Abuse of power isn't a new concept. Since the beginning of time individuals have desired to be in control, to be the man, to be looked up to and respected. Sadly, many choose t...o gain that respect by instilling fear in those whom they lead. There is just something about the human ego becoming inflated with the responsibility of authority. It happens in all walks of life, from monarchies to governments, to churches and even your local grocery store. Many of us have had great relationships with a co-worker, and as soon as this person gets a promotion they turn into a jerk. Maybe it has something to do with greed. Having the upper hand on another just makes people opportunistic. Maybe it has something to do with our capitalistic nature. Jesus could walk on water and miraculously cure diseases. Yet he chose not to use his power to exploit people or the system. Interesting...
I do not intend to disparage police officers, as I myself used to want to be one. But had I been, I would have spent all my time investigating the other officers. Through minimal research I obtained information on 80 cases of police brutality here in the United States. Also a few undocumented cases that I have first hand knowledge of. Sadly, these cases consist of only 28 of the 50 U.S. States and even sadder, 90% of them are from AFTER the year 1990, the “information” age of video cameras and internet. As one could imagine this isn’t just the tip of the iceberg, it is the tip of the tip. Here some of my favs:
ALABAMA: October 6, 2012- 18-year-old Gil Collar was student at the University of South Alabama. While naked the 5'4”, 140 lb student walked to the campus police station early on a Saturday morning. Collar attempted to open a locked door and banged on a window to the police station. An officer exited the building with gun drawn. Video shows that Collar approached the officer with arms outstretched and palms up. As Collar approached the officer, the officer backed away, then shot Collar once in the chest. Collar was never closer than four feet from the officer and didn't try to grab his weapon. A second officer arrived and assisted in handcuffing Collar. He died from the gunshot wound. It was later determined that Collar had taken LSD prior to the incident. The officer had both pepper spray and a baton with him.
*NOTES: This guy was white, and this is Alabama we are talking about, can you imagine the undocumented cases?!
CALIFORNIA: December 25,1951- Bloody Christmas, beating of 7 latino men at police station by 50 officers.
March 3, 1991- Rodney King case, Original acquittal, by a jury of 10 WHITES, 1 latino, and 1 asian, overturned by federal court.
*NOTES: R. King jury: Seriously, no black people in Cali?!
MICHIGAN: May 16, 2010-7-year-old Aiyana Jones was shot and killed by Detroit SWAT officers. Jones was shot in the head or neck area. Police claimed Jones' grandmother grabbed an officer's gun and set it off, but other witnesses said the officers threw a gas bomb into the house and fired into the house despite being told there were children in the house. The officer who shot Jones has been charged with manslaughter. Jones' family has filed suit against the city and police for Jones' wrongful death. Months after the incident, it was discovered that the same officer had been part of another controversial raid, which he pointed his gun into the faces of children as young as one year old.
NEW YORK: August 1997- Abner Louima was sodomized with a broken broomstick handle while detained in a New York City police station by Officer Justin Volpe. Louima was left bleeding from the rectum in a booking cell. Despite an initial cover-up by various members of the NYPD, Volpe was convicted of assault and sentenced to 30 years. Two officers were convicted of the cover-up while one was acquitted.
February 4, 1999- Amadou Diallo was shot and killed by New York City police officers while unarmed after the officers claimed they believed he was reaching for a gun. Four officers were indicted for second degree murder but later acquitted.
*NOTE: 4 cops + 41 shots + 19 strikes = why not just use a nuke?!
SOUTH CAROLINA: February 8, 1968 The Orangeburg Massacre, 9 highway patrol officers fired into an aggravated but unarmed mob protesting local segregation at a bowling alley, hitting most of them in their backs. Three men were killed and twenty-eight more injured. After the shooting stopped, two others were injured by police in the aftermath and one, a pregnant woman, later had a miscarriage due to the beating
Notice I dont have any documented cases from the notoriously racists states of Arkansas or Virginia. I also omitted documented cases of abuse and brutality from our military. That is a whole nother issue. I also want to note the shooting death in Connecticut of Malik Jones by the scumbag cop Robert Floodquist from the East Haven police department. On another occasion I witnessed a New Haven, CT police officer choke slam a 110 pound female, who was already handcuffed, and who's only “resistance” was verbal. There is also issues concerning law enforcement involvement in the assassinations of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Oh, and of course the death of Jesus. Roman soldiers were the long arm of the law at the time.
