in any way, but I am more than sure that that will be his defense. Mr. Grant was subdued, and if I was a lawyer, I would eat this case up.
Answer to #4: If you cannot take the heat the hell out the kitchen. Maybe if Cops treated the people they are supposed to protect and serve with some decency and respect, maybe people would not hate them so much.
It is amazing what police officers get away with. They think that they are above the law because they have a corny badge and flashlight. The fact of the matter is police officers have always been this brutal. Back when “inequality” plagued the United States, I am sure that police brutality was at its worst. Moreover, their harsh tactics and abuse of black people was never really brought to our attention until hip hop emerged. Even today, where we have a half black president, inequality and racial profiling is still very prevalent in crimes and arrests.
When I saw these two videos, just like any other normal human being, I was completely appalled. How can these police officers live with themselves? Shooting and killing an unarmed man with handcuffs on? Has it really come to this? Was it really the officer’s job to kill a man whom they thought was reaching for his gun, with his face in this ground completely restricted by handcuffs? What was even more pathetic was the officer’s explanation that, “He felt outnumbered”. It is evident that he is trying to twist what is yet another case of a racist police officer killing an innocent black man trying to explain that he did it out of the “protection” of fellow officers and citizens. I mean wouldn’t you feel threatened by an unarmed black man in handcuffs whose face was driven into the ground by another cop?
I do not hate all cops (just most of them) and certainly could not have put myself in that cop’s shoes during the situation. Nevertheless, there needs to be some change in the police force. In my hometown, a wealthy area outside of Philadelphia, I personally know a kid who is training to become a cop. When I heard of this I was not surprised--just another white racist who spent his entire life degrading black kids. Not that big of a deal right? But now he is going to spend the rest of his life pretending to protect everyone, including black people. Whom can black people turn to when they feel oppressed by the very people who are supposed to keep them safe?
I really hope that the police officers in both videos are prosecuted to the full extent of law. There needs to be an example set for other police forces thinking that they can get away with brutality. Furthermore, there needs to be a complete reconstruction of police training and more background checks of the officers being hired. Until we can do this, we will not be able to distinguish the “good” cops from the “bad” cops and will continue to live in a society run by those who think that brutality and racial profiling is necessary for the protection of its citizens.
Both of these killings are terrible tragedies, but I do not think that people should automatically attribute them to racism. I am sure being a police officer in inner city areas is extremely difficult and they probably feel threatened all the time. In defense of the officer’s action, reaching into your coat pocket when you are being arrested is never a good idea and in the neighborhood they were in, many people actually would have pulled out a gun. Why would the officer expect Oscar Grant to pull out his wallet at that moment? In most instances, residents of such areas really dislike the police, but then they expect them to be at their beck and call when they actually need help or protection. Obviously, neither individual deserved to be shot, and the officers responsible were clearly in the wrong. I am trying to see the incidents from the other side since I am the type of person who always tries to justify an action because I never assume that the government/police force is corrupt or racist. Maybe this is naïve, but I always assume that a person is good unless there is direct evidence that he is not. These incidents could honestly just have been mistakes on the part of the police. Every person makes mistakes and unfortunately for a cop, a slipup could potentially result in accidentally killing someone. It is not like being an accountant or a secretary where a mistake definitely will not result in someone lying dead on the ground. I would be very surprised if the guilty officers turned out to support white supremacy or other such belief systems just because that seems way too absurd.
However, I definitely believe that both cases should be thoroughly examined for evidence of foul play. If either officer has a sketchy incident in his past or has displayed any signs of racist behavior, then I would absolutely start to doubt their integrity. Also, there were plenty of witnesses around so the truth of the situation should not be too difficult to figure out. I hope, for the sake of the United States and its law enforcement system, that both of these murders were misunderstandings. Despite whether the murders were accidents or premeditated, both families should absolutely sue and be granted monetary compensation for the loss of these individuals. Clearly, both men were unjustly murdered and the least that can be done is to attempt to punitively make up for their deaths. Also, both guilty officers must be fired immediately. If the incidents were accidents, then the officers are unstable and too easily spooked for their positions and if they were intentional, then the officers should be fired and serve life sentences in prison. I am trying to see beyond a white man in a powerful position shooting a black man while he is on the ground. I always give people benefit of the doubt, and I hope that the officers made mistakes. Terrible, and inexcusable mistakes, but mistakes none the less.
I am honestly at a loss for words when it comes to both of these shootings. Too often I feel as if cops get away with murder, literally. They have a badge and are “protecting” the law so therefore they are incapable of doing wrong. I personally believe that their uniforms and guns get to their heads entirely too much and because of that, too many innocent lives are being taken away. Despite my perception of the police force, I am relieved to hear that majority of cops agree that Grant’s killing was not radical. More often than not, cops stand as one and have a bond that they believe should be protected and served despite the circumstances, but thank God that is not the case in this situation. And as for the cops that believe that Grant’s killing was justifiable, they do have to be plain psychotic. If Grant were to be a white man as opposed to a black man, I think that cops would have a completely different view on this case. Whether the officer saw Grant as one of his “own people” or not should not play a role in his community services. Grant was a human being or was of no threat to him, and police officers need to get a hold of their actions and actually act humane. They went through training and they know what to expect. The fact that they wanted Grant’s information (if that’s what they asked for) should have been enough of a reason for him to reach into his back pocket without getting shot at. It’s sad to say that in today’s world race still plays such a huge role in the thoughts of others, especially someone as important and respected as a police officer. I also understand that most young black men are killed by other black men because that is who they surround themselves with. Police are not usually called unless there is a “real” problem, which usually happens to be a severe fight or a shooting, and they are too late. The killing of the guy in New Orleans is just completely unbelievable in my eyes. I think it is irrational that the family knows as little information as they do. Their family member was murdered—shot 14 times—and there is no explanation for this. They are entirely too calm for the circumstances of this situation, and shame on the police station for being as inconsiderate as they are just to protect their shitty police officers’ jobs. For someone with the academic background that he has, as well as him having a license for the gun with no criminal background, I find it hard to believe that he fired first for no reason. But for the cops to backfire 12 times, that is inhumane. I am ashamed to be represented by these armed forces in the U.S.
I don’t know quite what to think about this incident of police brutality--or others like it. While my immediate reaction is one of horror at these brutal murders which seem totally unprovoked and unjustified, I also have to take a step back and try to place myself in the officer’s position. I think some of the points mentioned in the six statements at the end of the blog entry are very significant and important to take into consideration and may help explain how such acts of violence can occur in our society--however, I think some of the other statements are just plain irrelevant.
First and foremost, I totally agree with the fourth statement, which mentioned that police are often working in high stress situations and/or in places where their jobs are mostly thankless. Until we find ourselves in the same position, I don’t think we can even begin to comprehend the amount of emotional and mental anxiety that accompanies the tense moments police officers often experience, when they know that every decision they make could mean the difference between life and death. I have no idea how I’d react in a situation where I thought there was the possibility that someone could seriously injure or kill me, but at the same time knew that I literally had right in my hands the power to prevent any harm coming to myself. I do know that within every human being is the instinct of self-preservation--so I can imagine if I did find myself in a moment of peril (whether real or imagined) that my fingers would probably be itching for that trigger.
That said, how can we account for these two brutal shootings, where there was no apparent risk to the officer’s life? Surely the officer couldn’t have imagined that anyone was in danger from a man lying prone on the ground who didn’t appear to be reaching for any kind of weapon. Likewise, the killing of Adolph Grimes seems unwarranted and excessive, and this kind of brutal violence coming from law enforcement really frightens me. The fact that we are giving lethal weapons to people who may snap under the pressure of a high stress job and telling them to guard the public actually terrifies me. I realize there is probably no other way to maintain peace, but still--these officers can make very human mistakes and it is just as likely to see violence and crimes of passion coming from them as it is to see the same acts coming from criminals. Which brings me to my main point: I think that is exactly what these two killings were--murders that were committed in a moment of rage when for whatever reason, police officers snapped.
Call me an optimist when it comes to race relations, but I think this particular problem has less to do with race and more to do with the terrible side effects and consequences of working in a very high anxiety job where there also happens to be quick and easy access to firearms--quite a bad combination, when you think about it. That’s what I meant when I said a few of those six points were irrelevant, such as seeing a person of another race as an “outsider” or the fact that the murder was committed right before Barack Obama was sworn in as president--I really don’t think either of these would cause or justify someone to actually kill another human in cold blood (that is, if they were an otherwise normal person).
Oh, and as for number six on that list of statements--I’m sure there are a lot of instances of police brutality that we never get to hear about. Which makes me wonder: how do we in fact know that the majority of these cases involve brutality toward a minority race? Maybe there are just as many instances where a white person is brutalized, or a black officer is doing the killing? If this is true, then this is definitely not an issue that is founded mainly in race relations. Just something extra to consider, I guess.
Shocked. That is the only way I can possibly describe how I am feeling right now. Shocked that such terrible police work happens. Shocked that these two men were killed in cold blood for nothing. Shocked that these officers were so dumb to shoot these men for nothing – in front of a crowd. And finally, shocked that I heard nothing about either of these stories before this. The fact that I had heard nothing of these stories is probably my fault, however I still think that I would have heard at least a mention of either story.
It is hard to tell the realities of these two stories. Without actually being there, seeing the events that led up to the shootings, hearing what was said, what warnings were given, you can not really tell whether they were necessary or not. From what can be seen in the first video, however, it is pretty clear that it was not necessary. The man was not in any condition or position to do anything to either of the officers. This situation could have been resolved very quickly and without any violence, or for that matter, loss of life. Why wasn’t he just handcuffed and taken in? It seems evident from the video that he was not struggling so much that he could not have been handcuffed and arrested. Another thing that I was surprised about – the officers seemed to work in tandem. The one officer tells the other to back away, and when his weapon is drawn, the other does nothing about it, he simply sits back and watches his partner kill the man.
The second story is a different scenario. From the video, it is not so clear what actually happened. They claim that the man opened fire on the officers first, but there were no witnesses to prove this. I am not saying this wasn’t the case, because it very well may have been, I do not know and neither does anyone else. My problem with that is, why would a man who was visiting his grandmom, who had graduated from a prestigious high school and had no prior arrests or legal problems, open fire on the police for no reason? Don’t get me wrong, I am sure we have all heard crazier stories, but it just seems a little too out there for me to believe. And fourteen shots? Twelve in the back? Doesn’t that seem like they went a little overboard? Clearly they wanted to make sure this man was dead. Either he really did shoot at them first, or these officers had a big problem with this man for another reason.
I am not saying cops are racist. I really hope that they are not. These are the men and women that we look up to all of the time. Yes they are placed in scary and dangerous scenarios every day, but I feel that their training should give them suitable course of action to handle these situations.
My question is if the black man was the first to fire a shot in the second shooting, and the police officers were simply firing in response, than how was he shot in the back and not the front? One would think that if he had fired the first shot he would have been shot in the front rather than the back. I understand that if the police officers were fired at first it might be necessary to take out the shooter, but would 14 bullets in the back and side really be necessary to take a man down? I find this very unlikely. Overall, I find these stories alarming and troubling, but not unbelievable. I am in no regards suggesting that racial profiling occurs among all cops, but it is definitely a possibility that a person’s complexion could, to an extent, influence an officers’ initial reaction to the situation. For instance, I learned in my social psychology class that a study was conducted where individuals were shown a split second picture of someone (either black or white) and then they were shown a split second flash of an object (either a tool, or a weapon). The subject was told to ignore the face entirely and identify the object as either a weapon or a gun. Turns out that a large percentage of the subjects’ correlated weapons with black faces and tools with white faces. So, if a black face was shown first and then a tool, the subject was more likely to identify the tool as a weapon. This study did not necessarily show racism, but rather demonstrated a kind of Automatic Thinking. If someone is brought up from a very young age to “fear” people who are of a different race than their own, then schemas will developing shaping their view of people, not always in the best light possible.
These shootings also remind me of the Amadou Diallo case February 4, 1999. On this tragic day four white police officers mistook Diallo for a serial rapist and when he reached for his wallet they fired forty-one shots at him, killing him instantly. Now why did the officers do this? It’s hard to determine the exact reason, but according to social psychology it is important for all individuals to one, maintain self esteem and two, be accurate in all decisions. Therefore, it is possible that the officers saw what, at the moment, made them feel good and appeared to be accurate so they shot him. In other words, they wanted to catch the rapist so in the moment they were doing an effective job which seemed accurate but actually ended in catastrophe. I am baffled that incidents such as these take place more often than we are aware, but I feel as though these incidents largely have to do with self-fulfilling prophecies. These cops are seeing what they want to see, which is causing them to make horrible judgments. Many people believe in the statement “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it” but I believe that “you wouldn’t have seen it if you hadn’t believed it.” Perception largely has to do with internal beliefs and schemas internalized from a young age. I believe people have the ability to change the way they perceive the world around them, but until they can effectively view the world in a new light, automatic thinking will lead to dire consequences, such as those displayed in these killings.
When I viewed these videos, I was a bit shocked at first. The reason I say a "bit" shocked is because I have always had a grudge against police officers. Not because they have given men trouble, because I have never been in trouble with the law, but because I have a theory about them. I am going to be so bold as to stereotype the cops because I, in fact, stand behind the stereotype that “Irish and drunks”, because I am one and can vouch for it. Police officers were kids in high school that never really got much attention. They were scrawny, socially awkward, or just plain annoying to be around and couldn’t make many friends. When they graduated from high school they decided that they wanted to make a change in their life, earn more respect, more authority. What better than to become a person who enforces the United States constitutional laws? Either that or they want to be able to get away with things they normally would not be able to get away with. There is a thin line between cops and criminals and these videos are perfect examples. You are absolutely right Sam, when you question what else goes on in the streets that does not make it to the television screen. Even though I think cops are douche bags, for the most part, they do have to step up to catastrophic events that are bigger than themselves, and they do a damn good job sometimes. For example, September 11, hundreds of NYPD officers stepped up and even lost their lives. That is an interesting thing about the human race, when faced with things bigger than us most of the time we can become someone bigger and do miraculous things.
