Just a few weeks ago I watched as a multitude of people came to the defense of Brock Turner and his very lenient six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. This week I get to watch as a man’s credibility is attacked after being shot while pinned down by two officers. The primary difference between these two individuals is their skin color and despite whatever feelings, people may have it simply has to be impossible to notice the disparity in treatment between minorities and the white majority.
Alton Sterling may have had a criminal past, but why is he on trial? He is a victim and what he did in the past does not play any role in the events that led to his death. The officer’s that shot him did not know he had a record at the time as they did not know who he was as they approached the scene, nor did they have a reason to draw their weapon. As I watched the video I noticed that the officer draws his weapon while he and his partner have Alton pinned on the ground, with his arms out to his sides, and his hands were empty prior to and after the shooting.
After the shots are fired an officer pulls an object from Alton’s pocket that many assume is a gun, but why draw your gun when you and your partner have him detained? They can both be seen on top of Alton; one of them have one of his left arm pinned down with their knee while they wrestle prior to drawing a weapon.
They could have drawn their stun gun to threaten him if they felt the need. This situation, no matter how much he was struggling to free himself from under the combined weight of the officers, did not require the use of lethal force. I understand and acknowledge the difficulty that encompasses being a cop, the fear that every time you put on the uniform and badge and say goodbye to loved ones as you walk out the door could be your last, but if you are so driven in fear then perhaps such a job is not for you.
An officer of the law is entrusted to protect and serve everyone and these officers just like many before them did not protect and serve the individual whose life was ended prematurely. In the wake of yet another questionable shooting the Black Lives Matter movement has regained some momentum, much to the chagrin of some people. I saw a video of an individual who promoted this idea that some of these victims would still be alive had they cooperated with law enforcement, however, these people do not understand the regular struggles of being a black man in this world.
These men have not been a black man walking home from work after a long day when a state trooper pulls his car over to ask where you are headed. These people have not had an officer slow down and stare at you as they pass simply because you were walking out of work carrying a box to your car. These people have not been asked if the car that they worked hard to purchase and make payments on belongs to them.
We all have biases and beliefs that affect our opinion of people, but oddly enough when we step away from those beliefs we can often find that we were wrong. Not everyone is a stereotype or fits into the picture that we assume based on our assumptions. Being a police officer, one must truly separate their personal thoughts fears and biases to avoid unfortunately disastrous results. D.L. Hughley posted a video to his Facebook regarding all of the violence in the world where he implied that these officers were being driven by their fear of a potentially armed black male who struggled while as they attempted to detain him. He also pointed out that if you are so afraid that your first reaction is to draw your weapon then perhaps being in law enforcement is not for you.
That is a sentiment that I can agree with. As I stated previously I fully understand the difficulty of being an officer of the law and the risks that you take, but if your first reaction, when confronted with a potential threat, is to draw your weapon and open fire without fully assessing the situation and all of your options then perhaps such a path is not for you.
