Whenever a police officer loses his or her life in the line of duty, I am as saddened and appalled as everyone else. I grieve for that fallen officer's family and for the society that he was trying to protect.
On the flip side, when I hear of the people who are paid to protect all of us abusing their power and becoming no better than the thugs that they are paid to protect us from, I will always write about it:
When I saw the story I am about to blog about in the paper, today, I called my friend Wellington Stubbs (It's cool, he said I could use his name.)who is a big shot with the Police Advisory Commission here in Philly. I wanted to ask him if he had ever heard of the two officers who were front and center in the article and to ask him if his agency has had an uptick in complaints of police abuse. Of course I wasn't surprised to hear that he had heard of them, and that the complaints against Philly's finest has been coming in fast and furious of late. I have been blogging about police abuse here and in other parts of the country, so if you read this blog you aren't surprised, either.
Timothy Devlin and Thomas Schaffling in all likelihood should not be Philadelphia police officers. They allegedly have a long history of abusing the citizens who they are supposed to protect. But finally, because of one particular citizen who they chose to fuck with on a windy evening in late March, their reign of terror might be over.
"STATE REP. Jewell Williams lay prone on the back seat of a police cruiser. The metal handcuffs bit into his wrists; his fingers began to swell as a fiery pain spread through his body.
It was about 6 p.m. on March 28, a windy Saturday evening.
Moments earlier, Williams, an ex-cop, stopped his car because a police cruiser was blocking the street in his North Philadelphia neighborhood.
Officer Thomas Schaffling had stopped a 2009 steel-gray Volvo, which looked like a car involved in a drug buy a few blocks away, police said.
Williams said that he watched as Schaffling frisked the driver, an older man, then placed his money on the Volvo's hood, where it began to blow away. When the man tried to grab his money, Schaffling handcuffed him.
Williams said that the Volvo's driver seemed frail. When the legislator heard the word 'hospital' and the thinly built man seemed distressed, Williams exited his car and asked another officer, Timothy Devlin, who was nearby, if everything was OK.
He identified himself as a state legislator. Devlin said, "Get the f--- back in your car before I give you a bunch of tickets," according to Williams and two independent witnesses. Williams said that he asked to speak to a supervisor.
Next thing Williams knew, Devlin had him in handcuffs, crammed in the back of a squad car. Williams was forced to lie sideways because his size 12 1/2 shoes didn't fit behind the cruiser's front seat.
'I was thinking, 'What are they going to do with me?' because I didn't do anything wrong,' said Williams, D-Phila. '"I came to the aid of a constituent who I didn't even know, and then I get rousted up.'
The Volvo's driver was John Cornish, a Nicetown resident and longtime truck driver for the city's Streets Department. His car matched a description of a vehicle involved in a drug buy a few blocks from where officers stopped Cornish on York Street, between Smedley and Bancroft, near 16th. Schaffling searched Cornish and the Volvo and found no drugs, according to police.
On the flip side, when I hear of the people who are paid to protect all of us abusing their power and becoming no better than the thugs that they are paid to protect us from, I will always write about it:
When I saw the story I am about to blog about in the paper, today, I called my friend Wellington Stubbs (It's cool, he said I could use his name.)who is a big shot with the Police Advisory Commission here in Philly. I wanted to ask him if he had ever heard of the two officers who were front and center in the article and to ask him if his agency has had an uptick in complaints of police abuse. Of course I wasn't surprised to hear that he had heard of them, and that the complaints against Philly's finest has been coming in fast and furious of late. I have been blogging about police abuse here and in other parts of the country, so if you read this blog you aren't surprised, either.
Timothy Devlin and Thomas Schaffling in all likelihood should not be Philadelphia police officers. They allegedly have a long history of abusing the citizens who they are supposed to protect. But finally, because of one particular citizen who they chose to fuck with on a windy evening in late March, their reign of terror might be over.
"STATE REP. Jewell Williams lay prone on the back seat of a police cruiser. The metal handcuffs bit into his wrists; his fingers began to swell as a fiery pain spread through his body.
It was about 6 p.m. on March 28, a windy Saturday evening.
Moments earlier, Williams, an ex-cop, stopped his car because a police cruiser was blocking the street in his North Philadelphia neighborhood.
Officer Thomas Schaffling had stopped a 2009 steel-gray Volvo, which looked like a car involved in a drug buy a few blocks away, police said.