I cannot imagine what the families of these victims must be feeling. You can just see the anger and frustration built up inside the mother in the second video. It kills me to even imagine what she went through and will continue to go through the rest of her life. She will never spend another New Years with her son. In a day where many people are trying to make racism a thing of the past, events like these murders are things that make racism linger, and threaten to continue to be a burden of the future. These families cannot help to think that racism was involved. I think we can all agree that if a white person had gone to reach for their wallet, they would not have been shot in the back and killed instantly. There is no way any person of the law could justify a murder of 12 shots in the BACK. Like Sam always says, what else is going on there? What was the reason for these murders? It sure was not to bring safety to the public.
So what really strikes me is the way the news reporters handle the situations, so cold and distant. I mean I know the news is supposed to be unbiased but still… Actually, the newspaper picture Ahmed brought up today in recitation makes sense now, about the monkey being shot by police officers. If Obama is seen as a monkey, then the Oscar incident correlates pretty well especially since it happened only a few weeks before Obama became president.
I’m kinda not sure what to say here about the shootings, though. I mean the first one looks like a clear cut thing you know, there are all those witnesses, people can testify that the police had no cause to shoot Oscar, but the second one I still have my doubts about. I really don’t want to jump to conclusions, I’d just as soon believe that even white people know that people of every race have their own lives. They have jobs, they have feelings, they have family, and generally they don’t want to die. I’m wondering if something happened that night that had the cops on edge, and then just one little thing set them off. I’m not saying there aren’t racist cops out there, and I’m not saying they didn’t kill the man in cold blood, I just don’t think people should jump to conclusions.
Easy for me to say, right? It’s not my brother, not my son, my kin lying there dead in the middle of the street for no apparent reason. I guess you can’t please everybody. So what would have been better? If the police had potentially taken the risk that this man might shoot them? I don’t know. I don’t think that’s even a reasonable argument. I mean they shot the guy in the back. In the back! How much worse off can you get? How much longer I wonder can we keep calling ourselves the “good guys”?
Actually, this ties in to Iraq pretty nicely too, in a morbid kind of way. I mean what makes it right for U.S. soldiers to open fire on Iraqi bystanders? At what point to we draw the line? It’s easy enough to sit back and as good American citizens and say, “well the soldiers are over there in a foreign land fearing for their lives”. Why? If we were really doing the right thing over there do you think so many people would hate us? How many Iraqis get shot in the back every day, killed in cold blood?
But then again how often do we look at the other side of things? How far do we go to find out how the families and loved ones of the police officers feel about all this? We always hear from the victims’ side, what do the defenders have to say for themselves?
It would be impossible to say that we never see something like this happen in the United States. There have been numerous cases such as this, where we hear about African Americans or people of other races getting shot or mistreated by the police because they had a hunch that something was wrong. This is what they say anyway. I do remember hearing about Adolph Grimes and the twelve times he was shot in the back. I think that is terrible that it happened, but I am also unfamiliar about the entire situation, and I do not recall if the actual story was ever revealed or what the consequences were for the police officers involved. That being said, if the police officers were trained to fire if fired upon, after immobilizing the suspect with a couple shots, if not one, don’t you think they would have stopped and attempted to subdue the suspect instead of continuing to fire upon him until he was dead? I just feel that the situation was overkill, but then again, perhaps the police officers’ story was right, and Adolph Grimes had actually fired against the policemen first. Since I do not remember the actual outcome to the situation, I don’t want to make any more comments that would make me sway towards one side over the other. It wouldn’t be fair for me to judge that way.
Regarding the incident of the Bart Station shooting, I think that it definitely seemed quite surprising. Judging from the video, it looked as though the one police officer just stood up and shot the suspect without a real cause. The other police officers around him did not draw their weapons, but in the same respect, they also did not stop the police officer from firing or display any uncertainty about the situation. They appeared to just continue along like nothing had really happened. Was that because they may have been prejudiced? Could all of those police officers have some sort of racist thoughts toward African Americans. I guess we would never know, and the officers would never reveal that information because they know that they could easily lose their jobs due to the fact that they shot the man because he was African American. This relates to the past couple blogs posted earlier about white supremacists or people who are prejudiced against people of other races or religions. Those officers, specifically the one who shot the man at Bart Station, may have been prejudiced against African Americans, or like Sam had said in his six piece list, that the officer may just have been pushed past his breaking point. Working in a neighborhood where the majority of people do not like you, until they need your help would be frustrating. Of course, the killing of someone doesn’t need to be the answer if they finally snapped, but in this case, it seemed to be what happened. I suppose it’s like the other case, we will never know the truth unless those directly involved come forth and speak their minds, telling the truth without caring what other people think of the situation.
I am honestly not surprised by these two cases at all. The police officer who shot Oscar Grant should be in prison, in my opinion. However, when Sam said that its not easy being a police officer in a neighborhood where you’re hated until needed, I agree with that a hundred percent. These police officers put their lives on the line everyday to make our streets safer. With that said, I can see where the officer who shot Grant is coming from because maybe he felt that his life was in danger but from watching the video, I personally did not see anything that Grant was doing that would be risking the officers life. In a town such as this, where there are a lot of “gangs” or just a group of black men, unfortunately I think many have a stereotype that well if there’s a group of black guys together then they must be up to something. I think it is very unfortunate that some people think that way. I mean I’m white but when I see a group of black guys I do not feel threatened by anyway what so ever. So I feel that these officers are used to all this violence and perhaps he felt threatened by Grant.
Policemen are looked up to in our society and are there to make us feel safe. I have heard many stories of how police officers have beat men, whether white or black, and I have even heard some stories of policemen killing their wives. So over the summer I did an internship at Fox News in New York City and I got to attend a court hearing for this New York police officer who was being charged with killing a homeless man. As I was sitting in the court room and listening to all the evidence I thought for sure he was guilty. I mean they had video evidence of the officer’s car by the man and a bunch of other evidence that pretty much pointed him to the murder. So after I heard that he was innocent I was very shocked and I’m not going to lie I think it was only because he was a police officer. This case was not shown on national television; it only aired on New York City local news.
In my opinion I feel like cases like these happen a lot more often than we may think but they are not covered on a lot of news channels because they do not want to make law enforcement look bad. In many cases that I have seen, many of the police officers get off with no charges and that makes me believe it’s only because of who they are. I don’t necessarily think it involves racism or not. I mean it may but I don’t know this officer so I can not really judge him and say he is. On the other hand, just because you are a police officer, it does not give you the right to go around killing whoever you please, whether you are black, white, Asian, Mexican, whatever it may be.
As any individual would agree, the video of Oscar Grant’s death or the story of Adolph Grimes being shot 14 times by police officers is horrific and possibly excessive. I am unable to determine, in these two specific cases if the actions of the police were justified because I do not know all the facts. As with anything the media can make something look one way or the other in order to create a story. This may not be so in this situation, but it is unfair for me to judge the actions of the police officer without knowing all of the facts.
Even with all of the facts, for example I was an FBI agent investigating the case, I am not sure how I would feel. Should police officers be held responsible for an isolated incident which was part of their job and in which they possibly got caught up in situation. Police Officers have the responsibility to think quickly, be on their feet, and protect society. Although tragic, if these isolated cases occur rarely, is it worth putting higher standards and pressure onto the Police Officer. I am not making a judgment because I do not have enough knowledge of the killing of innocent people or excessive violence by police officers. I do worry though that if Officers had to struggle more with every decision they made while on the job, that they would be unable to deter violence as well as they currently do. Just as the officers in these two cases made a split second decision, a split second decision the day before could have taken a rapist or a mass murder off the streets. That split second decision also could have saved a child from a dangerous situation in the weeks following.
In any case I have seen on the news regarding a Police Officer using excessive force, the first issue at hand is about racism. I truly do not believe that racism is coming through the minds of Officers when they are in the heat of the moment. Of course there may be those few who let their opinions get into their work, but on a general basis, the split second decision is about protecting society and themselves and not about racism.
Overall, individual circumstances need to be evaluated on a case by case basis and appropriate actions should be taken against a Police Officer who is found to use excessive force. As many other students wrote, the key is not to generalize that all cops are racist, or that all cops kill innocent people. Just as in everyday life we judge people based on their actions, it is unfair to make generalizations about all law enforcement, because overall the men and women in uniform are going to be there for you in times of need and like Sam said, “It's not easy being a police officer in neighborhoods where large numbers of people hate you until they need you.”
I am not even sure how to respond to this video and post. From what it looks like on the video, the man was of no threat to the police officers. It did not appear as though he was being violent or even the least bit rough. It is also crazy that I have not heard a single thing about this incident. I remember hearing about the man that was shot 14 times but it seems as though the only reason we hear about that was because it was “a bigger deal” because of the number of times he was shot. One shot just doesn’t seem to be as significant I guess…
I had never thought about the point made on the original post that people hate police officers until they need them. I can’t imagine how that must feel for them. To know that people need you is one thing and that you save lives is very rewarding I’m sure. But to think that you are going to work today knowing that most likely you are going to make some people very angry and hate you is a horrible feeling to feel day after day I’m sure.
I’m not sure what to make of the idea that this shooting occurred three weeks before Obama was worn in. Was this a case of white supremacist police officers taking out their anger towards possibly having a black president? Or done as a threat to show what could possibly happen if he is elected. Or have had absolutely nothing to do with the election.
It is so scary to think about all the other acts of violence that police officers are taking out on people without a justifiable cause. It is frightening that people that hold positions of power and so strongly impact peoples lives can be so hateful to different races. People that are supposed to promote equality and justice often forget what they are there for. And I wonder how many people go into a profession with an ulterior motive, knowing that they can do harm to a persons life because they have the power to do so.
When will this change and how are we supposed to go about this change? So many people want to make an impact and change the way things are but what are we supposed to do in these situations? We want the way our culture is to change but we don’t know what to do to promote the changes.
I hope that the people involved in these cases are honest with themselves and tell what they actually saw. These police officers were some of the main suspects at the crime scene but yet also play such a huge role in the outcome of the situation.
These two killings are very disturbing for several reasons. The Oakland killing at the hand of the police officer is horrific and terrible just as an example of police violence. The added issue of race makes it an even more disturbing occurrence because of other examples of police brutality between white cops and black victims. The victim did not seem to be a threat, and the fact that he was being held down and then shot in the back seems cruel and unnecessary. The shooting in New Orleans seems extremely suspicious, which adds credence to the argument that any shots fired were unnecessary, let alone 14.
It is easy to see the brutality and horrible violence in these incidents. However, I do think it is important to consider other perspectives of these incidents. If for no other reason, this allows you to honestly say that you have considered them, and still hold the same opinion. Being a police officer must be very stressful, especially in high crime areas. This stress compounded by the resentment and lack of cooperation that they may experience leads to mistakes and grave judgments about these mistakes. I honestly believe that most police officers are good people who genuinely care about protecting citizens by whatever means they can. This does not mean that there are not corrupt cops, as there are corrupt members of all professions. I do not believe however that all mistakes equal corruption.
I do not know the background of the cops involved in these cases, but their mistakes or lapses in judgment are so severe that I understand accusations of corruption against them. The fact that we hear so little about incidents like these allows for more speculation and judgment about police brutality. The fact that details are hidden and that seemingly unnecessary force was used against black “suspects” by white cops means that there should be a thorough investigation. Race becomes as issue sometimes because of secrecy or suspicion around incidents. The family in New Orleans was not receiving information about their son’s death, which they certainly deserve to receive.
I like to think that race is not a real issue in cases such as these. That perhaps these were isolated incidents of horrible judgment that do not reflect underlying racism, even if this racism only surfaces in moments of extreme stress and confusion. I am not naïve enough to think that racism is never present, that our country is rid of all traces of it, but I do not think it is widespread at all.
Incidents like these should never happen, regardless of the race of the “suspect”. It is sad that these become visual examples of possible racism, because I believe that everyone disagrees with what transpired. Our country has come so far in terms of race relations, but as long as incidents like these continue occur, there will be racial tensions.
I think in situations like these, it’s hard to pass judgment, when you, yourself, is not put in the actual situation. No video could truly capture every single element of the event… what the atmosphere was in the train station, the events leading up to the incident, or even what it is like to be a police officer in a situation like that. With that said, I do believe that this shooting was inappropriate, unnecessary, and down right wrong. As a police officer, you are trained to deal with certain situations. Like the second video said… when someone opens fire on you, you are trained to fire back. But that wasn’t the case in the train station, the only gun involved was the gun belonging to the police officer. When you have your knee against the back of someone’s neck, there should ( and there is ) virtually no need for using a gun. Aside from the idea of the whole white supremacy thing… I think this stems partially from a lack of training and screening of police officers. Not that the police officer in this case isn’t to blame, because he is, but maybe this could have been prevented with better training regarding when to, and when not to open fire. I’m not sure if police officers go through this just once in their life, or have to complete training every so many years, but I would hope that after the get a job, they still have to keep their training up to par to continue to be a police officer. I also think there should be better mental health screening for police officers. Knowing certain family members in my town who were police officers, I can speak firsthand that there were things they did and signs in their personality that were “red flags” and should not have been allowed to continue to be a police officer. But I get the impression that it’s a “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation. Police officers are supposed to be hero’s, so imagine if one of them admitted to fellow officers that they were struggling mentally. I’m not making excuses, I’m just thinking of suggestions for the future to prevent situations like this from occurring. In regards to the second video about the 14 gun shots fired and no word from the police about what happened…I think the police are doing themselves a disservice. How shady does it look when a man, seemingly innocent, is shot fourteen times, and the police are with-holding comments. It just makes it look like they are hiding something, which everyone else already thinks they are. It’s kind of like the “right to a fair and speedy trial”… this family deserves a speedy explanation as to why their son is now dead. The interesting thing about this story was though, why was the son carrying a gun in the first place? I understand that some people have guns for hunting, but beyond that I can’t really think of any reason someone else would have a gun. And even if this gun was for hunting, hunting enthusiasts know, and would stress, that guns are to be stored properly in a safe place. There is no reason you should have a gun on New Years Eve in your car trunk. Though 14 shots in the back in unnecessary, I think many pieces of the puzzle are missing. I am in no way defending the officers. In both cases the shootings were completely brutal and sick. I just think situations like these need to be examined closely and changed in the future.