These are not “isolated” incidents and sadly I feel that the only reason it isn't still a rampant issue is the advent of cameras and the internet. Again I don't mean to disparage or single out law enforcement it is just that I feel that people who choose that for a career should be held to a higher standard of morals. This is one issue where we can all take solace that “big brother” IS watching!!! The bottom line is simple, calling the cops is like playing Russian roulette, and if you happen to be black, like playing with 5 out of the 6 chambers loaded.
I do not intend to disparage police officers, as I myself used to want to be one. But had I been, I would have spent all my time investigating the other officers. Through minimal research I obtained information on 80 cases of police brutality here in the United States. Also a few undocumented cases that I have first hand knowledge of. Sadly, these cases consist of only 28 of the 50 U.S. States and even sadder, 90% of them are from AFTER the year 1990, the “information” age of video cameras and internet. As one could imagine this isn’t just the tip of the iceberg, it is the tip of the tip. Here some of my favs:
ALABAMA: October 6, 2012- 18-year-old Gil Collar was student at the University of South Alabama. While naked the 5'4”, 140 lb student walked to the campus police station early on a Saturday morning. Collar attempted to open a locked door and banged on a window to the police station. An officer exited the building with gun drawn. Video shows that Collar approached the officer with arms outstretched and palms up. As Collar approached the officer, the officer backed away, then shot Collar once in the chest. Collar was never closer than four feet from the officer and didn't try to grab his weapon. A second officer arrived and assisted in handcuffing Collar. He died from the gunshot wound. It was later determined that Collar had taken LSD prior to the incident. The officer had both pepper spray and a baton with him.
*NOTES: This guy was white, and this is Alabama we are talking about, can you imagine the undocumented cases?!
CALIFORNIA: December 25,1951- Bloody Christmas, beating of 7 latino men at police station by 50 officers.
March 3, 1991- Rodney King case, Original acquittal, by a jury of 10 WHITES, 1 latino, and 1 asian, overturned by federal court.
*NOTES: R. King jury: Seriously, no black people in Cali?!
MICHIGAN: May 16, 2010-7-year-old Aiyana Jones was shot and killed by Detroit SWAT officers. Jones was shot in the head or neck area. Police claimed Jones' grandmother grabbed an officer's gun and set it off, but other witnesses said the officers threw a gas bomb into the house and fired into the house despite being told there were children in the house. The officer who shot Jones has been charged with manslaughter. Jones' family has filed suit against the city and police for Jones' wrongful death. Months after the incident, it was discovered that the same officer had been part of another controversial raid, which he pointed his gun into the faces of children as young as one year old.
NEW YORK: August 1997- Abner Louima was sodomized with a broken broomstick handle while detained in a New York City police station by Officer Justin Volpe. Louima was left bleeding from the rectum in a booking cell. Despite an initial cover-up by various members of the NYPD, Volpe was convicted of assault and sentenced to 30 years. Two officers were convicted of the cover-up while one was acquitted.
February 4, 1999- Amadou Diallo was shot and killed by New York City police officers while unarmed after the officers claimed they believed he was reaching for a gun. Four officers were indicted for second degree murder but later acquitted.
*NOTE: 4 cops + 41 shots + 19 strikes = why not just use a nuke?!
SOUTH CAROLINA: February 8, 1968 The Orangeburg Massacre, 9 highway patrol officers fired into an aggravated but unarmed mob protesting local segregation at a bowling alley, hitting most of them in their backs. Three men were killed and twenty-eight more injured. After the shooting stopped, two others were injured by police in the aftermath and one, a pregnant woman, later had a miscarriage due to the beating
Notice I dont have any documented cases from the notoriously racists states of Arkansas or Virginia. I also omitted documented cases of abuse and brutality from our military. That is a whole nother issue. I also want to note the shooting death in Connecticut of Malik Jones by the scumbag cop Robert Floodquist from the East Haven police department. On another occasion I witnessed a New Haven, CT police officer choke slam a 110 pound female, who was already handcuffed, and who's only “resistance” was verbal. There is also issues concerning law enforcement involvement in the assassinations of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Oh, and of course the death of Jesus. Roman soldiers were the long arm of the law at the time.
These are not “isolated” incidents and sadly I feel that the only reason it isn't still a rampant issue is the advent of cameras and the internet. Again I don't mean to disparage or single out law enforcement it is just that I feel that people who choose that for a career should be held to a higher standard of morals. This is one issue where we can all take solace that “big brother” IS watching!!! The bottom line is simple, calling the cops is like playing Russian roulette, and if you happen to be black, like playing with 5 out of the 6 chambers loaded.
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