Williams said that he watched as Schaffling frisked the driver, an older man, then placed his money on the Volvo's hood, where it began to blow away. When the man tried to grab his money, Schaffling handcuffed him.
Williams said that the Volvo's driver seemed frail. When the legislator heard the word 'hospital' and the thinly built man seemed distressed, Williams exited his car and asked another officer, Timothy Devlin, who was nearby, if everything was OK.
He identified himself as a state legislator. Devlin said, "Get the f--- back in your car before I give you a bunch of tickets," according to Williams and two independent witnesses. Williams said that he asked to speak to a supervisor.
Next thing Williams knew, Devlin had him in handcuffs, crammed in the back of a squad car. Williams was forced to lie sideways because his size 12 1/2 shoes didn't fit behind the cruiser's front seat.
'I was thinking, 'What are they going to do with me?' because I didn't do anything wrong,' said Williams, D-Phila. '"I came to the aid of a constituent who I didn't even know, and then I get rousted up.'
The Volvo's driver was John Cornish, a Nicetown resident and longtime truck driver for the city's Streets Department. His car matched a description of a vehicle involved in a drug buy a few blocks from where officers stopped Cornish on York Street, between Smedley and Bancroft, near 16th. Schaffling searched Cornish and the Volvo and found no drugs, according to police.
Williams was not charged with any crime. Cornish, who has no criminal record, and his passenger also were released.
Last week, the police Internal Affairs Bureau launched an investigation into the March 28 incident, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.
Schaffling and Devlin, who did not return calls seeking comment, are no strangers to Internal Affairs investigators. Or to Ramsey.
Ramsey had placed both officers on desk duty in August after similar allegations made headlines:
* On Aug. 9, Schaffling and Devlin clashed with guests at an outdoor baby shower in North Philadelphia.
The guests claimed that Schaffling and Devlin were at the center of a police attack that injured at least six people, including children who were maced, struck with batons and pushed to the ground, witnesses told the Daily News in an Aug. 13 article.
In January, the alleged victims filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against the Police Department.
* On Aug. 24, Schaffling and Devlin pulled over two men, who said they were headed to church, in West Philadelphia. The driver told NBC 10 that Schaffling aimed his gun at him and shouted, "I'm going to blow your f---ing head off." Devlin got nervous and also drew his weapon, the driver said.
The driver filed a citizen's complaint, and the city's Police Advisory Commission wrote a letter to Ramsey asking him to take Schaffling off the street.
Schaffling had also been linked to a May 5 police beating of three shooting suspects. That incident was captured by a Fox 29 news helicopter and broadcast around the world.
In the Fox video, Schaffling is seen pulling driver Brian Hall out of a car. He acknowledged afterward that he had 'utilized foot strikes,' or kicks, on Hall in an attempt to subdue him, police documents show.
Schaffling, 25, an officer since 2003, was cleared of wrongdoing. He wasn't among the eight officers disciplined by Ramsey. Devlin, who joined the force in 2002, was not involved in the May 5 incident. Ramsey said last week that he returned Schaffling and Devlin to the street a few months ago, but ordered supervisors to closely monitor them and to split them up. The officers are part of Strike Force South, an elite crime-fighting unit run by Capt. James J. Kelly III.
'We need [officers], as many as possible, out working,' Ramsey said about his decision. 'They were put on desk duty. They had been on desk duty for several months and there was no evidence that surfaced that would justify [keeping them off street patrol].'
Ramsey said that he "split them up . . . just to make sure that we don't have a problem with either one of them and to give them a chance to work with other people."
Schaffling and Devlin were not working together on the night that Williams, a member of the state House since 2001, was detained. Schaffling was partnered with Officer Donna Stewart, while Devlin was paired with a supervisor, Sgt. Kevin Bernard, police said.
Schaffling and Stewart stopped Cornish.
Cornish, a Vietnam veteran and self-described 'old head' who did not want his age in the newspaper, said that he and his childhood friend, Carl Cutler, 63, had just come from a VFW post in South Philadelphia where they picked up raffle tickets for an Easter event.
When Cornish saw the police lights behind him, he pulled over, thinking the cruiser needed to get by, he said.
Schaffling rushed up to the Volvo and yelled, 'Get out of the car! Get out of the car!' 'The officer seemed 'enraged," Cornish said.
Schaffling rifled through Cornish's pockets and placed about $900 on the hood of the Volvo. A heavy wind blew the cash off the hood. When Cornish tried to grab his money, Schaffling shoved him up against the Volvo and clamped the handcuffs tight on his bony wrists, according to Cornish and two witnesses. 'That money was blowing all the way down the street,' Cornish said. 'I worked for that money. That's no criminal money.'