The two cases shown in the videos are with out a doubt disturbing. While it is still upsetting to see videos such as this in cases where the victim was either a drug dealer, or disobeying the orders that the cop was giving, or dangerous and threatened the safety of the officers; it is more upsetting to see videos where law enforcement officials kill someone who APPEARS innocent or cooperative because it looks as though the person was dealt with wrongly. These cases are difficult to fully understand and formulate opinions on. For instance in the first video, it is difficult to see exactly what is going on between the police and Grant. All the viewer sees is Grant forced to his knees then forced to his stomach and shot, and even this is difficult to see clearly. It is impossible to know what led up to the confrontation and then the shooting and what EXACTLY occurred between the time that the police approached Grant and then when they shot him. I am NOT taking the side of the cops, as I feel, from what I was able to see, that it looked as though Grant was cooperating and the police were able to over power him. For this reason, I think it is utterly ridiculous that he was then shot. I truly do not understand what the need was for shooting him, but at the same time I was not there I do not understand the events that occurred. I do not know if Grant had a weapon in his possession and I do not know if he threatened the policemen; but I do know that they seemed to have overreacted. While I would like to believe that racism didn’t play a role in this shooting, it is hard to ignore. I went online and tried to find cases in which white men were killed by cops…. and it seemed as though it didn’t exist, and while I know this is not the case ( it is impossible that not ONE white man was killed by the cops), I was disillusioned. I was NOT hoping that I would find pages and pages of cases in which white men were shot, but I was upset because I knew that if I typed in “black men killed by police”, my search results would be drastically different. And sure enough, they were. Like I said earlier, I would like to believe that when a cop shoots someone it isn’t because of race…but it is difficult to ignore what I saw. I do not know if the cases in which cops kill black men are just publicized more or if it truly is true that white men do not commit as many crimes (again…which I find difficult to believe), but either way what occurred in the video was horrible. On a side note, related to one of the six notes…I do not believe that the release of the news about the shooting is relevant. I think that actions such as this occur a lot more often than we are aware, and releasing this information before Obama was elected was a strategic move. Unfortunately, this is not a single case or a mistake that went horribly wrong, but rather what appears to be somewhat of a trend. What occurred in the videos was awful and heart wrenching, but I think with such minimal information it is difficult to choose what side to take (this statement does NOT mean that I support criminal activity going unnoticed or that I support cops who are trigger happy and racist….I just mean we do not have ALL of the information needed to take an intelligent and unbiased stance)
Obviously these videos are shocking and disturbing. I feel horrible for the families involved, and feel no sympathy for the police offer. As a police, each individual case, crime, or encounter is a separate occasion. All stereotypes, previous situations, and/or previous personal experiences go out the window. Each individual situation as a cop is extremely important. In the first video in Oakland, the cop had no right to assume the man was reaching for a gun. It does NOT matter that he was black. Blah blah blah, statistics show black men commit murders most often. It doesn't matter. He killed a man reaching for his a wallet. That's the moral of the story. He could have taken action by using his fists or other tactics. He could have shot him in the arm? But he killed him. A whole life, because of an instinct. That is inexcusable .
As for the second, there is no clear evidence of what actually happen. The victim could have opened fired first. We don't know. But what is curious to me, is why he was shot 14 times? The police say that they train their men to fire back when fired upon, and fire back more than once. Ok, twice? Three time? Four times? Eight times? NO. Fourteen whole times! Just for good measure. Make sure he was dead, and make sure there is no evidence left behind. Seems a little suspicious to me.
Racism and stereotypes have come a long way, but as you can see, they still exist today. Obviously I agree that not ALL cops are racist, but even some is too many. It's too risky, because lives are at stake, and possible innocent onces at that. A classic movie from way back, (I believe 1967?) was made in respect to cops being racist toward a specific black man. The movie, In the Heat of the Night, is an award winning masterpiece. In the movie, a white cop was searching the streets for a murderer, and decided that a random black man waiting for a train was the killer. He took this innocent black man into custody. It turned out the black man ended up being one of the best homicide detectives in the country, and was asked to help these white cops find the actual killer. That is just one specific example that really sticks out in my memory.
Anyway, this issue has to be solved, and racist cops should be tolerated. This is a very serious issue in America, and there is no way that a police officers actions can be justified after he kills an innocent man. Instinct, stereotypes, and statistics are not legitimate excuses in my mind. These cops should pay for their mistakes.
I really question this video; I think it is crazy to think that they would just kill someone for no reason. We have no idea what was going on I that situation. He could have done something wrong that we just don’t know about. He may have said something to the officer or done something before the video had started to be shot; I mean there had to be a reason for the person to be taping the scenario to begin with. But, I am not saying that I have not seen or heard racism done by cops. One night my boyfriend and his friends were driving around our city and the car that they were in had a light out, so they got pulled over. The cop came over to the car and surveyed the situation and asked all three of them to come out of the car. In this situation I feel that I have to say that it was two white boys and one black boy. The cop asked some questions of them and decided he did not like the answers that were given, but he only put my boyfriend black friend in handcuffs, arresting him. The police officer let the others go with a warning, they all did not have any records and did not do anything wrong, the police officer targeted the black friend from the beginning. That still makes me cringe to this day, but I do not know that if I was there I would have been able to say anything to the cop to stop him from doing that, I would have just let it happen and he would have gotten away with it like he did. Granted he did let my boyfriend and his other friend go he made them walk home, he took the car, well that is beyond the point. I feel that cops are sometimes out of line, and sometimes it turns out as racism because there are certain types of ethnicities who have a bad reputation when it comes to things. I do not know how officers come to these conclusions but there must be a reason. In the videos shown in the blog I can not seem to come to there reasons, I just wonder if we would be going through this right now if these two stories were about white children, or they would be just like the rest of them, forgotten. When I say that though it sounds like I am excusing what was done in both of these situations, by far I am not doing that I am just thinking about some other things. What those officers did was just wrong, but we also do not know the whole story.
Although we do not know every detail behind both of these stories, things such as these should not happen within the borders of our country. It is a common misconception that the majority of black people are considered thugs. This is mainly because much of the white population is undereducated when it comes to race. Black people have the same intentions as people of every other color. If they could have the same opportunities as white people, they would take them. It is due to factors that are out of our control that black people are not presented with the same opportunities for success – otherwise known as determinism. If America was more educated as a whole about every race and their intentions, the world would be a much better and equal place.
When policed acted upon suspicion that Oscar Grant III had a gun, could they not see that he didn’t have a gun since he was lying on his stomach? The police officer fired the shot because he thought he was in danger, but he clearly had the upper hand on the innocent suspect. All he had to do was put the man in handcuffs and search him to see whether a gun was present. Obviously, the situation was not as easy as I just made it to be, but it was not necessary to kill a man due to the distrust of another man’s race. I do not recall seeing a single black police officer at the scene of the shooting. Would a black police officer have acted differently if he were in the same shoes as the white police officer?
Adolph, a man who drove 5 hours to see his family on New Year’s Eve, was also victim of another shooting. Did this happen due to the fact he was black? Police were responding to a shooting and automatically assumed that the shooter was him. A loving son went to spend the changing of a year with his family and he is dead because of it. There are many details of this story that are very strange. Starting with being shot twelve times. Wasn’t one enough if something was truly wrong? A total of forty eight shots were fired. Come on, the man couldn’t have been that dangerous. Since a police officer has a gun and power, that does not make it right to murder a man because you think he is a threat.
I am also curious as to why this has not been publicized more. This is the first that I have heard of this story and it is a very serious and sad story. I think that news stations and newspapers need to change their priorities and bring Americans the things that matter most in their lives.
I think that the killings of these two men were unconstitutional because these two instances were clearly an example of cruel and unusual punishment. In the first video the man shot was obeying police orders, but they still went and shot him anyway. In the second one I am not too sure of what exactly what happened and the police officers not releasing any information about the incident, especially to the family leads me to wonder what really occurred that evening. Now, I will not immediately jump in and call these officers racist for what they did, but look at these situations in a way a sociologist would look at this. So what I can say with confidence is that there were social forces and factors that are unseen that helped shape these officers decisions. No, I am not saying that these officers are justified in their actions, because we do posses free will and at any given time we as individuals can act against these factors and forces that do shape us. In the second killing I do think that “group think” occurred, and I think this is so because I am pretty sure by the fifth or sixth shot at least one of them knew that what they were doing was wrong, but in order to go along with the group the person continued to shoot.
In addition, I think that we have not heard more information about the second shooting at the hands of the New Orleans Police Department because they are trying to hide some information from the public, and when they finally decide to publish the story it will be a blunt lie. They are using this time to plot up a story of what happened night but I am pretty sure that is not going to be the full truth of what time happened that night. And it is said that we live in a society like this wear the proper justice is not followed correctly. It is also said that we are not all treated equally, it is said that people are granted privileges depending on the color of their skin, and not by the content of their character like how Martin Luther King Jr. had wanted it. I also think that there are a lot more egregious acts that occur that never make it on the news to protect the reputation of the white man. In my opinion, if these were both white men there would be no story because there would not have been a shooting, but in our society we have been primed that a black man is guilty, even black people hold that stereotype. Additionally, in our society they say that in the court of law a person is “ innocent until proven guilty”, but that rule only plays into account if that person is white, if the person is black then the rule goes the person is “ guilty until proven innocent”, but in these two instances these men were killed before they could be proven innocent which is very sad.
The death of Oscar Grant III seems to still baffle people who are concerned about race. What I don’t understand is that police officers, who are sworn to protect our lives, use their authority for many advantages. This would include torturing an individual resulting in serious injury let alone death. All they are going to get is mass attention from the media and hatred from that individual’s family. Look at the case for Amadou Diallo who was shot to death by only pulling his wallet out. This event truly marked the definition of both racial profiling and police brutality. I don’t even understand how the Justice Department didn’t file any charges to the officers responsible for Diallo death. However, Diallo’s parents took action and did file lawsuits against the officers. I feel that people still have to respect the badge since most officers are willing to sacrifice their lives for us. However, on the other hand I feel that some don’t deserve respect because there are cops still active in supremacist groups. I am standing by this statement because innocent lives are being held hostage and abused by the authority of different ethnicity. While watching the video of Grant’s death, I couldn’t believe how brutal the officers were being towards him. The people who surrounded by this action could only watch in horror. Watching his family depressed along with his attorney John Burris, many protestors stood by their side and supported the family. I can’t imagine if any of my family members got killed from the abuse of authority. Since the September 11 attack, I have appreciated police officers for their courageous act and those who sacrificed their life to keep the civilians of New York safe. I was very upset by looking at the poster in which both friends and families wrote goodbye notes to Grant. With any situation like this, gang riots will occur in which police force have no option but to use excessive force. When I look at the Adolph Grimes shooting, I feel that this murder received less attention than the first one only due to the location of the death. My grandmother who is currently living in West Orange, New Jersey, has told me that she has seen on the news of people from East Orange getting shot. She is only twenty minutes from it and she has never once driven around that area. It is very tough for children to grow up around neighborhood that are surrounded by both weaponry and drugs. However, what we need to understand is that police officers along with higher authority need to take better approaches in handling situations. With no reason to kill or harm, the public attention will continue to rise. Those who we appreciate for protecting our community will never be the same again. This will also lead to many in individuals not caring for the law resulting in unnecessary acts.
The sad thing is things like these police shootings happen in this country. People do get pulled over because their black and there is a certain white privilege in this country. It is just a fact. From the two videos I’ve seen it does seem to me that the officers did act wrongly, whether that be it from racism or stress there is no excuse for what was done. However, what does concern me is the mentally to assume that all police officers are racist because this is just not the case. Sometimes I feel like the minute a suspect is shot that the immediate reaction, at least in the area I live in is to jump to racist cops as the cause. However, that’s not always the case, sometimes suspects need to be retained because they are danger to others and or themselves, albeit if they are white, black, Asian ect. And I wonder sometimes if cops feel they can’t always do their jobs for fear of being called a racist. What people also have to realize is that not all cops or figures of authority are racists. While these cases may not be isolated, I think and I have to believe that while people may have racists very few of those people would kill over those thoughts. Perhaps I naïve, but I just believe that most people in the world are not that evil and mean spirited to kill over race. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but I think and hope that it doesn’t happen that often in this day and age. It is like the soldiers who tortured the prisoners at Abu Grave it was a horrible event and those actions were inexcusable. Those prisoners should have and were punished, however being a military brat all of my life I can safely say that on a whole military men and women do not think that it is right to treat prisoners that way ever. Those actions were the actions of a few soldiers and they should not come to represent all of the military as a whole, just like the actions of these police offices should not come to represent the police force as a whole. Sometimes people make mistakes in hiring the right people for the job and this was clearly the case in the situation with these two shootings by these police officers. Also I really do not think the timing of these shootings have anything to do with the swearing in of President Obama. The reality is shooting like these happened long before Obama was in office and one can only hope that with perhaps his leadership and an open discussion with people shootings such as these can stop during his presidency.
