Yet again another black man gets killed by the police. There is always a justification, an excuse and a paid administrative leave. After about a year, the officer in question will go on trial and be found not guilty. During this process, a lot of irrelevant matters seem to pop up.
1. What About Black-on-Black Crime?
First, violent crime is usually perpetrated against those of the same race. Asians kill other Asians. Caucasians kill other Caucasians and so forth. Only Black-on-Black crime is considered a thing. Second, you're telling me a random murder between two black people unrelated to the case somehow validates the situation? When a black person shoots a white person, how many times do you hear, "Well, white people kill other white people?" Third, there are organizations dedicated to crime prevention in inner cities where the majority are African American. Unity in the Community, National CARES Mentoring Movement, 2nd Call, and Project Cry No More are a few who deal with crime prevention. If you were genuinely concerned about black-on-black crime you would be aware of some of those organizations instead of only bringing this up to try and justify a black person being killed by an officer.
2. They Were Resisting.
Yes, resisting arrest is a misdemeanor and no, you're not supposed to resist the police. When a person is resisting arrest, the police are supposed to restrain and subdue the person. The issue is that to restrain and subdue is now synonymous to kill. People seem to forget that officers are only supposed to kill when they feel like their life is in danger. A person struggling to get away from you is not life threatening. But in certain people's eyes it's oK because "They acted like a criminal and got treated like one." Here we see a man resisting arrest and attacking police officers. But somehow, the officers don't feel threatened enough to shoot him. I wonder why.
3. If You Listen You Won't Get Shot
Police are not granted authoritarian power. If you are not under arrest or an officer does not have a search and seize warrant, then you are not compelled to get out of your vehicle, step out of your home, etc. Somehow the fourth amendment is forgotten when it's time to come up with an excuse. If the police have probable cause, they can detain you. Detainment does not mean death. Why is it comply or die? "You did not listen to me, so your life is now over."
4. They Have a Criminal Record
I thought all lives matter? Nope, that does not apply in this situation because this person stole a piece of bubblegum 10 years ago. Every time a black person gets killed by an officer, the media digs up their past criminal record the same day. It is a way to make you feel no sympathy for the fallen. Any prior convictions or charges are irrelevant and are not even known until after the person has been gunned down. Even if officers are aware of a person's past criminal record before arriving on the scene, it does not make it OK to kill them. When Brock Turner was charged with sexual assault, the media didn't show his mugshot and they chose to focus on the positive aspects of his life. The media talked about how much of a great swimmer he was and his future goals to compete in the Olympics.
When is society going to stop making excuses and just admit when something is wrong? No one is against all police officers. We just want to stop the senseless killings. Instead of recognizing this, people would rather point the blame on the victim and ignore the issue at hand. I guess it's easier to blind yourself and sit in ignorance than admit the truth.