Both Cornish and Cutler described Officer Stewart, who handcuffed Cutler, as polite and professional. In fact, Stewart ran after the money for Cornish, who said he had recently cashed a winning lottery ticket, his income-tax return, and city paycheck. He only got about $200 back; the rest blew away, Cornish said.
Cornish said that when he complained that the cuffs were too tight, Schaffling said something like, 'Shut the f--- up or I'll f--- you up and take you to the hospital.'
That's when Williams, who was stopped about three-car lengths back, emerged from his state-leased Chrysler.
Williams said that he caught the word 'hospital' and heard Cornish tell Schaffling, 'Son, why are you treating me like this?'
According to Cornish and Williams, Schaffling barked, 'I'm not your f---ing son. You address me as 'officer.'
'He wasn't acting like an officer; he was acting like a thug,' Cornish said.'"
Read the rest of the story here.
I know Jewell Williams, and no one is a bigger friend of the police than he is. He is a guy who served in law enforcement for years, and who is always advocating on the side of Philly's finest. But it just goes to show you what happens when you lump people together based on your ignorant perception of their skin color or whatever. These cops thought that this was just another nigger politician trying to throw his weight around, and nothing could have been farther from the truth. The guy just wanted to look out for an elder constituent, something that those boyz in blue should have been trying to do.
60 comments:
I thought that bulls**t only happened here in SoCal. I hope Philly's finest take this thug off the streets forever.
Take both thugs off the street forever. I really don't give a damn how it's done.
I forgot there were two of them.
I just saw police brutality happening on Saturday...i was going to a function at my church when a police cruiser came up on the wrong side of the street and apprehended a suspect. I saw the police hit the supect with his batton, while he was in handcuffs, and told him to shut the f up. when he saw me standing there he brought down his tone a little, he noticed me watching....just a nother day in the hood...sigh
It's like the tv show The Shield but worse because that show tried to humanize a white guy who was a beast. These cops deserve no such consideration. Now where the Rev corps and Do Nothing Civil Rights organizations? Once law enforcement is cleaned up then Black people can celebrate. Having a Black President is nice and all, but there's sooooo far to go.
This is the kind of abuse that the police bring to the black community every day across America. And people think Blacks should trust and love the police? Please!
These cops need to meet someone in the hood like Lovelle Mixon, who will bring street justice to their sick thugish butts.
Holy shit, what a depressing story. No wonder so many black people hate the police.
Anonymous 11:47:
I understand your frustration with the police but two wrongs will never make a right. Black police just like that ex-cop Jones are sometimes the victims of the police too. And I am not referring to ex-police that are black either. I am referring to some of them that are still officially police. There are stories of even them being victims and murdered by them too. You'd be surprise.
Brother Field...a police job is the only job in America where a 19-21 year old white male can tell/force a Black male of any age 12-99 to "lie on the ground" and any other humiliating task he can get away with.Even your community postion or education level means nothing..these may cause you more grief. My suggestion to all is to encourage someone in your family to also join the force. You never know when you may need support behind the "blue wall". Of course it helps if we encourage our family members to stop the crimes we have in the past thought of as "getting over on the man". The first one is "boosting" as well as buying "hot items. My present program is to make policemen not needed in the community at least in my housewhole by not creating a need for them to be there. I am empathetic with Brother Williams because it pains me to see the police always having someone that looks like me laying on the ground and I know by first hand experiance the best thing to do is to let them know you are a WITNESS. Believe me, you can help that brother/sister in court versus on the streets--- where you may confront a policeman with an eighth grade education that has to show TOTAL CONTROL at all times. Please policemen..Black and white that read this, I have been dealing with you all for 50 plus and I know that you all got a tough job but the mentality of "us against them" prevades the ranks. The people over the years have also used police in manners that they are not designed for...such as "babysitting" and refereeing our our petty situations. Have a crime free day. I now I am not talking to the readers of this blog but perhaps you can encourage others about being crime-free for a day.
Believe me, you can help that brother/sister in court versus on the streets--- where you may confront a policeman with an eighth grade education that has to show TOTAL CONTROL at all times.
The eighth-grade education thing is pure mythology. This is a big country and I'm sure that there are places where some cops are ill-educated, but the typical requirement is for a four-year degree.