After watching these two videos, I am enraged, but not at all surprised. Situations such as these happen more often then we know about. The only difference in these cases are, they were televised. I am a firm believer in the fact that these killings were cold-blooded murders. There was no reason for the man to be shot fourteen times and twelve of them in the back. The fact that police officers shot over forty rounds in outrageous. I believe that police officers are taught to wound and not to kill, but SOME police officers are shooting to kill. I have to remember to tell myself that, not all police officers racially profile. I refuse to believe that stereotype. I will say after being racially profiled on a few different occasions, SOME police officers have left a bad taste in my mouth for law enforcement.
In the case of the man being shot in the subway, that video infuriated me. I feel as though, the man was already detained and was handcuffed. There was no reason for him to be shot, in the back no less. I mean what harm could he have caused being handcuffed and with a boot in his neck. Unless the guy had some type of super powers, there was no way he could have caused any harm to the police officers or the bystanders around them.
In both cases, I cannot help but wonder, if that were a white man that the police were detaining, would we be watching these videos at all. I honestly believe that if the police were detaining a white man, they would not have killed them. It is sad to say that but it’s exactly what I believe. When dealing with the police, a person of color is more than likely treated more harshly than a white person. I have seen many videos of black people mouthing off police officers and being beaten and detained for doing so. Then I see a white doing it and the cop just pretty much dismisses it, after, maybe a verbal lashing of some sort. There have been cases of white cops beating up white people, such as the women beaten up in the police station. But these instances are few and far between.
How many times do we have to hear about someone being killed by police in the news, before something happens? There are many good police and many bad ones; we need to work harder to eradicate the bad cops. I understand that is very hard to be police officer because you have to make a split second decision that could influence the lives of many people in so many different ways. But there is a big difference in protecting and killing. There are many cases of police violence that could be questionable, but these two videos show blatant police brutality and excessive force.
These two incidents are very concerning and difficult to set about understanding. Of course there are two sides, but which one is right? Good cop, bad cop? Was it a racist white cop with a vendetta against the blacks? Did they just wake up that morning and decide that enough was enough; they had to do something to stop “these” people from destroying our country? Or is it the other way around? Were these black men a danger to society and the police do what they thought was necessary in order to protect the public and themselves?
The videos, however seemingly black and white, do not show the whole situation. It may in fact have been as clear-cut as they appear, with a seemingly innocent man being attacked and shot by several white officers of the law. But is impossible to know what happened just moments before the video began. My own feelings, especially with the first video concerning Oscar Grant, is why if this had been a typical police situation, did they passenger of the train begin videoing the happenings? Did something drastic happen earlier that then motivated this citizen to document it? We may never know the complete truth or details about what happened, but for now we have to be impartial. I personally hope that when an outcome does finally materialize the media is more willing to make known the details than when these situations first occurred.
I find the lack of attention about these situations outrageous. Either I have been living under a rock, or we are once again being played by the media’s lack of coverage. How is it that two shootings of young black men by white police (especially considering the sketchy facts and circumstances) are not being brought to the public’s attention? How many other shootings and disgusting events have occurred that we have not been informed of?
As American’s, I feel like we expect better from our media. We are the home of the free, with the freedom the speech and assembly. But our very own media is failing to give us the hard news, the hard facts; the facts that our country is not as balanced and “equal” as we pretend that we are. As this class has continued on, I feel like this very fact is becoming more and more relevant and hard to ignore. We would all like to live in this dream, this dream of equality. The idea that we are the most free and opportunistic country, the belief that we are the most tolerant country, so open and willing to accept those that are different then us. But this isn’t true. We are not this perfect nation, one that everyone should be modeled after. We have faults that must be corrected or we will never live up to the expectations we have set for ourselves.
It is shocking to see these murders on the news. It is even more shocking that the news portrays the killings that show the racist aspect, innocent black man killed by white police. When watching these videos and hearing a mother’s plea for answers as to why her son was shot and killed, I can only wonder why. What possessed those cops to take the most extreme act of defense and kill a person? I believed that cops were trained to draw fire at the last possible option.
In the second video shown on the blog, the parents do not even have answers as to what provoked the police to kill their son. I do not have enough information to form my own opinions about this matter. Are there more innocent people being killed by authority in the world, but only the black killings are shown because they are seen as racist or black suspects targeted and treated with less patience because police officers view them as the most dangerous suspects to deal with?
One of the six statements on the blog says that being a police officer is a job operating on fear and suspicion. I think this is true especially when working in a large city where many gangs are existent. In order to stop the random acts of murder from gangs within these large cities, perhaps cops feel they must be more violent then necessary in order to control the murder rates within the city. Although this article is reflecting the innocent people too, it seems as if police want to show their power and kill people to prove that they are sick of the violence.
The officer obviously did not see Mr. Grant as one of his own people or family member, but it seems as if the officer did not even view the man as a human. To kill without explanation does not seem human. Police officers are supposed to serve and protect but what example are they giving when they kill the innocent. They are giving gang members and violent people permission to kill without reason.
Many said that the officer made a mistake. Taking a gun out of your pocket and shooting a man to his death takes a lot of mental decisions. I am sure the officer did not intend on killing the victim but he certainly intended on shooting him. I think there should have been more physical control over the suspect rather then no time to consider the situation and ending the suspect’s life before thinking twice.
After watching these two videos I was not shocked nor was I surprised that this was happening. This happened before and it happens almost every day, the media doesn’t allow us to know everything that is happening in the world. Something’s are not as big to them as others. Having the cops shoot at young people is a disgrace. Sam said that most black and brown men are murdered by other brown and black men, this is true and the 6 things that he named is something I would call life and it happens to everyone. This is a problem and it is something that we need to work on. It is not something I would approve of but this is what happens in our world. I guess me coming from the city and seeing most of these things happen first hand or hearing about it from around the way, I know a lot about the things happening. I think that this is a disgrace and I am glad someone video recorded the first shooting because it just shows others how the police treats others. The second family sounded real angry and I don’t blame them. While I was listening to the second video I was trying to figure out how he got shot 12 in the back also, it didn’t make sense to me either. The police in New Orleans should show more sympathy, their police man did kill an “innocent” person. I believe that a lot of things don’t make the news, but they are out there and the police do contribute to a lot of violent and hate crimes. A lot of things happen in the streets, sometimes most people wouldn’t even believe that can or would even happen, but it does. The streets are crazy, and ridiculous, we are not seeing the most of what is happening on the streets. I understand that the cops put their selves on line everyday they step outside and most people don’t like cops because of how they treat others. But I feel as if don’t try and get a job that has this much risk if you can’t handle what is coming to you. I appreciate the cops trying to make sure we are safe for the most part, but the cops sometimes overdue it. These were only some of the outrageous cases that the media have brought to our attention. I know it is always not the police fault because sometimes the men provoke the cop to do some of the things that they do. Then we it happens they run and call for help, and say It was a racist thing, when most of the times its not but for the most part it has to do with the cops believing they have the upper hand in society.
Although this case may be isolated, I would imagine this type of racism and hatred is present much more than we would like to think. I believe the shooting of Grant is an extreme example of this truth, but hate crimes such as this do occur. As mentioned in class, it does appear odd that a greatly disproportionate number of colored people are arrested for drugs when white people represent most of their actual use. I am sure a number of factors are at play here, but I can’t shake the feeling that race is at the root of these statistics.
As Sam said, perhaps this case has to do with the incredible stress police officers must deal with every day, especially in the inner city. They must deal with dangerous individuals that at any moment could harm them, and are likely to be treated with hostility and disrespect. They may feel little admiration for the dangerous situations they are subjected to amid a backdrop of running jokes about incompetence and large donut consumption. Furthermore, anything could happen to them on their shift. I could never imagine going to work wondering if I would make it home to see my family later that night. This intense stress might cause these officers to act irrationally in any situation regardless of the skin color of the suspect.
There is a fine line between self defense and murder, however, especially at the hands of a cop. The duty of a police officer is to maintain order, protect the innocent, and to enforce the law. The officer has the right to protect himself while doing this, but how can we ensure they do this ethically and responsibly? This duty places a lot of power in one individual, especially when that individual’s values and thoughts are considered. The decision of what course of action to take when dealing with what the person in question relies on their quick-time judgment. This judgment will ultimately be based on past experiences the officer has dealt with, and their assumptions about the type of person they are dealing with. If this person happens to be a white supremacist for example, it is easy to see how personal views will shape their actions. They may be quick to act aggressively toward a person of color for no other reason than their skewed ideology as the Oakland police officer might have had.
I would really like to think this type of racism among our police officers is rare. The truth is, however, in any group of people there are bound to be racists. I do not believe racists are more concentrated in police forces; rather they are among us in all occupations and states across the country.
In response to the post entitled “Let’s Stay Focused” I have to say that I have never heard of those news stories before. It was sad to watch such acts of violence. While the videos were graphic, I was somewhat glad that they were captured on tape because I feel as though they were great pieces of evidence for the victim’s family. It was heartbreaking to watch the videos. For the first one I wondered why the police were detaining people. The news coverage didn’t really mention the reason for it. To see the family’s pain for the devastating loss was very hard to watch. I could understand their anger for the way that the situation was carried out. The police were obviously careless and could have handled things in a more professional manner.
As far as race goes and how the issue pertains to topics mentioned in class, I will say that I am not sure if this is necessarily a race issue. I think that sounds very arrogant and naïve to think that but that is how I feel. It might be safe to say that the police felt more threatened because they were African American and I feel sorry that they have that mentality. As statistics were discussed in class a large portion of the African American population, compared to other races, are in jail. That could be the stigma facing African Americans, that they are more violent then other people.
There have definitely been various debates over the ideas of race and why these events have happened. Many different people in the victim’s communities feel as though the white police officer is getting away with murder because he would claim it was an accident. I do also believe that it was an accident but charges facing the police officer should obviously still be harsh. I feel it was a just lapse of judgement in the heat of the moment and people didn’t have time to react to each others actions appropriately. The tape does show carelessness but it was also very far away and I couldn’t really see all details. The witnesses to the shooting claimed that they were following directions. I am not a police officer myself so I do not know the various procedures for different events, but I would assume that the last possible action taken should be using their guns.
I guess I am just fortunate enough to not have this problem happen to me or anyone else that I know. I sometimes wonder that if my father were in a situation like this how likely it would have happened to him. I wonder if the police officer would take that action against my white father. I would like to think that this is just one unfortunate scenario experienced by one cop and that not many police officers hold a certain judgement towards different races. I assume they would be easy to pick though, especially if they have been on the job for a long time. If police continue to have experiences with certain members of a certain race they I think it would be only natural to hold preconceived notions about them. As much as people would like to think that they are not racist or hold stereotypes, they do.
I am conflicted when I read this article and watch the two videos on the shootings. I see both sides of the argument on whether the police was in the right or in the wrong to shoot. Here’s my view: I believe being a police officer is a highly risky and stressful job. I don’t know what it’s like to have a family member or loved one in that field of work, but one thing is for sure is that it takes a special person to do it. I could not imagine everyday getting up for work thinking that it might be the last. With the power to lay down the law comes great responsibility. Police officers are supposed to be ‘the good guys’ and looked to as safety. All this pressure to lay down the law, protect the innocent, and be a figure head of safety must be strenuous and stressful work. When I briefly read over others responses and heard of someone’s dads as being an officer and the frightening things that have happened, it boggles me. I really could not imagine being threatened with life everyday and not be scared for my own safety and that of my family. So… On the one hand I can understand why the police officer in Oakland shot the man on the floor. With adrenaline racing and heart rate up, the officer acted on an impulse that the man had a gun on him and he was pulling it out. I mean, I would be telling a lie if I said that I would wait to see if the guy had a wallet or gun in his pocket if I felt in mortal danger. Maybe, and most likely, there were much better ways to handling the situation in Oakland; It’s just I don’t feel that we can judge this man in the right or wrong unless you yourself have been in the same situation.
On the other hand, I have a hard time swallowing what was going on in the second video. I believe that that officer crossed the line of self defense to point murder. 14 shots? I just can’t comprehend shooting someone 12 shots in the back and then continue with two more in the front. The very people that I stated previously as being role models and safety figures in our society have now shown to be capable of brutal actions leading to many innocent deaths.
I am not ignorant to think that this is a first though. I believe that many situations similar to these two have happened many times before. I also believe that this article is one sided though. It fails to show many other instances where just the opposite instance has occurred. Yes our society is not perfect. We have many things that our government keeps secrets of or sweep certain information ‘under the rug’. It is said when we hear on the news or innocent people gunned down by officers, or officers doing their job being gunned down by drug dealers. We do not live in a perfect society.
The video at the shooting at Bart Station seemed to clearly depict that the black man was wrongfully shot. The video shows one officer securing the man by placing his knee on the man’s neck and back area. This fact was also confirmed by the reporters of the story. In my opinion, the officers could have easily restrained the man from this position, and the use of a firearm was completely unnecessary. The man was shot at close range as he was held down by a second officer. To me, the video undoubtedly shows a murder. Although there is more “gray area” in the second video, the story of the man shot in New Orleans, the shooting still seemed quite unnecessary and, in this case, excessive. I cannot understand why these officers would immediately resort to the use of firearms against people who they SUSPECT to be doing something illegal. Officers are trained extensively in obtaining and restraining a suspect. Pulling out a gun should be a last resort and only used when the lives of others are in danger. Also, with the technology of today, we have means of impairing or slowing down a suspect without the use of guns, such as tasers. I don’t believe that any innocent person should have to experience pain, but the effects of being tased are far less severe than the potential effects of being shot.
