By Chidozie Ehirim
Editor
Terrence Crutcher, Walter Scott, Alton Sterling, Eric Garner and Rekia Boyd. Just five out of dozens of unarmed African American men and women killed during contact with police.
Their needless deaths and the deaths of many more at the hands of officers has fueled fervent debate on how the police interact with the general public but in particular with African Americans.
The impact on the African American community has been devastating. Fear and mistrust of the police by African Americans is not only palpable, it is all encompassing.
Their fear and mistrust is well placed however.
The US is seen by many to be a country where democracy, rule of law and justice supersede injustice, corruption and despotism. For the families of unarmed African Americans who have lost their loved ones in senseless fashion these tired, cliched slogans are meaningless.
The distinct lack of accountability for officers involved in these fatal shootings is nothing short of shocking. Despite the fact that many of these incidents are caught on camera, the officers involved face little to no justice. Paid leave, a court case, acquittal and free.
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| Former Officer Michael Slager |
For many Americans, the pattern is sickeningly tiresome. And it should be.
No punishment at all for taking a life. No justice for the families of the victims when the evidence is overwhelming. It is almost as if the judicial system conspires to ensure these officers escape justice despite clear evidence of a crime.
Take for example, the case of Michael Scott who was shot several times in the back while running away from former South Carolina police officer Michael Slager in April 2015. Thankfully, the incident was caught on tape. For anyone lucky enough to be blessed with adequate eyesight, an inkling of common sense and at least some compassion, it was a blatant case of murder.
Slager, soon after, claimed that Scott had tussled with him and that he had no choice but to fire his weapon.
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| Walter Scott |
Despite the video evidence, the trial ended as a result of a hung jury. How this happened is remarkable but it appears to be a symptom of a wider issue within the justice system. How 12 jurors, with the evidence at hand could not come to a majority verdict is incredible.
As a result of these fatal incidents, the training of officers has come under more and more scrutiny. Some question the style of training and fear that they are being trained to escalate situations rather than de-escalate them. Others fear that as a result for the training, officers have become trigger happy, resulting in firearms being discharged when unnecessary.
Too often, in the cases of these fatal shootings or of misconduct officers themselves hide behind the 'blue wall of silence'. Many officers who are witnesses to the crimes of their colleagues stay quiet, either willingly or regrettably for fear of themselves being targeted. Officers who try to do the right things are often punished. This blue wall must be knocked down and it must be knocked down now. There should be no hiding place for officers who do wrong.
One serving officer has been scathing in his criticism of some of his colleagues and the wider justice system. Captain Vance Keyes, a police captain from Fort Worth Texas has spoken candidly on the issue. After being accused of leaking a bodycam video. The video cast doubt on the account given by fellow officer William Martin after his controversial encounter and arrest of Jacqueline Craig and her two daughters in December 2016. Keyes and his colleague, Assistant Chief Abdul Pridgen were both demoted and re-assigned to night duty. despite vehemently denying the allegations.
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| Captain Vance Keyes |
In a candid interview Keyes explains why African Americans amongst others should be fearful of the police and provides a refreshing insight into many of the systematic problems within the police and the lack of accountability for officers that do wrong.
The treatment of Keyes and Pridgen as well as many others who have dared to speak out is symptomatic of the wider issues within many US police departments. It is clear that there is something very wrong and the status quo has proven all too destructive resulting in people who take the lives of the unarmed, walking free without consequence, free to live their lives while the families of the victims suffer unimaginable pain without their loved ones.
For the sake of justice and all that is right, there must be root and branch reform or sadly, the abuse of power will simply continue and in the eyes of the world, the US will be seen less and less as the land of the free and home of the brave. The American dream will become a nightmare and true justice will be diluted, reduced to nothing more than a quaint, distant memory.
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