More police officers who don't understand the nature of their jobs...do they do psych testing for the Philly police department?
Or comprehension skills?
What will it take to help these men understand what is expected of them as officers of the law?
Another question is if police departments across the country prefer to pay settlement dollars instead of weeding out bad cops before they hit the streets.
Abner Louima is a mini-real estate mogul thanks to the money NYC had to pay him after he met some of NY's Finest....I'm just saying.
http://www.wehaitians.com/feb%202003%20news%20briefing%20and%20analysis.html
The test that they have to take is so easy. It is, basically,a common sense test but you wouldn't think so the way that some of them don't use their common sense.
If the head is sick the whole body is sick. What I mean by that is that if some of their superiors are not right those at the bottom won't be either because they do not have to answer to anyone. History has proven time and time again that nothing will be done, a police will not be prosecuted; therefore, they do it because they can. During slavery they had the patty rollers, the police department is a run-off from that occupation.
Nope, what they need to do is clean up the police department. There are some good cops and there are some bad cops just like in any other occupation. However, the bad ones need to be weeded out and kicked off the force.
Follow this link and read and tell me what stands out and makes them all the same in these different incidents. They may be shocking to some but it's the same ole song to black people.
http://www.thecrimson.com/printerfriendly.aspx?ref=219500
"...This is a big country and I'm sure that there are places where some cops are ill-educated, but the typical requirement is for a four-year degree."
I agree. The educational requirements are much higher than an eighth grade education in most of the country. However, higher education means nothing when the cop has the 'emotional' IQ of a six year old.
Policemen filled with ill-will, rage, prejudice, and no moral compass to guide them will abuse the authority entrusted to them, regardless of education.
Imo, the 'majority' of policemen in America will humiliate Blacks and treat them unjustly. Because of the numerous injustices committed against Blacks by the police across America, I find it hard to believe that there are more good cops than bad ones.
B#
Police brutality is wrong in all kinds of ways, but anyone with a set of eyes knows that black people have MUCH higher crime rates than other groups. Their dropout rates are sky high, and two-thirds of black babies are born out of wedlock.
Lots of black neighborhoods are out of control. Drugs, crime, and illegitimacy are running wild, and the police can barely control what's going on. That's the flip side of all this, and black people hardly ever want to talk about it because it's too embarrassing.
The culling is comming, i tell you folks this every week now wake up!
33
"The culling is comming, i tell you folks this every week now wake up!"
Culling started centuries ago when America was born. There is nothing new about that.
browngrl77, do you live in Phill? If you do what district did that incident take place?
"The test that they have to take is so easy. It is, basically,a common sense test but you wouldn't think so the way that some of them don't use their common sense."
Amen Granny! I bet a good 90% of these incidents could be prevented if the PO used a little common sense. Yeah I know you might be a virulent racist and you might hate black folks, but think of the job you have to do, and what would happen to you if you should lose it.
I am not Star Jones, we do have psych testing here, but a former crack dealer recently got on the force, so what dos that tell you?
And sorry Grinder, StillaPanther2 isn't as far off as you might think. Here in Philly all that is needed is a HSD. And that is the case with many cities and towns. I know that quite a few states require four year degrees for their troopers, but there are rural towns in this country where a HSD isn't even needed.
Field I was at 70th and Woodland ave. Not sure of the district. I have never been distrustful of the ppd it is the first time I have looked at them with a side eye. (call me too trusting if you want). That was the first time I have ever felt that police can and will abuse their power with no reprecusion. To all those saying why wasn't those police fired after having reports of abuse? The police have VERY strong unions who help keep their jobs...
Sorry Field , I didn't fully answer the question..Yes I do live in Southwest Philadelphia...thought you figuered it since I constanly use philly landmarks and streets in my posts. :)
Thanks browngrl77,I figured you lived here at some point because of all your references,
but I wasn't sure if you were here now.Yes I know that area,(southwest)Thanks!
Sick. Look at their ages and the recent years they joined the force, what would they be like in the next 15 years? No one can not tell me these type people don't join the force just to reign terror on black people. Apparently, the arian nation don't seem to offer the same salary and benefit packages.
I'm so sick of this, you always here it's just a "few". Well, other Law Enforcement officers also need to hold these diseased "officers" more accountable. These are their "brothers in blue" who really put them all in more harms way on the streets.
I'm sorry but for some odd reason the title reminded me(really I can't even come up with the reason) of a skit Larry Wilmore wrote about the Shetland Negro(bringing back, Webster & Arnold). Someone I know didn't get it was a joke...