The points made at the end of the blog really lead me to question the true prevalence of racism or discrimination in law enforcement. Actually, I can recall a controversial incident from my home town that falls along the lines of this topic. A Hispanic young man shot an officer while being chased by police in the downtown area of my city. Two men dressed in street clothes began chasing the Hispanic man down a street, but the facts become controversial after that. The two chasing men were undercover police officers; however, they did not identify themselves as officers to the Hispanic man during the chase. The Hispanic man shot his gun at the men chasing him while continuing to run, with the gun under his opposite arm. The second of the two shots fired killed one of the chasers, a police officer. Of course, the Hispanic man looked like a cold-blooded murderer, and the prosecutors proposed that he get the death penalty. This case is sort of the opposite of the above stories. A Hispanic man shoots a white officer, which may have been in self-defense, and he can potentially be sentenced to the death penalty. A white police officer shoots a black civilian at close range while the man’s hands and feet are handcuffed (http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/east_bay&id=6581281). It will be interesting to see if the death penalty is proposed for this man, who could not have possibly been acting in self-defense.
Although it is true that there are many misconceptions about white policeman killing black or brown men simply on the basis of race, we cannot completely disregard that argument. Unfortunately it is not true of all white policeman but in this particular case the evidence seems pretty self-evident. That man was sleeping in an underground station, since when is that a danger to other people? Would that not be the only reason to use a weapon in the first place?
Yes, maybe the policeman thought he was a danger. Maybe he allowed himself to judge Oscar Grant III just on his appearance and chose to believe that his condition at the time was a sign of delinquency. That, for this men to be living in those conditions it meant he was not living a virtuous life. He probably created a whole scenario in his head and came to the conclusion that this man was anyways not helping society and that since he was living in the streets he had no family, nobody to claim his death. Nobody to contest his death.
This is the problem, the fact that most of the time these particular policemen are oblivious to what their actions say about themselves and their assumptions. They are stuck in that way of thinking that judges solely on appearance and believes that certain classes in society are just lazy and irrelevant. I am shocked at how easy it was for him to shoot his gun. How can you, when your life is not in danger, take someone else’s life so easily? The scariest part is that he is a police officer. He is supposed to protect, not commit the crime. And so many just get away with it, because really those in power, those that decide who should go to jail or not are white folks that do not feel any attachment to the lower class citizens of different races, they are not ‘their own people’.
I do however want to stress that I do not believe this is the case every time, because once you take that stance you put yourself in that prejudiced position. Nevertheless these ‘undercover;’ crimes need to be exposed in order to move forward and also improve policemen training in dealing with those situation.
It is unacceptable to think of these cases as just exceptions, or to think that “it just happens sometimes, it was a mistake”. That man is not coming back, he is dead, and his family is going to be missing a member forever. And he is not the only one.
It is insane how many people get access to weapons, how easy it is for them to kill. That is an even bigger problem. But again for police officer should they not be trained physically to be able to mobilize people if there is a risk rather than take a gun and shoot?! It is their job to have good judgment and to use a gun as the absolute last resort.
After watching the video in which a uniformed police officer shot Oscar Grant, I find myself in a state of shock. Mr. Grant was lying prone on the ground with several police officers standing over him. After he began to “struggle” (in the words of the news reporter in the video), an officer shot him point blank in what appeared to be “execution style”, killing him. I find this incident very disturbing because Oscar Grant did not appear to be “struggling”: he was lying on his stomach with his hands behind his back with several officers over him. I have no idea how a man in that position can be thought of as threatening in any way. It is plainly obvious that Mr. Grant was executed by an officer of the law for cooperating with the police.
As for Sam's point about how difficult it is to be a police officers in rough neighborhoods, I completely understand where he is coming from. It must be very difficult to work in an environment where you are disliked and where the general public will try to hinder you from doing your job. However, these men are given the power to uphold the law and the tools (like firearms) to do so. This fact alone means that they must be able to transcend the difficulties of working in a hostile environment and do their jobs with impartiality and fairness. It is quite possible that the officer who shot Oscar Grant was scared by the situation, but that shouldn't make his trigger finger itchy. For Mr. Grant to have actually attempted to attack one of the officers, he would've had to first stand up from a completely prone position, which would take a second at least. The police would've had plenty of time to incapacitate him in some way had he actually attempted to attack them. In the same vein, why did the officer not use a tasor? The vast majority of police are issued tasors along with their usual sidearm. If the officer had just used the non-lethal tasor, maybe Oscar Grant would be alive today.
I feel that both of the killings discussed in the blog entry were execution-like murders. After watching the video of Oscar Grant's death, there is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Grant was murdered for absolutely no reason. Also, Adolph Grimes' death cannot be called anything but cold blooded murder. The police shot him 12 times in the back! I mean, three shots with a 9mm pistol to the back is more than enough to kill someone or at least severely incapacitate them. It is also suspicious how, despite the police insisting Mr. Grimes fired upon them, no one else in the neighborhood seems to have heard any gunshots before the frenzy of gunfire from police. These two incidents really make me sick and make me doubt whether we can ever truly get beyond racism.
To address your first point, I agree, it is wrong to call Police Officers racist. I’m sure there are some racist police officers, just as there are some racist people. What really needs to be questioned is if indeed Johannes Mehserle is racist, then we should question who hired him- just as we should question this when we hear about any “racist” cops. Cops of all people should not be racist. I don’t care what they witness; there is never an excuse for racism. If your job is to enforce laws, and the laws you’re enforcing are suppose to be the same for everyone I don’t think you can adequately do your job if you hold a belief that some people deserve different treatment than others. The problem is that racism is so engrained in people that it may not come out until it’s too late, like this case.
As for point two, I would hope that the majority of murders of black men would be committed by their peers and not the police. I find it unreasonable to compare the two. The police should never “murder” anyone. If you take on the job of a police officer you should assume the responsibility to follow the laws (at least major ones; like homicide) all the time; no matter what. I realize that cops aren’t perfect, but murder is inexcusable. And all these murders for “callin’ each other out” would be less likely to take place if people didn’t feel the need to run around with guns; but I admit if I were a black man living in a city with trigger happy police, I’d want a gun too. If you can trust police with guns, you can’t trust anyone, and if you can’t trust anyone you’re probably afraid, and fear leads people to shoot before they think.
I recognize that terrible events occur under the influence of racism, but come on. I could see a beating Rodney King style (not be insensitive) maybe, but not just pulling out a pistol and firing. The officer said he thought he had grabbed his taser gun, but it was actually a pistol. If you can’t determine the difference between your taser and your gun you shouldn’t be able to carry a gun.
I’m not shocked by this violence. I can’t imagine being a Police Officer. Surrounding yourself with violence and crime would eventually make you aggressive. I sincerely feel sorry for the people who make these mistakes, and in the heat of the moment maybe he couldn’t control it. I’m not trying to defend murder by any means; I’d just like to that if he hadn’t just finished breaking up a fight, and wasn’t so bogged down with stress that he couldn’t think clearly, that he would have never done something so hurtful. Americans are finally starting to apply our intelligence to eradicate racism and prejudices within our society. We’re now able to see that it’s wrong and understand why; unfortunately, for many of us our thoughts are ahead of our subconscious reactions and feelings. I’m not sure who’s to blame.
I’m not one of those people that think “how can something like this happen in America” since I have heard of cases like this in the back, but I still am shocked when I hear these stories. What makes these cases so appalling is the fact that police are taking advantage of their power. There was a case where a black man was shot because a police officer thought that this man was taking out a gun when actually reaching for his wallet. Part of a police officers job is to be able to judge a situation and have instincts on what to do in a situation. When a police officer feels under threat, he/she should not be shooting a man in the back like in the subway station which could kill them. Once a man is pinned to the ground, shooting them in the back is not necessary. Yes, this video may not show what happened before, but shooting when not in danger is definitely a crime for a police officer. The second video where a man was shot at 48 times and actually hit 14 of those times is definitely a power surge on the police’s part. There is no way the police officers could have been in that much danger that they had to repeatedly shoot this man. Police officers 14 bullets through have definitely crossed the line. They are no longer police officers at that point; they are an armed civilian that is completely out of control. They should be treated as regular civilians and put in jail.
All these cases are white police officers shooting black men. Perhaps there are other power surge cases where it isn’t this way and the news just chooses to emphasize these cases because of the race issue, but I wonder how much race does have to do with it. Had it been a white man reaching for his wallet, would the police officer still have shot? If it was white man would he have been shot 14 times? These questions are all things that go through people minds when hearing about cases like this. I sometimes think that yes, race may have been a factor, but I guess no one will ever really know. Perhaps a police officer felt more at danger of his own life because he was facing a black man, or perhaps not. A lot of a police’s judgments in these situations may be influenced from prior experiences, the crime facts in the area, the place where he/she grew up, and even the way he/she was brought up. Anything can influence a police officer’s basic instincts. There isn’t really anything that can be done besides dealing with the police officer appropriately.
When terrible things happen people go nuts. They will make up and say the most random things without thinking twice. In both cases, people will go out and say, “Cops are always killing black people” and “cops are racist” which has no basis whatsoever. Something that happens once or very rarely somehow immediately becomes the norm. It apparently happens all the time. Also even if there is the one bad egg (the racist cop) people find nothing wrong with making that generalization simply because something horrible just happened so everyone should suffer being generalized. Even though it is terrible when something so small in comparison to everything else in the world happens people need to learn to keep control and not have their whole world fall apart especially if they are not directly involved. Like Sam says all the time were all going to die soon and while yes it is sad for someone to be gunned down for no reason you can’t go haywire I’m sure there is something way more important you have to deal with that is actually in your life. On top of everything, people get killed on a regular basis for no reason at all. Sometimes you hear about it and sometimes you don’t because it really does go on so regularly. Regardless of if these crime were committed by accident or not these cops would still face the same ridicule just because they were cops, when people are dying every day just because someone was pissed off and felt like killing someone and somehow that can be more morally acceptable in most cases.
As for Sam’s questions, I obviously think shootings like this are bad but like I said I am really not directly affected I am not going to have it make any impact on my life, I don’t have the time or the energy. I’m sure that many unjustified police acts of violence do not go unnoticed because these are the things people thrive to hear about just to have a reason to rally and fight against but just like any story we hear about crimes a lot. I’m not surprised that two similar crimes that are very rare happening at around the same times don’t get the same amount of coverage. One of the stories is always going to be bigger better and draw more attention. When I stop and think about what is ACTUALLY going on, on the streets I’m not too worried. There is always going to be a small percentage of people who are just corrupt people and there are going to be the people that make mistakes. Until I hear that police are shooting civilians for no reason on a regular basis I’m going to assume that it is not a major issue and keep it from ruling my life.
I appreciate that Sam made a point of clarifying that this police shooting is a black eye for law enforcement and not in any way typical behavior for policeman. It usually bothers me that Sam feels it necessary to throw out disclaimers during lecture. I feel like in a typical class he stops himself a number of times just to make sure that no one in class is offended by what he says. For most of us I think it is clear that his main intention is to provoke thought and that this will lead to more informative section discussions, as well as a better understanding of the material. In this particular case I felt it was necessary to do so and that feeling was reinforced after our section discussion. It seemed like there was a general sentiment among classmates that “the cops are a hassle”. In fact the idea that the police are not respected by our generation was said almost verbatim. To my dismay it seemed as though the rest of the class was unaffected by the comment. Where I come from the police are given the utmost respect. Any legal troubles that my friends have encountered are accompanied by an acknowledgement that they were only getting punished for something they knew they shouldn’t have been doing. Then again most of my friends are white and I come from a rather small town so needless to say I have not been exposed personally to anything like what occurred in Oakland.
What happened in Oakland is of course both reprehensible and a tragedy. The police are there to prevent the loss of innocent life not to take it. There are no excuses in this case. In fact there seems to be no ambiguity in this case and that is what makes it so scary. Previous wrongful deaths at the hands of police have been shrouded with criminal histories, perceived danger etc. Here, thanks to the video it is black and white. An out of control white police officer took the life of an unarmed black man. Clearly the black population in Oakland has reason to be up in arms. The egregious error of one officer now casts doubt on an entire police department. I am unfamiliar with the relationship between the police and residents of Oakland but of course this won’t help. Much of police work is reliant upon this relationship meaning that not only has an innocent life been lost but an entire city will suffer the repercussions.
Speaking of this relationship let’s not forget that this situation is often reversed. Last year a 20 year old police officer in New York City was shot at point blank range and killed during a traffic stop. The car was stolen and its occupants black, the officer white. The suspects fled and took up hiding in the Pocono’s, my town. The story was initially covered by CNN but wasn’t much more than a blip. Interestingly, at least one of the suspects walked in the case and this story received no coverage nationally.
*Last week my roommate told me he was switching his major to Criminal Justice. He is from Philadelphia and extremely loyal to the city in spite of all of its flaws. I asked him if he wanted to be a cop in Philly, his response, “I’d rather go to Iraq.”
