Who recalls the days when a cop would stop a person with a gun and shout freeze, drop the gun, drop the gun, and the person with the gun would either drop the gun and run or fire, and the cops would take cover?
I do too, but I would not ask cops to do that these days, even though the United States has more guns than any other nation, and that means more guns than people.
But how does a cop shoots and kill a person with a gun who has not threatened them and be justified, in a country in which many states have open-carry laws, concealed carry laws, and in all states, citizens have the right to own and have a gun on their person?
Worse yet, how does a cop shoot and kill someone who has no gun? Mark you, we are not talking about a person who has a gun that, for all that cop knows, may very well be legal in that person’s possession, we aren’t talking about a situation in which a cop sees a weapon and knows that it is illegal, and even so, he has no justifiable reason to shoot at the person unless the person directly threatens him or someone else with the gun.
We are talking about cops claiming that they thought something in the person’s possession was a gun, then opens fire and kills the person.
In America, the calculus is that in order to ensure that state agents have the cover they need to exact the authority of the state’s power they will allow state actors (police) to murder citizens under any pretext; they then throw some of the same citizens tax-dollars back at the family of the decedent and keep the officer employed.
It is a calculus that weighs the need for the state to maintain its oppressive authority over the citizenry at all costs, and in the process of effectuating that authority, those citizens who are unlucky or unhealthy enough to be ensnared in that process is justifiable collateral damage.
How did a country that preaches and lectures other nations on human rights and dignity ‑albeit hypocritically- get to such a place where it feels such confidence in treating the lives of its own citizinery with such contempt and blatant disregard?
It begins with the devaluing of some lives. In this case, the lives of Black Americans. in the process of devaluing some lives, a certain segment of the society found glee in the abuse and barbarism meted out to those they hate.
And as Martain Niemoller said:
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
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Mike Beckles is a former Police Detective, businessman, freelance writer, black achiever honoree, and creator of the blog mikebeckles.com.
California Police Mistook a Lighter for Gun and Fatally Shot Black Man In February, Now the City Is Releasing Bodycam Footage to ‘Build and Maintain Trust with the Community
The Fontana Police Department has released body camera footage of an officer fatally shooting an unarmed 28-year-old Black man in February.
The release of the footage comes after the city of Fontana, California, agreed to pay $1 million to the family of Daverion Deauntre Kinard, according to The San Bernardino Sun. The footage shows that Kinard was hiding in a portable toilet with a lighter in his hand that officers said they thought was a gun. Kinard’s family had previously asked that the footage of the shooting not be released to protect his dignity.
The family recognizes the public and the media’s interest in obtaining and viewing the footage but would appreciate the family’s desire that the footage remains private in order to protect the dignity of Daverion,” the family and city wrote in a joint statement, The Martinsville Bulletin reported.
Police Chief Billy Green said on Thursday that the video was prepared by the department in order to “build and maintain trust with the community.
On Feb. 13, Fontana officers responded to a report of a burglary at a home at around 10:30 p.m. A homeowner’s Ring doorbell had captured a suspect moving around the outside of the home before removing a window screen, leaving, then entering through the open window. When police arrived, they spotted Kinard in the home. He ran out of the backdoor and a foot chase ensued for more than 1,000 feet before officers found Kinard in a portable restroom near a construction site. Footage shows that an officer opened the door and saw Kinard sitting on the toilet.
“Hey,” the officer shouted before Kinard lifted his left hand and moved his right hand. The officer closed the door to the portable restroom briefly then opened it again and fired his weapon about two seconds after Kinard first moved his hand. The metallic object in Kinard’s right hand was determined to be a lighter.
According to a statement from the police department, “officers immediately rendered aid to Kinard until medical aid arrived. Unfortunately, Kinard was later pronounced deceased at the scene. No weapon was recovered from the scene.”
The officer who shot Kinard has been identified as Johnny Tutiavake, who is still on the force. The shooting remains under investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office and Fontana Police Department. Although California law requires that video be released within 45 days of a shooting by police or if force is used that causes great bodily injury, the city granted itself several 30-day extensions citing potential interference with ongoing investigations. The video could have been withheld for up to one year, as the chief cited concerns about potential unrest.
The $1 million settlement for Kinard’s parents, Kenisha Kinard and Amond Hawkins was approved by the City Council in June after they sued the city and will be paid out from an insurance fund.