But the real issue of this post: Anger is a weapon of the weak-minded. You don't need Abu Ghraib guards on the force. ~Mary
Fortunately for this guy - there aren't any cops in F-16's...
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7275586&page=1
Can you guess where the pilot would be right now if he ws black?
And, why does it cost $500,000.00 to fly 2 planes for 5 hours?
Actually, they should take those 2 pigs and put them in the middle of the most violent neighborhood in Philly to serve beat duty on foot
and wait for their heads to get blown off. It would probably happen too. For guys like them, they never last long, its only a matter of time. Bullies ALWAYS pick on people and creatures that cannot defend themselves. They usually babies and smaller children, and hurt/torture animals as children. I had a cousin like that, and at the young age of 22, someone blew his head off over something very trivial. I honestly don't know what it's going to take to get people to take a stand against these thugs. This has been going on far too long.
I meant to say "They usually hit/fight babies and smaller children"
Gawd, and here I was just reading about the three guys in da Burgh who got ambushed by an assault weapon in some Stormfront guy's house. You do the color angle -- one of the cops was black. Well, now he's dead, and two others with him.
God rest their souls.
It'd be fine with me if the Po-Po just stay'd outta y'alls neighborhoods, y'all mostly kills each other anysways, and now that I kin git me some good General Tso's in purt near every strip mall in Cobb County I don't needs to go in yo territories...
Frank,
I pray for your sake that God shows you how to love your fellow man. We may not always feel like it but we should learn to love one another as we love ourselves.
I'll pray for you. Oh, and I apologize for the insensitive comments I posted to you and about you in past posts. No need for that. God bless.
So what are the citizens of Philly going to do about it? If only a few complaints roll in, I don't see why the cops would be inclined to change. Seems to me that the chief should be fired at a minimum. These thugs have a long record of abusive behavior. Someone should go screaming to the Justice Department.
Philadelphia has a distinguished history of abusive treatment of black people going back to Frank Rizzo's reign of terror. Seriously, there should be a groundswell of outrage from the overall community calling for these cops to be fired and prosecuted and a call for a new chief.
We'd also be happy to loan you John Burris who has a good record of making cities with violent cops pay through the nose. Ask the City of Oakland.
Y'all right, Damn Racist Cops injectin Y'all with the HIVie, and the Pot... Now tell me how the Jews are controllin it all...
and I confess, that was me reshelvin the "Curious George" books in the Obama Display...
Frank
Shabazz sez - Can you guess where the pilot would be right now if he ws black?
The pilot was Turkish, which makes it a 95% probability he is Moslem. With our not to distant experience of Radical Islamic pilots flying into buildings...
It's even more amazing they didn't toast his ass.
And, why does it cost $500,000.00 to fly 2 planes for 5 hours?
Those babies don't exactly run on Low Test. And since max warp on a single engine Cessna is down around where a fighter jet quits flying (stalls) I imagine they burned a heck of a lot of fuel flying loops. Next, they would likely have cleared commercial aviation, and would have tracked the Cessna on Radar, which would have meant scrambling another AWACs type plane.
We would probably be better off (and a lot cheaper) with some of the prop planes we bought for Colombia and Peru along the borders -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano
BT
Field,
These posts about police brutality have been very difficult to digest as I was raised by a police officer who conducted himself with professionalism, courtesy, and sacrificial giving in his 30-year career. Yet, I know full-well that what my peers of color say is true.
My hope and prayer is that if I ever see injustice and brutality by police in any form...that I would do what I could to intervene.
And what...SPECIFICALLY...are the big brave black men of this nation going to do to stop this?
Not a darn thing...that's what.
It's open season on black men and black men have NO PLAN OF ACTION at all to prevent their own annihilation...
I'm waiting to see a national protest followed by concrete action steps that will be implemented with state legislators and local officials.
And, why does it cost $500,000.00 to fly 2 planes for 5 hours?
I doubt it does. Those numbers you see are all the costs of the equipment, the people, the bases, the hangars, etc., divided by the number of flight hours. It says nothing about how much it costs to send a plane into the air for a couple hours.
Why are you giving Ramsay a pass? He keeps looking the other way. When you look into the behavior of the police in Philly it is almost always because they do things that are not considered professional. It is what is getting them killed. they always operate as a wild west show.
"Their dropout rates are sky high, and two-thirds of black babies are born out of wedlock."