It’s kind of startling to sit here and in clear cut footage watch as “America’s finest” commit crimes that otherwise would be considered out of line. This man is sleeping in a bus station, minding his own business and not committing any crimes when the cops decide he need not be there and use force to get him out. This situation, however, escalates to a point that it probably shouldn’t have and the man winds of dead. Now before analyzing the video I want to jump to the next one just to make a point. When it comes to over reacting in a situation, shooting a man 14 times is the epitome of over the top police work. Guns, to me, represent the devil on Earth. Yes, in time of war and national security things that are this harmful can be necessary to our way of life, but why is it that trained police officers feel the need to use these weapons that ruin lives so freely. Looking at this from the family’s view point in the second video, they are obviously going to feel that their son did nothing wrong and go after these “horrible police” and in the case of the first video look for $25 million in damages. But isn’t that a little over the top? Maybe not. Everything to a parent is their children and the children’s well being. The video itself is kind of blurry making it hard to see exactly what happened but in my opinion it was the cops that were out of line. Obviously when an event this drastic occurs the police will try to keep it as under wraps as possible. You can hear the one family talking about a blue wall as they call it that protects the police officers from being identified. But is race really the question here? I think so. I hate to say it, but just like Sam said in class, being born with white skin gives you an advantage. This may be a bad part of town, but how often do you hear of a white man being shot numerous times for sleeping on the floor of a bus station. It disgusts me a it to think that the law enforcement that we as Americans rely to heavily on for support and protection are themselves committing acts that are just as horrible. What goes through the mind of an officer as they sit there, squeezing the trigger, allowing round after round to enter into human flesh and kill the life of an innocent man. Is there satisfaction in that power? The power of feeling untouchable and above the law? These cops sure do a good job of showing who’s boss to what I think are innocent men minding their own business. Everything about the shootings was cruel and unnecessary and I think it’d be very interesting to see how these trials play out.
The two police shootings of black men are very sad. The first one of Oscar Grant III is on video and I think that the video may bring the Grant family Justice unlike the Grimes family in New Orleans. Watching the video of the Grant shooting was just appalling to me. There were say 3 other police men around Grant and they were holding him down. Now if I were the cops and there was plenty of backup around, just hand cuff him. His friend in the video said that he was following the directions without causing any trouble. To me, it looked like the police men were just holding him down to shoot him. That’s pretty messed up. In Richards 6 statements to look at number 5 mentions that this shooting happened 3 weeks before the first “black” president was in office. That shocked me. I don’t think that police would shoot black people just because the president is “black”. You would think they’d ask differently. For example, you don’t see your white neighbor shooting your black neighbor and his reason is that the president is “black”. That’s all im going to say about that though because I’m kind of over talking about black, white, green, yellow, red, ECT. There is always going to be racism. I do agree that racism makes people act in a way that they wouldn’t usually act. You think this with hate crimes, and verbal abuse. I think it is hard to be a cop in areas of color. Not to be stereotypical here but you usually think about the inner cities or somewhere like New Orleans but that doesn’t give any cop the right to draw their gun more often. I think that our country doesn’t see this cop violence on the news often because they don’t want to portray that there are crooked cops out in the world. Our “leaders” want the common people to think that they are safe with the police and that the police are here to protect. I’m not sure I know what is really going on in Law enforcement. It probably is different everywhere you go. Some places may be more corrupt than others and it’s sad that they only way the country would ever find out is if the story were to make the news. Other than that there isn’t really much anyone could do. It’s sad, but it’s the truth. Cops also probably cover up their dirty work better than anyone because they are the police. The wolrd isn’t a fair place and cops, among other organizations, can be corrupt. I honestly don’t know how you would fix a problem like this. I guess it would just begin with the man in the mirror going to work that day.
To be one hundred percent honest, I’m really not surprised at all at these two incidents. I’ve heard of stories like this in the news before. Police officers are human too, which means they make mistakes just like the rest of us. However, there is a fine line between making a mistake and committed a heinous murder with a weapon. In my opinion, a police officer’s job is to protect the citizens at all costs. Although the officer’s life is as important as mine, I believe they should be using every opportunity they can to keep a citizen alive. I really feel like in both videos, the police have held back information from the public regarding the shootings. It just seems that there is more information than was provided, and most likely to shield the public from the total truth. Pieces are definitely missing from the second case shown. 48 rounds don’t just get shot by cops and one suspect. The guy got shot 14 times total, 12 in the back. I’m pretty sure his chances of survival of that one were zero. It’s enough getting shot in the back. In the video it was saying how police are trained to shoot a suspect if they feel threatened and feel the need to. And also in that case, they can fire how many times they need. That’s where I find it absurd that they felt the need to fire so many shots.
In the first video, I’m really shocked that the police shot the suspect. Two of the suspects friends were already taken care of and listening to the officers orders. They don’t struggle and don’t argue with the cop, at least that’s what it seems from the video. The thing I don’t get about the scenario is that there’s about 4 or 5 cops, and I don’t see how the officers could feel that threatened by one man. There were literally two cops on the suspect when the officer got up and shot him, which resulted in his death.
In the second shooting, like I said before, there is definitely information being withheld. It’s a really confusing situation and I don’t get how so many gunshots were fired between one man and the cops. The suspect of this shooting had a permit for his firearm, so out of all people he would know not to fire a shot at the cops first. I believe in this case it was the cops who fired first, resulting in the suspect’s death. In the first video I believe the cops are again at fault. Both families should have the right to sue for amends and wrongful deaths. We are trusting cops with our life, and it really doesn’t settle well with me when we have to see people getting shot when it seems like there isn’t enough reason to justify shooting.
Situations dealing with the police seem to always be so controversial, especially when racial issues are involved. Like the blog said, often times people hate the police until they need them. It isn’t rare to hear people continually talking negatively about cops and the ways they tend to pick at people, target others and basically make it a point to search for individuals to catch them engaging in wrongdoings. Some of this may be true in certain cases, but generalizing this to be the very nature of police officers is a very narrow-minded testament. Surely seeing cases like these makes it very hard to empathize with the police, but once again, it must be kept in mind that these are two particular, yet very unfortunate and tragic, cases. The fact that such situations even occurred is so sickening, and in my opinion, stems purely from racism. It is very understandable that police are trained to operate on fear and suspicion and lead a very stressful job, but the ways in which the police officers treated the victims (and yes, I do mean victims), is completely uncalled for. Both young men were victims of racist behavior from members of the community whose duties are to serve as protectors. It is scary to me that people in positions like this may put their own self-interests ahead of what their duty truly calls for and act in ways that unjustly harm others. Race isn’t the only matter that such protectors may hold against individuals that could become their victims. What about homosexuals? What about men that see women to be inferior objects? Though a “protector” should serve as just that, a protector, there are many instances that the police are victimizers. These two cases are excellent examples of the police, our protectors, engaging in unjust treatment and victimizing certain people, specifically black people. However, it made me very happy and hopeful to read that the great majority of police officers in the country were appalled by Grant’s murder. This statement, alone, suggests that the majority of police offers ARE out there to do the job they are assigned to do and can see unjust acts from a human perspective. The acts portrayed in the blog are better examples of racism than human cruelty by authority, although both aspects can most definitely be observed. The bottom line is this: such behavior should not be happening at all. Yes, our country has made great progress over the years, but we sure have a long way to go. It isn’t only the job of white people to better the racial issues that still exist in our everyday. Rather, it is the job of all of us. The first step is for everyone (Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) to step back and consciously acknowledge, understand and admit our wrongs and agree to move forward to right them. These two men are two of many that lost their lives for reasons undoubtedly associated with skin color. It has got to stop, and putting a stop to it begins with you.
The killings of these two young African-american men in my opinion are absolutely inexcusable. I have noticed most people are arguing that these police officers are just human beings at the end of the day and seem to almost be blaming the crime on human error. But seriously what kind of human error results in the killing of man who is lying face down, unarmed and following police instructions? At this rate no progress is going to be made in the quest to make our communities and the world a safer place if people insist on making pathetic excuses for people who are obviously in the wrong. Yes police officers work under highly stressful situations and their lives are put at risk every single day of their lives because of the work they do and I respect that. But then again let us not forget that these police officers chose to put themselves such situation when they decided they wanted to be police officers. They were well aware of the dangers that come along with the job; so to all of a sudden say “Oh my job is so hard and I’m so stressed” is no excuse for such actions against humanity. Doctors are highly stressed out people as well and they get sued or punished on the spot for any kinds of malpractice. Why should it be any different for Police officers or any occupation that puts the lives of human beings at great risk?
I’d bet that if you were to ask these police officers why they chose this particular occupation with its extreme stresses and life-threatening situations they’d say “Oh I want to be the protector of the innocent.” or “I believe in true justice for all.” or “I want to make the our communities a better place for our children to live and grow.” Or “I want to serve my country the best way I know how.” and other things like that. So are you really doing a service your country and the community when you shoot innocent people in cold blood? You may not have set out that day having the intent of killing anyone of course, but that doesn’t justify the killing of an innocent man by any account. Another excuse of, “Oh maybe he was having a bad day” is also not good enough. If you know you are having a bad day, take a day off and stay home! Don’t go out and try to find other people to take out your frustrations on.
With all that said I wouldn’t go on to label all police officers as ‘racist’. Yes there might be some racist police officers out there, and yes people of colour are more likely to be pulled over or suspected of being shady than a white person, but it’s not fair to label police officers as such. This is a case of some obviously bad apples in the bunch. And I highly doubt that these are the only cases out there. The media probably withholds a lot more from the American public that it lets on. I feel that if this country is ever going to truly get over this racial divide and move forward, such cases need to be let out in the open and people need to be open to talking about race. Because without this much needed discussion, this country is bound to remain at a standstill till kingdom come.
Let me say one thing before I begin, shootings like the two in the videos are never ok and the police officers involved should be punished. With that being said, I am a criminology major and thus I feel that I can put myself in the police officers shoes. Especially in the second video where shots were reportedly fired at police would I understand the police firing back. However, in my own personal opinion I think that 12 shots is 11 too many to subdue someone.(not implying that any lethal force should be used)The worst part about this situation is we have heard nothing from the police officers themselves. These stories seemed to have disappeared from the current news and it is shocking that this is the first I'm hearing about it. This brings me to the first video. The subject was clearly subdued and they even stated that the cop had his knee on his neck. Nevertheless, another cop reached for his firearm and fired. I think an issue that is extremely alarming is what brings someone to fire upon a person who is subdued in an area where 100 plus people are looking on. This person has to be seriously messed up to do what he did.
I do believe however, that it should only be the officers involved that are punished. People should not lump police in and say "oh this is the police's fault." It really isn't, it the one cop who decided it was necessary to fire. Police are not invincible physically or mentally as we see in the video. People shouldn't have the pretense that all cops are perfect and humanly just.
The first video of the police officer shooting Grant while he was completely defenseless was disgusting to me. The guy was on his knees and following the officer’s directions when all of a sudden the officer pulls out a gun and shoots him and kills him. His friends were right around him sitting on the ground as the police officers went Rambo on his ass. This is awful. Could it be a racism issue? Absolutely. Look at all of the statistics in class the other day where it showed that a much higher percentage of black people are arrested for drugs even though they have a much smaller percentage of the total population of drug users. Not all police officers are like this at all. This is just an extreme case of a lunatic pulling a gun on a defenseless and innocent man. It saddens me that he has a family and they have lost an innocent man. It also sickens me that the Chief of Police said that it was “inconclusive” and needed further review. What?! There seemed to be no reason why a weapon was drawn in the first place. It looked like they had Grant on his knees and under control. Why pull a weapon out? I want to know what Grant did in the first place to even attract the police.
In the second video, the man was shot 14 times (12 times in the back!)and apparently 48 bullets were shot. If this man shot at the police first, then I can understand the police firing back. He is a threat at that point. However, if there is no record of him firing a gun which the FBI is searching, these policemen should deal with big consequences. It seems to me that this man did nothing wrong and was out celebrating New Years. It can definitely be an issue of racism again. The white men could have suspected Chris to be a criminal simply because it was late and he was black. It just really saddens me that the family has no idea what is going on and the police won’t tell them anything. Do they not have feelings? Is this black man not a human being? He got shot 12 times in the back! Could you ever do that to your brother, cousin, father, or any friend?
This is one area where the media can actually help a situation. The police are trying to hide their wrongdoings, but if the media keeps hitting them with questions, something will be solved. This cannot be correct police procedure and people should really speak out about this especially other police officers around the United States. We don’t really know exactly what happened on the streets in either of those situations. We only know what we saw from the videos, but to me, it definitely didn’t seem right.
In regards to Professor Richards’ post, “Let’s Stay Focused,” I agree with his overall assessment of the unfortunate incident involving Oscar Grant III and the Oakland police officer. Murders are always tragic and regrettable; however, when they occur under the circumstances shown in the YouTube video, no words can explain the shock and outrage felt by most people. In addition, I agree with his advice to students to use his six distinct statements when both reading and, more importantly, making comments on this particular post. Yet, while agree with most of his six statements, I disagree with some of the content in some of the statements. I agree with the plea to restrain from making unsubstantiated generalizations. Without a shadow of a doubt, a number of students – regardless of race, religion, color, or social class – likely would have started their posts by making blanket generalizations, such as white police officers are racist (although, the evidence certainly can be presented, perhaps skewed is a better word, in such a way to support those claims). However, even though these claims may appear to have some level of truth (albeit not that high) in them, making such a claim would have almost instantly devalued the claim in the eyes of many people because, as most people would easily agree, not all white police officers are racist. These incidents, such as the one involving Oscar Grant III and the Oakland police officer, almost always involve minority victims and white police officers, thus fanning the burning notion that all white police officers are somehow so corrupt and racist to such an extreme level that they would commit cold-blooded murder of a seemingly innocent victim in plain sight. Advocates for equal rights are always harping on the danger of generalizations and stereotypes about racial groups and that argument should also apply to these types of situations, no matter how unfortunate. I disagree with Professor Richards’ claim that “the only police officers in this country who are NOT appalled by Grant’s killing are likely those who are members of some underground white supremacist organization for cops or the police officers who are just plain psychotic.” Obviously, I unable to view this incident from the perspective of a police officer, nor can I even pretend to understand how police officers feel when their actions and methods are second-guessed and they accused of having their “blatant racism” cloud their judgment. However, I can speak from the perspective of a concerned citizen. As a citizen, I was appalled – read horrified, disgusted, dismayed, sickened, upset – by this incident. But I was as appalled as others, as appalled as I probably should have been, because I was not shocked to even the slightest degree. Maybe it is because I have seen this type of incident in the news on numerous occasions (more often than I would like to remember), or maybe it is because only the incidents involving white police officers and minority victims are the only ones reported. Either way, I have been desensitized to these types of stories, which is truly appalling.