I've heard this complaint over and over by both whites and blacks. But I am asking you are these good reasons to go around killing unharmed innocent black people, beating on elderly black people, or pulling folks over on a DWB stop, or to treat them like they are subhuman? Because if this is how people feel than America is no better than other countries that commit genocide. In fact, it would show how hyprocritical and arrogant America is.
West Coast Story:
Amen, Burris is one of the best out here on the West Coast. I don't understand why the citizens haven't gotten together and complained.
Oops, and I meant to add, sometimes common ordinary citizens don't know how much power they have as a group.
Y'all right, Damn Racist Cops injectin Y'all with the HIVie, and the Pot... Now tell me how the Jews are controllin it all...
and I confess, that was me reshelvin the "Curious George" books in the Obama Display...
So Frank, what are your plans for Pesach?
"Why are you giving Ramsay a pass? He keeps looking the other way"
Robert M, you are so right. Our boy has been shaky from the jump. I am trying to give him some time, but I don't know, I smell a house Negro.
Just think, 23 years ago, if Cornish and Schaffling had an encounter Cornish probably would have thought, cute kid that Schaffling is, unbeknownst to him that 23 years later that cute little kid would be roughing him up.
"So what are the citizens of Philly going to do about it?"
West Coast Ivory, my answer to your question is-- "As always, Philly will uphold its tradition and do NOTHING."
"Philadelphia has a distinguished history of abusive treatment of black people going back to Frank Rizzo's reign of terror."
Ah, Frank Rizzo...I lived in the Philadelphia area during that time and I remember him well. The terror he and the police dept. heaped on Blacks in Philly was 'criminal'. As Police Commissioner, his police force terrorized and brutalized Blacks. It was well known that he did not like Blacks. Later, he was elected Mayor! Go figure.
Nothing about the police force in Philly has changed; and nothing about the attitude of its citizens has changed. Blacks (or Whites) did nothing back then about the brutal culture of the police, and they are doing nothing about it today.
Philadelphia is pathetic, especially when it comes to Blacks standing up for themselves. Cops do whatever they want-wrongfully- to Blacks and more often than not, there will be no consequences.
The "City of Brotherly Love" is a misnomer.
What does the statistic that 2/3 of black babies born out of wedlock have to do with an innocent black man getting roughed up by the cops for no reason.
Why do people cite the statistical ills of black people to justify police misconduct?
It doesn't make sense. That's lazy reasoning.
Why was this innocent black man roughed up?
Frank said, "Y'all right, Damn Racist Cops injectin Y'all with the HIVie, and the Pot... Now tell me how the Jews are controllin it all...
and I confess, that was me reshelvin the "Curious George" books in the Obama Display..."
Frank, thank you for your support and thank you for your confession. You are an 'honest' and 'brave' man. I know it took a lot for you to confess what you did in Barnes and Noble on this blog. I keep telling the folks on this blog that "Frank is ok"; but whenever I do, they call me a "HN". Just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain.
"Why was this innocent black man roughed up?"
Rudy, he was roughed up because 2/3of black babies were born out of wedlock and some blacks did drugs and some Blacks were violent.
To a white racist, it makes perfect sense. Rudy, you think too much and too logically. LOL
"Williams, 51, who sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which controls government money given to towns and cities across the state, is widely viewed as 'pro-police.'"
I can't help but think "never bite the hand that feeds you". I don't know much about Williams, but if I was in his position, I would see to it that Philly go without certain funds for a little while.
Shit like this explains why thugs like Lovelle Mixon are hailed as heroes when they do to cops what the rest of black folk can only dream of.
Anon 7:49: I loved your malapropism of "West Coast Ivory." Oh, to be rare and in demand.
Don't get me wrong, black folks in Oakland do a lot of really stupid shite every day (see this week's East Bay Express cover story for an example) but I cannot imagine the alternate universe where my black state legislator could be roughed by the Oakland police and there wouldn't be a massive outcry from the residents, and not just black residents. This would be a very big story here in the mainsream media. I googled and found almost nothing except some bull about an apology from the Commissioner. I couldn't even find any letters to the editor in the Inquirer.
If nothing else, people should be staging a series of peaceful demonstrations, appearing in masse the Council meetings, contacting our council reps (how about flooding your council reps with e-mails, phone calls, letters, etc.) and writing letters to the DA, the state AG, and the federal Justice Department. I sure as hell wouldn't wait for some bogus Internal Affairs report to come out that exonerates these two jugheads, because I am sure that is what will happen. Isn't there a black journalists group to launch an investigative report on this? How about a local black attorney's group? Seriously, where is the so-called Talented Tenth on this? Even the useless NAACP could do something, for goodness sake. I should imagine some of this is happening but it really ought to be happening in a loud and assertive way because the longer this drags on, the worse it gets for your chief, commissioner, or whatever he is.
Just don't do what Oakland residents did and try to run black businesses out of town by inflicting serious vandalism on small business owners.
This isn't just about this state legislator, this is for all the people these two cops have abused and got away with including the incident from last summer that is incredibly still under investigation.
There it is people. If you aren't willing to step out of your comfort zone and do something to fix the mess, then H Rap Brown got it right when he said you are part of the problem.
Okay, who on this blog has hailed Lovelle Mixon as a hero?
@Grinder: I don't know where you live, but most "metropolitan" (read,city with large Black population)police departments only require a high school diploma.
Here is a random sample of police department requirements:
NYPD:
On or before the date of hire, a candidate must have successfully completed:
60 college credits with a 2.0 G.P.A. from an accredited college or university
OR
2 years of full-time active military service in the United States Armed Forces with an honorable discharge and have a high school diploma or it's equivalent.
Source: http://www.nypdrecruit.com/NYPD_FrequentlyAskedQuestions.aspx
Philadelphia PD:
All candidates must have proof of their high school diploma or their final GED scores as part of their background. At this time the Phila. Police Department does not require a college degree. But many of our officers are either going back to finish a degree or going to college to start getting a degree. Also as part of the police training curriculum you will receive college credits upon graduation. Good reading and writing skills are essential in executing your duties as a police officer.
Source: http://www.ppdonline.org/career/career_require.php
Baltimore PD:
Applicants must be age 18 to 20, a U.S. citizen, have a high school diploma (or GED), and a valid driver's license (within six months of hire)
Source: http://www.baltimorepolice.org/join-the-team/become-an-officer/application-faqs
LAPD
Graduation from a U.S. high school, G.E.D. or equivalent from a U.S. institution, or a California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) certificate is required.
A two-year or a four-year college degree from an accredited U.S. or foreign institution may be substituted for the high school requirement.
Source: http://www.joinlapd.com/qualifications.html
SFPD
Have:
a U.S. high school diploma or
a G.E.D. or
California High School Proficiency examination or
two-year / four year degree from an accredited college or university in the United States
Source: http://www.sfgov.org/site/police_index.asp?id=20188
Seattle PD:
Proof of high school diploma or a certified GED.
Source: http://www.cityofseattle.net/police/jobs/hiring/qualifications.htm
Chicago PD:
Applicants must have at least 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of credit from a college or university accredited by one of the six regional accrediting bodies responsible for evaluating two and four year institutions that grant Associate's and Bachelor's degrees.
OR
four years of continuous active duty in the armed forces of the United States
OR
30 semester (or 45 quarter) hours from a college or university accredited by one of the six regional accrediting bodies responsible for evaluating two and four year institutions that grant Associate's and Bachelor's degrees, and one year of continuous active duty in the armed forces of the United States.
Source: https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/About%20CPD/RecruitmentEmployment
Atlanta PD
High School diploma or GED certificate
Source: http://www.atlantapd.org/index.asp?nav=Career
Dallas PD
Between 21-44 years of age (45 hours from an accredited college - minimum 2.0 GPA)
19 ½ to under 21 years-of-age (60 hours from an accredited college - minimum 2.0 GPA)
Must not have reached 45th birthday prior to taking Civil Service Examination
Source: http://recruiting.dallaspolice.net/index.cfm?page_ID=8399&subnav=0
Once upon a time police departments like Berkeley used to require college degrees. Then when there were complaints that not enough minorities could qualify with that requirement, the educational requirements were changed. It seemed reasonable at the time to not require a college degree but now one can wonder.
The other thing is that a police department is only as good as the leadership it has. If you have a constituency and a political structure, that won't tolerate police abuse, then you have less or at least there are consequences.
Then there is San Francisco, which is nutso "progressive" in many ways but even here, juries don't like to send a cop to jail for abuses of authority. I recall an off duty (white) SF cop who beat the crap out of some (white) bartender, an unprovoked attack, and he got off completely on the criminal charges. He didn't even lose his job. His father was SFPD brass. In fact, SFPD gets away with a lot and it's one town where white folks, even white folks with money, can end up on the wrong end of a cop's baton or worse.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/3539701/detail.html
My facts are a bit off regarding the fajitagate beating described above. The cop who was the son of a deputy chief did lose his job but all three off duty cops were acquitted.