This blog entry showed one video from each circumstance. There was no suggestion that these were on going stories in the media where the two sides (police and victim, black victim I might add) fought against each other, trying to defend their case. Perhaps that is what the blog was supposed to portray, that the media does not always give us the story in full. We are forced to make ethical ideologies with the information we are given. In these cases, it is clearly obvious that there was some unfairness going on. But who is to say that it was racially motivated. We have no evidence of that other than seeing the color of the two individuals skin. It would be ridiculous to say that police only shoot black people. I am sure there are a number of cases with the same situation; the only variable being there is a white victim rather than a black. This blog only presents us with two examples of black victims. It is setting us up to think or believe that police forces are racist. Which is unfair. However, this is exactly what the media can do and does do. They can show you exactly what they want to make us think what ever they want us to. It is up to us to take what we want from it. I guess I am one of those white people that black people get angry at when I say “hey everyone is equal” as Sam said in class. And it is not that I believe that racism is not an issue still in America, but I feel it is made into a larger issue than it needs to be. What if everyone forgot about race? What would happen? Now I think this is what many people have been proposing for a long time, but I mean truly everyone forget about race. Sam said at the beginning of the semester, “When we talk about race, white people tense up. They don’t think that they are a race” What if no one thought of himself or herself as a race. I feel things would be a lot better. As we have discussed in discussion, and in lecture, that it’s not so much race, but culture that separates people. There could be two white people who are completely different, and therefore, have no connection other than their race. On the other hand, I have experienced two black people, who also have nothing in common, other than their race. The two black people are more likely to be friends than the two white people. This is something far above and beyond what I can see from my point of view. But who is to say that is not a root of racism? It is very often considered the fault of white people, but could it be true that it is a fault of both whites and blacks?
I went to KTVU’s website to look at the additional information they had about the Oscar Grant shooting and I was shocked to find even more terrible videos, if you can imagine that. It seems that many people on the train found the situation to be ridiculous enough that they recorded it also. One video shows a closer and clearer shot than the video which is posted on the blog (http://www.ktvu.com/video/18425155/index.html). And the other video (http://www.ktvu.com/video/18554358/index.html) shows Grant and two other men talking to a policewoman when a bald officer comes over and grabs Grant and punches him in the face. Now, we do not know what words were exchanged before that assault, but clearly Grant was not going after the officer. After the punch, Grant drops to the ground and so do the men to both of his sides, and the officer waves a taser gun at the men. This same officer is the one who will go on to hold his knee on Grant’s head while Officer Mehserle pulls his gun and unnecessarily shoots Grant in the back. Race aside, these police officers are abusing their authority to brutally harm citizens. This story is so shocking because I think that as American citizens, we would like to believe our officers are protecting us, not shooting innocent people.
Adolf Grimes’ story is even more disturbing because it doesn’t involve just one police officer, or one shot. In what case is it necessary to fire FORTY EIGHT bullets at one man—never in my opinion. Also, there is clearly a certain amount of lying going on this case, because officers say that there were reports of gunshots in the area, but there are no records of that on file, which in my mind shows their desire to cover-up a ruthless murder. Grimes was hit by 14 bullets, 12 of which were in the back. To me, getting shot in the back means that he was not showing aggression towards the officers; he wasn’t even facing them! But somehow this warranted 48 shots.
Digging deeper into the Grimes crime, I found that the night of the shooting, the report said that Grimes pointed a gun at the officers when they surrounded his car, but there was nothing said about him firing the weapon. At first this may seem like he was asking to be shot, but if I am sitting in a car waiting for my cousin when multiple men wearing just normal street clothes descend on my car and surround me, I am going to be extremely worried for my safety too. Interestingly, the report was changed the next day to say that Grimes fired his gun. Suspicious.
I do believe that often times police officers pull over and treat black men differently than others. I think that many of us have personally witnessed such incidents. I don’t know that these murders were racially motivated, but what I do know is that these officers committed heinous crimes which warrant punishment. The most disturbing part of crimes committed by police officers is that they often get treated differently because they are part of the law system. Officers are citizens too, and they should be held to the same standard of the law—whether it concerns harassment, assault, and definitely murder. Overall, I am just amazed by the terrible and unnecessary nature of these killings.
The police shootings of innocent, young African American men are appalling and truly a shame. The police that murdered these young men are completely at fault and had no legitimate reason for acting so rashly. The policemen in Oakland who committed these unforgivable acts were probably acting in self-defense or were racist and just acted impulsively without consideration. In the defense of all policemen and women in our country, it is unfair to state that all of the humans in the police force are racist and would act the same way as these men. Police are not looking to hurt our society. In reality, our country’s police forces are putting their own lives on the line for our own safety and well being.
I do not believe that the only people in the country not appalled by Grant’s killings are likely to be members of “some underground white supremacist organization for the cops who are just plain psychotic.” I do not believe the cop involved in the Oakland shooting is right by any means, but let’s play devil’s advocate. Put yourself in the police officer’s shoes. Each and every day you have to worry about not coming home to your family after work. You have lost many co-workers on the job and you know that you are also extremely vulnerable. If you are on the job and see a man reach into his pocket to grab what may or may not be his wallet, or possibly even a gun – you have a tough decision to make. The police officer has to think quickly to decide whether to… take a risk and assume that this man is an innocent person and truly just taking out his wallet, OR act in self-defense and shoot.
Even if it was an act of self-defense, I do not excuse the police officer from his action of murder. Now from the other perspective, this man was, in fact, innocent and was not going to hurt the cop in any way. If the cop was convinced that this man was “dangerous” he could have gotten back up help, tackled him to the ground, or shot him somewhere that would not kill him. Oscar Grant was an innocent human being with a family. He was murdered with no justified reason and now his relatives and friends have to cope with their unexpected loss without any explanation.
I do not think it’s fair to assume that all police officers would act this. To say that all policemen were racist would be similar to saying that all Jews are cheap or all Irish are drunks. It is an unfair assumption and is definitely not accurate. In our society we tend to constantly judge others based on the actions of a select few. This is something we are slowly moving to overcome, and need to work on as a country. All in all, I feel that the shootings in Oakland have been an unfortunate tragedy. I have the deepest sympathies for Oscar Grant and his family, but at the same time I feel for the police man who probably will live with regrets and shame for the rest of his life.
I think that it is very upsetting to know that some people were not appalled by the killing of Oscar Grant. The fact that he was killed just three weeks before Obama was sworn in as the first black president does not help matters. I don’t personally know what cops go through when they’re on the job, but I know that it is very hard. Depending on what precinct the cops work in, some cops face life and death situations every day. Cops are afraid to go to certain neighborhoods because they know that it is dangerous and there is a risk of getting shot, so they avoid those neighborhoods altogether. The people that live in those neighborhoods hate cops and that is why cops do not show up. If by chance the cops are called into the neighborhood by a resident, it might be a valid reason because people only call cops if they really need them. They do not want any trouble with the cops because they more than likely cannot afford to get in trouble with the cops. There is a huge difference between self defense and murder. I understand that the cops were afraid and they assumed that the guy was pulling a gun out of his pocket. I guess they were trained to assume the worst and I probably would have been thinking the same thing. So the cops prepared themselves in case the worst should happen or occur. The guy was really only reaching for his wallet. Oscar Grant was killed by a white police officer, and this case in not uncommon. Police regularly mistreat colored people and that is considered racism. I believe that there is a double standard because police sometimes kill people in cold blood and then they receive immunity for their actions. It doesn’t help the fact that the media makes a huge deal and blows it way out of proportion when there is a person of color involved in crime. That is why other people make a huge deal out of it. If it was a guy who was the criminal, the outcome would have been very different because most people would not expect a white person to be guilty of a crime. So the stereotype of the black criminal ruins it for the rest of the black and colored community. I feel that self defense is necessary if someone feel that their life is threatened. They should have a gun and use if the need arises but only shoot once. In the other case, the guy was shot 12 times, now how can that be self defense, it is cold-blooded murder. I think that the justice system needs some improvement and that cops should be served justice when they kill people and the government should not turn a blind eye to the situation.
The shocking video in the blog clearly illustrates why some people believe that cops are sometimes racist. There is a pre-supposition that somebody who is from a certain community is less likely to co-operate with the concerned authorities.
Although it is definitely unfair to generalize that all cops are racist etc…. we can see why people might make statements like that. With two officers, restraining any kind of suspect, no matter how dangerous - should be a relatively easy task. It is clear how inadequately trained these officers are, because they have to resort to shooting someone in the head to keep them down. Racism is going to continue to exist as long as we have isolated incidents like this, which instigates hatred, and propaganda from racist groups.
It is also very true that we need to back police officers as they too live in a world where they are constantly living on the edge. The thing is, it is not only their lives on the line, but their family, their livelihood, and this pushes them into a world of insecurity.
It is true that we are hearing or seeing far less than what goes on. In a world where living and dying is a way of life, people don’t always want to see the other side, and that is the crumbling point – the point at which the whole world breaks in terms of race relations.
There are several ways to fix this. It begins with training officers of different backgrounds together. I honestly believe that, as unfair as the quota system may seem, it offers solutions in terms of race relations. People don’t like the quota system because it makes them feel like their knowledge is not merited because people who did far less got in. The truth is, though, that those same people held the advantage for a few centuries and do not like competing on a level plain.
It is about time we recognized that every system across the world is dealing with new cultures as we interact with each other through TV, the Internet, etc…. and this means every government needs to modify itself and get ready for those very changes. It begins with our system and it is about time that we learned that protecting your own citizens doesn’t come with guns, or policemen, it comes with learning how to interact properly with everyone who becomes a part of your world
These two videos are very shocking and mind boggling. Like I mean in the case Oscar Grant, what did he really do to warrant his untimely death? Was it his struggle with the cops, in which is movement was so intimidating that the cop had to pull back and shoot him in the back whiles the other cop had his knee on his neck? I really don’t know whether to call this blatant racism or an inexplicable mistake from an angry police officer. Like this man needs to come out and explain his damn actions. I really thank the individual who managed to secure a video of this act because certainly, the public would never have received access to this video and many other videos which the police always keep under wraps due to their code of silence. How can the police department even try to shield this from the general public when what this officer did was obviously wrong? No matter what the police department tries to do, they can never justify their case, because the entire United States and even beyond its borders have witnessed this video. Bringing the issue of the long lasting tension between police officers and people of color, I wonder if in the back of this officer’s mind, he was really doing it because this person was black or simply because he was just annoyed by his resistance to arrest. Another thing to consider here is how many times has this type of thing occurred and gone unnoticed? If it were a white man, would he have gone ahead and just shot him at the slightest provocation he evidently did? No one can really answer that, and if that were truly the case, he would probably be insane to actually admit that, that was the underlying reason. I’m sure by now many black people are calling this racism and calling for immediate justice, but this could have been an honest mistake. If you look at it from another perspective, this will be a good example of perception versus reality. In the officer’s mind, Oscar’s resistance could have been seen as a threat to his life and the lives of the other officers and bystanders, which is why he pulled the trigger. At the same time many other people like myself, judging from the video do not regard this as anything that could be life threatening. My heart does go out to the young man’s family, but refusing to speak with family members under the guise of some “serious investigation going on” does not help. This man was too young and probably had something planned for his life. His daughter is going to grow up without her father and can one imagine how tough it might be for her? His parents have lost a son they had hope in whose life has abruptly been shortened due to someone’s negligence or innate racist background. Justice must prevail in this incident. No matter how long this issue is stretched, the OFFICER must face the music.
The killing of Oscar Grant by a white police officer is just one of many examples of police brutality in this country. Obviously this problem does not occur to the extent that it does in many other countries throughout the world but the fact that it occurs at all in the US is excessive still. Former US Assistant Secretary to the Treasury Paul Craig Roberts recently wrote on police brutality:
“The only terrorist most Americans will ever encounter is a policeman with a badge, nightstick, mace and Taser. A Google search for "police brutality videos" turns up 2,210,000 entries. Some entries are foreign and some are probably duplications, but the number is so large that a person could do nothing but watch police brutality videos for the rest of his life. A search on "You Tube" alone turned up 2,280 police brutality videos. PrisonPlanet has a selection of the most outrageous recent cases. Police brutality has crossed the line from using excessive force against a resisting Rodney King to unprovoked gratuitous violence against persons offering no resistance, such as the elderly, women, students, and elected officials. Americans are not safe anywhere from police. Police attack Americans in university libraries, in public meetings, and in their own homes.
Last week we had the case of the University of Florida student who was repeatedly Tasered without cause for asking Senator Kerry some good questions in the question and answer period following Kerry’s speech. Two days after the Florida student was gratuitously brutalized, Senate Republicans defeated Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy’s bill to restore habeas corpus protection.
A UCLA student was Tasered by police without cause for studying in the university library without having his student ID on his person. Following police orders to leave, the student was walking toward the door when police grabbed him and repeatedly Tasered him.
On September 19, 2007 a young woman was repeatedly Tasered without cause by a large brutal cop in a parking lot outside a night club in Warren Ohio.
On September 14, 2007, Roseland, Indiana, city council member David Snyder was ejected from a council meeting by dictatorial council chairman Charlie Shields. Snyder had protested being limited to one minute to speak. Police goon Jack Tiller escorted Snyder out, and as Snyder exited the building, Tiller, following behind, pushed Snyder to the ground and without cause began beating Snyder in the head with a nightstick. Snyder was hospitalized.