The chief of police at the time was black and he was accused of conspiracy and cover up along with the off duty cop's father who was a deputy chief. The chief retired as a result and sued the City. John Burris was his attorney (talk about irony!). The whole thing went on for years. The media called it the fajitagate scandal.
Basically, these three off duty drunk cops tried to take a guy's fajitas, and when he wouldn't give up the fajitas, they beat him to a pulp. All white folks. Totally ignorant.
What does the statistic that 2/3 of black babies born out of wedlock have to do with an innocent black man getting roughed up by the cops for no reason.
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There is rampant social chaos and criminality in the black community. The police see it day to day. Where are most of the crime calls? Where is most of the craziness?
It's understandable that cops see black people and see danger. It's the same with cab drivers (including black ones) who won't pick up a black fare at night.
You can piss and moan all you want to, but you are not going to change human nature. It does not justify Williams being treated the way he was, but it does help explain it. You just don't want to hear that because it gets in the way of what you want to tell yourselves.
Anonymous 10:17 PM:
“There is rampant social chaos …in the black community.”
Really, and I guess you want us to believe that the white communities are so pure and free from crime and crazies. The prisons and mental institutions do not have one single white person in them because they are so virtuous, pure, and stable minded. Reminds me of a typical western, where they made the Indians seem like savages and whites made to look civilized—the champions of justice—above deceit and thievery. Yup, the good ole revisionist folks that want to rewrite history are something else. They conveniently leave out the facts of history. Even in westerns, they leave out the part that large percentage of real Western cowboys was black and Hispanic. The Indians were not savages and had a civilized culture. If it had not been for the Indians, the Pilgrims would have starved to death. The revisionist folks do this because the truth is too painful for them to hear when it comes to what they have done to other races. I wonder do they ever think about the pain that other races feel.
“Where is most of the craziness? “
Oh so, I guess you consider those folks that run out and buy guns because Russ and Beck told them too, or the ones that kill their parents and grandparents and do massacres at schools or on the job or that call for revolutions against the President of the USA and calling for his assassination are stable minded people.
“It's the same with cab drivers (including black ones) who won't pick up a black fare at night.”
Taxicabs passed up black folks in the daytime on busy streets, and they have been doing that since Taxi cabs have been in service. They even pass up black businesspersons in suits and black women. Therefore, it really does not make any difference if it is night or daytime. The only thing that matters is that they are black and America has created this negative image of them.
“It does not justify Williams being treated the way he was, but it does help explain it. You just don't want to hear that because it gets in the way of what you want to tell yourselves.”
Please do tell what gets in the way of what exactly we are trying to tell ourselves. And what is it that we’re trying to tell ourselves exactly? Is it that elderly black people do not deserve physical abuse because of unwed mothers and DWB? I fail to see the connection on how it explains it. What in the world could an elderly man or woman do that is so deserving of physical abuse? The majority of them have so many health problems that they are barely getting around and if they are getting around it is a blessing. Their reflexes have diminished, their bones are fragile, and they do not have the same strength they once had when they were young. However, some young healthy cop who wants to flex his authority with black people should be able to abuse them at whim because of unwed mothers and the crazies in the black neighborhood.
"What does the statistic that 2/3 of black babies born out of wedlock..."
Other races do not have any babies born out of wedlock? Are they all virgins, pure as snow? Is having babies out of wedlock a black thing only?
Granny, your comment @3:27p hit the bullseye!
Imo, Anon10:17p justified police brutality by finding fault with the black community. It's the old 'switch it around' racist ploy: "make the innocent look guilty and the guilty perpetrator look innocent".
Racists have held this fault-finding blaming mentality for centuries. They must. How else can you kill off one race, and enslave another, and still sleep at night?
Hence, Anon10:17p must 'minimize' what the policeman did.... Anon must look down on Blacks in order to feel superior and 'justify' his goodness.
However, Divine Law says we are all God's Children and created in the image of God.
Therefore, 'putting down others does not make people like Anon 10:17p better; nor does it make them what they are not.'
Have a great Easter!
B#
You have a blessed Easter too B#.
Yup, that and they know that they're losing control over blacks. They really would like to commit black genocide and are trying to figure our a way to justify it without repercussions.
*out* instead of our.
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