Local TV news stations throughout the US offer an endless stream of police brutality videos, which are then posted on the stations’ web sites, often with an opportunity for citizens to express their opinion of the incidents.
There are many disturbing aspects to police brutality cases. One disturbing aspect is that the police always arrest the people that they have gratuitously brutalized. There was no justification whatsoever to arrest councilman Snyder, or the UCLA student, or the University of Florida student. The cops committed assault against innocent citizens. The cops should have been arrested for their criminal acts. Instead, the cops cover up their own crimes by arresting their victims on false charges that are invented to justify the unprovoked police violence against citizens.” Lewrockwell.com
I have never understood why race has been such an issue for so long and how it could ever so easily infiltrate the system that supposedly protects us. I believe that point number 4 in Dr. Richard’s blog is bs. Clearly it’s not easy being a cop in neighborhoods where everyone hates you until they need you but that in NO way should ever be a contributing factor to racist police brutality. That fact comes with the job so if you can’t deal, don’t be a cop.
I feel like there is so much in the world today that we are shielded from or given false information about. It seems like the government and anybody with legal power really has the ability to undermine us and take control. Even though the United States is supposed to be a Democracy in which all people are equal and are treated as such, this does not seem like this is always the case. We cannot only point the blame at police officers because there are corrupt people in every occupation, however, it does raise certain issues since these are supposed to be the people that we expect to protect us. Although I am sure that there are many people that perform racist acts on a daily basis, all it takes is one police officer to do so to give the whole force a bad name. I know that they are dealing with a very stressful and at times scary career but it is one that they chose to take on and they should realize the baggage that comes along with it. It is also sometimes hard to judge because like I said before we really do not have any control over what the media decides to show us. There could indeed be cases where the police abused young and innocent white males, but this is not something we really see. I have seen other videos where police officers have physically beaten black men and even when constrained they did not stop abusing them. This is entirely inhumane and not even the type of treatment we give to the most serious criminals on death row. Yes, I do think that police officers should defend themselves when necessary but it should stop there. It appears as if sometimes they take it to a higher, more personal level where they really want to see a person suffer. There are other ways to go about handling a situation before jumping to conclusions. How are police officers supposed to make us feel safe if in the back of our minds we are worried they may accidently misunderstand our actions and kill us? For many people this may not be a major concern, but I would not be surprised if this was a fear of a few or even many black people, especially when traveling at later hours. How could this not be in the back of their mind when cases like this do happen, even if it is only once in a while. Mistakes do happen but when dealing with a person’s life they cannot be taken lightly. It really horrifies me that a person’s position can get them out of so much and makes me question where we are going to draw the line.
People participate in racial profiling every day. People see people of different races all the time and immediately pass judgment, make assumptions, have prejudice and create stereotypes. Sometimes this is done consciously and other times it is not. Either way people still are looking at the color of each other’s skin rather than the actual person. People do not take the time to learn about others who are different from them. It is easier to pass judgment and make assumptions rather than getting to know someone. Police officers are human too and guilt of this as well.
Police officers see crimes by all different races on a daily basis. After some time police officers probably associate certain crimes with certain races. After seeing a certain group of people consistently involved in criminal activity it is easy to associate everyone of that race with the possibility of committing a crime. It is a terrible way of thinking but it does happen. Based on these conclusions and groupings about various races police officers create stereotypes. While I would like to think police officers try to be open minded and not pass judgment like this it does happen. How can you not believe that it does not happen especially with deaths like Oscar Grant III and Amadou Diallo? If they were white men walking the streets would police officers be suspicious of them? Would the police officers have shot a white man for reaching inside his jacket for his wallet? Would police officers have shot a white man 42 times? Is it only white privilege that “protects” a white man or is it something else? Would the situation be the same if the men were Puerto Rican, Asian, or Native American? While there is no way to ever really know the answer of those questions and many others it creates some controversy and is thought provoking. There is no way to ever know if police officers if they are biased or racist. The people and community members must believe in the law enforcement and hope that they are fair.
There is no doubt that racial profiling is a major problem. The only way to solve it is to educate ourselves about other races and to stop being so ignorant. Police officers more than anyone else need to learn to avoid racial profiling, stereotypes and prejudices in order to hopefully reduce the cases like Grant’s and Diallo’s. I don’t think there is ever going to be a way to completely get rid of racism or stereotypes because they are always going to be people out there who want to believe what they want to believe and refuse to listen to anyone else. Yet, there are people out there who are willing to learn and be educated and those are the people that matter.
The two videos regarding the alleged “police abuse” dishearten me. Nobody ever wants to see innocent, young men die. Yet, the issue to discuss is whether the two men were innocent. The way the videos are portrayed (the very little of what we see) does in fact make the case regarding Mr. Grant in the subway station seem like the police abused their powers. He seemed to be cooperating by kneeling on the ground with little movement. However, we are not given any audio. Maybe Mr. Grant was yelling threats to the police or not cooperating with the commands of the authority. All in all, the video is swayed to one opinion, as all media is anymore. It does not seem that we are able to get a non-biased point of view in terms of multimedia evidence.
With that said, I agree with others that we must put ourselves in the mindset of the police officers, just as Sam wants us to do. In doing this, I can see that a group of young men in what appears to be a subway station could be threatening. Small gestures such as Mr. Grant reaching for towards his back pocket could cause the authorities to believe Mr. Grant was in possession of a weapon, ultimately leading them to shoot in their defense. Is this the right way to act? Of course it is not how we all envision our police force acting for the good and order of the people. The police are held to a higher standard of behavior than ordinary citizens, which is why we believe instances such as the Grant video and the Grimes video should never occur. What we all must remember is that police are still ordinary citizens that have the ability to make mistakes. Anymore, it seems police become fearful in many situations allowing their fear to overcome them leading to the absurd 46 shots being fired against Mr. Grimes (or so CNN reports). It is a shame that what might be fear or certainly abuse of power leads to possible innocent lives being taken. I believe if police officers do not have the ability to leave their fear/emotions at the door and actually follow that standard of higher actions, they should not pursue a career in law enforcement. From media evidence, it definitely seems police abuse is widespread in large urban areas. Personally, I have several friends who have encountered police abuse (not in the form of violence but rather absurd fines and court appearances) due to one officer who act in childish ways.
In all, I agree that police abuse is evident in this day in age. However, from the little information (and no audio evidence) that was presented in both instances, it is too hard to tell whether this is another instance for police abuse that needs to be recorded. Hopefully in the future both the media and law enforcement will behave in a more mature level than ordinary citizens. Is this likely? Well, I think we all know the answer to that.
When I first began reading this blog I almost immediately sided with the police. This time next year I will be in the police academy preparing to start my career in law enforcement. But as I continued to read, and watched the videos, I couldn’t believe the raw video that was shown. To see a cop but his knee to the back of the neck of someone who was laying on the ground and then get up and shot, left me speechless. I really would like to know what was said between the two officers that made them think that this was the best idea in that situation, what made them think that shooting a man in the back while there were 4 cops with in a 5 foot radius, was what they needed to do. It seemed like there was no hesitation either, Oscar Grant III was struggling with the officers that’s when the 2nd officer stepped back, knowing what was going to happen. I understand how difficult the life of a police officer is, my brother is a cop and I have talked many officers about the different challenges of the profession. It’s a fine line of controlling your fears, knowing that at any moment the ‘shit can hit the fan’ as they say. An officer walking down the side of a car for a speeding citation can find themselves staring down the barrel of a gun. But what that officer did was unacceptable. The situation seemed to be under control, the same can not be said for the temper of the police officer. I believe that both of the officers involved in the situation should be fired; their force was way over the line and unwarranted.
While watching the 2nd video, one thing that stuck out in my mind was, if he was in the car that he had rented to drive home to his family, why was there a shot gun in the trunk of the car, it seems like a detail that the media skated over and never mentioned. I personally feel that a 22 year old kid who lives in the city is probably not going deer hunting with that gun. I feel that there is much missing from this story, there had to have been a reason why officers surrounded the car like it was reported, they just don’t zero in on some random person. It is a tragic story, but the family may not know what their son was involved in, or what really took place. I really believe that patrol cars should all have video cameras installed on their dash board. It would help in the process of investigations, finding out if the police were in line or using excessive force.
After viewing the first video of how the police men dealt with Oscar Grant III, I was absolutely appalled. Even if this was a case of white supremacist police officers, there was no reason for the police officer to shoot him in the back as this would most likely lead to death if not serious permanent injuries. Regardless of whether this police man or group of officers are white supremacists, there is no reasoning for their actions of shooting this man in the back. They clearly had him detained and under their control, why did they feel that it was necessary to go as far as shooting this man? People need to look beyond the color of one’s skin and realize that this man is human just like each and every other person on this planet. If the officer looked into this man’s eyes and saw him as the person who he really is rather than the man he is handcuffing to the ground, things would be much different. Had the officer known this person or been related to the person he was arresting, there is absolutely no way that he would have even thought to pull his gun out for one second. Yes there may have been some struggle viewed in the video, but that is something that police officers have to deal with. Also, being properly trained for these types of situations and taking responsibility to make the right choices regarding gun use is something that comes along with the job of being a police officer. Clearly, this officer or group of officers was not well prepared for any situation like this because they handled it completely irrational and unjust. If it is their job to protect us citizens and make sure everyone follows the laws, then they must abide by them as well. How can a police officer be so hypocritical to think that it is acceptable for him to pull out his gun and shoot someone who could potentially be a threat, even though he clearly was not at this point? Think perhaps if this situation had been just the day before, a day when this police officer may have been off duty. If this police officer did the exact same thing, in no way would he have gotten away with it. In fact, other police men would probably be arresting him and he would go straight to jail and not have any immunity whatsoever. Just because he had on the uniform and the badge does not suddenly make it ok to use his gun as freely and nonchalantly as he did. After all, that’s all it is, just a uniform and a badge. These things should be upholding our rights, defending our constitution, not providing immunity for irresponsible police officers.
After seeing both of those news clips, multiple thoughts and emotions crowded my mind at once. First I was thinking more along the lines of, how could someone kill another person in cold blood? The first thing that came to my mind was not race, but the inhumanity of the acts. I understand that it is the first priority of the police to protect themselves from harm, but what I do not understand is that neither situation posed a serious threat to their safety. When the police assumed that Grant was reaching for a gun instead of his wallet they threw him to the ground, restrained him, and then handcuffed him. Considering he was already not able to move, the police then had every opportunity o search him for a gun or other weapons. Instead, they shot him in the back. Even if Grant would have been a threat, he was already restrained and not endangering himself or the police! The Grimes situation seems to be even further inhumane. He is described as a young man with no criminal record and graduating from the most prestigious high school in the area. To me, he already seems to not be a threat, but sometimes good kids do screw up. The situation is described as the boy waiting in the car for his cousin with a gun on him. Living in a rough area, I would expect that people do carry guns around for protection. The police did not know why exactly he had it, but I doubt he bought the gun thinking “I can’t wait to shoot at some cops”. What does not make any sense is that gun shots were heard in the area, not exactly from Grimes. It may make sense for police to investigate a dangerous area, but one person showing a possible threat does not need 12 bullets in the back and 2 in the front to kill him. This was completely cruel and unnecessary violence.
I think both of these killings were acts of unnecessary violence. The police in these bad areas are used to extremely dangerous situations, and again, I can understand self-defense, but I do not think there is any need for such violence. I also think that we have not heard more about the New Orleans shooting because it would make the police look very bad. Not just the officers who were involved in the situation, but all of the New Orleans police in the area. This would only further give a bad name to them. I think the threat of a police department being labeled an undesirable name would cause departments to cover up other stories that the public may not know about. I do believe that there are plenty of stories that are covered up all of the time to protect the name of police. I also think there situations that would make police officers look bad, but it truly is a situation of self-defense. In the world we live in it is sometimes hard to decide whose actions are right and whose are wrong.
These two videos both leave a lot of room for questions and skepticism, not to mention scandal and cover-ups. First off, what I would like to know is that as many police shootings as there actually are in this country, are there really as many against black males as they portray there are. Put another way, I would like to know just how many of these shootings there are and also what proportions are white, black, latino, etc. Are there more questionable shootings of innocent black men than any other race or do police generally mistaken black men as being dangerous more than any other race. I don’t pretend to know these things and like I said earlier these two stories leave a lot room for questions. In response to the first shooting of Oscar Grant, it looked like there was no reason at all for the shooting. To me, he looked subdued and secure. Who knows if there were words exchanged or the police officer had some kind of vendetta. Or maybe it was an accident, at least that is what the video was leaning toward. But how does a trained police officer not only unlock the trigger but accidentally pull it as well? Could he be a racist man and in the back of his mind wanted to punish the suspect? You really can’t leave anything out. As for the second case, which to me, is more bizarre then the first case, the man was shot 14 times. Also reports came back and revealed that over 40 shots were fired in total. Why so many? What made them shoot? Did Adolph Grimes shoot first, or return fire when he was fired upon. Then there was also the variable of police officers in street clothes, maybe Grimes was threatened by a bunch of strange men approaching him and he used self defense. All these issues have not been resolved in the video and I’m going to look up the report right after this to get some conclusion. The hot topic here: would these two tragic shootings have happened if the individual men were white? And the answer that these two videos plus events such as the Rodney King beatings have lead me to believe is that no, these ‘accidents’ wouldn’t have happened if these men were white. For some reason black men are viewed more dangerous to police officers than white people or other races for that matter. I think that there could be one of two things; either police (mostly white) have an innate racism towards these black suspects or that historically and generally black males have proven to be more suspicious and dangerous to police officers. Or maybe it is a combination of both and these ‘accidents’ are spiraling out of control. There is no need for violence.
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