The LEO thread

[billy.pilgrim]

Thanks CNN for waiting until it's too late to do what you should have done. Now go chase some other shiny object.

[Vrede too]

Everything You Think You Know About the Death of Mike Brown Is Wrong, and the Man Who Killed Him Admits It

The original story:

Michael Brown walked into a convenience store; committed a strong-arm robbery, escaping with the invaluable loot of a pack of cigarillos; and while he was walking home, Darren Wilson, a brave cop responding to the robbery, stopped him.

When Wilson tried to detain Brown, Brown reached for the cop’s gun and the policeman shot him. But Brown wouldn’t quit, and the officer thought that Brown might have a weapon, so Wilson shot a few more times to stop Brown from harming him.

What we now KNOW, thanks to the video and Officer Wilson's own admissions:

- The robbery didn't happen.
- Officer Wilson had a history of racial discrimination and excessive force.
- Brown never tried to take the officer Wilson’s gun.
- Brown never struck the officer.
- Brown did not initiate any contact with Officer Wilson.
- Officer Wilson used racial slurs, cursed at Brown, and grabbed him without provocation.
- Than, instead of reaching for his pepper spray, baton or Taser—Wilson pulled out his gun and admits to shooting Brown, even though Brown had not reached for his weapon or struck him.
- He shot 10 times. After shooting Brown in the face, Wilson kept firing, shooting him again in the top of the head.

Also, the Ferguson PD had a long history of severe racial discrimination in hiring and practices, and of using excessive force. This helps explain the public reaction to the killing of Michael Brown despite the Ferguson authorities' best efforts to muddy both its business as usual and what happened on that day including, as we finally now know, releasing one video while concealing this new one. Citizens that have been treated with fairness, dignity, professionalism and respect don't massively protest and, sadly, riot some based on just one event.

And just a reminder about how credible the police investigation was:

“Professor” who assisted in Mike Brown autopsy revealed as “fraud, con artist”

Just when you thought the investigation into Ferguson cop Darren Wilson's shooting of an unarmed black teen couldn't get any more fucked up, it gets even more fucked up....

I don't think it was the police investigation.

Shawn Parcells became an instant media star in August after assisting in a private autopsy commissioned by the family of slain teen Michael Brown. Parcells showed up constantly on TV news as a forensic pathology expert, and claimed to have testified in court dozens of times in several states over the years. He also claims to be a professor. "But an investigation by CNN that included interviews with attorneys, law enforcement and physicians suggests Parcells isn't the expert he seems to be."

Here's the 2014 CNN article:

Is 'professor' who helped with Michael Brown autopsy who he says he is?

It's not very clear how he got involved and what his impact on the outcome might have been.

[Mr.B]

To: Chuck.Edwards@ncleg.net, Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net
Cc: publicschoolsfirstnc@gmail.com

Hi,

I support House Bill 280, the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act. Raising the age at which juvenile offenders will be tried as adults will bring NC in line with most of the nation in rational, cost-effective and compassionate juvenile justice reform. Thank you for being a primary sponsor, Rep. McGrady.

cc: Gov. Cooper

Sincerely,
(Vrede too)

"Raising the age at which juvenile offenders will be tried as adults will bring NC in line with most of the nation .... "

13 year old boy charged with murder after he uses baseball bat to kill his 80 year old grandfather

[Vrede too]

Gov. Scott appoints special prosecutor after Ayala says she won't pursue death penalty

FL Governor Rick Scott removed the first black woman state attorney in Florida history from a key case and handed it over to a white male prosecutor in another county.

Father of Sade Dixon speaks out about prosecutor's stance on death penalty

The father of murder victim Sade Dixon said he is not happy that State Attorney Aramis Ayala was taken off the case of his daughter's accused killer, Markeith Loyd, despite Ayala's decision not to pursue the death penalty in any cases.

"Life, no chance of parole, we get closure," said Ron Daniels, "but now if you give him the death penalty, he comes back. Every time he appeals this family or any family has to relive that case all over again." ...

Governor Rick Scott: Stop blocking State's Attorney Aramis Ayala (petition)

[Vrede too]

Trump’s likely homeland security pick let an inmate die of thirst in his jail
More than a dozen inmates have died under Sheriff David Clarke’s watch.

Trump's potential Homeland Security chief wants to ship a million American citizens to Gitmo

... Where many of Trump’s appointments are exactly the kind of Wall Street billionaires and lobbyists he railed against during the campaign, Clarke represents something genuine. Genuine insanity....

The press has found it possible to normalize white supremacists and a genuine neo-Nazi in the White House, but pretending that Clarke is anything less than a lunatic fascist will take a very special effort in looking the other way....

The man Donald Trump is interviewing for the slot at Homeland Security believes that a million Americans are “giving aid and comfort” to ISIS, and that these million—and even more on top of that—get shipped indefinitely to Gitmo.

The maximum capacity of Gitmo? Four hundred ninety. In fact, a million people would add about 10 percent of the total population of Cuba. So forget closing it. We just need to buy the rest of the island.

Donald Trump can probably make a great deal.

Lawsuit: Sheriff David Clarke’s jail forced a woman to give birth while in shackles
Clarke’s Milwaukee County Jail is notorious for abuse.

In July 2016, a newborn baby died at the Milwaukee County Jail after the mother was forced to give birth on her cell floor. Now, three months after Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke’s Office was sued over the baby’s death, the controversial law enforcement leader is being sued for additional jail abuse of pregnant women....

Hall is the only plaintiff named so far, but her attorneys hope to represent more than 40 other women who were shackled while pregnant under Clarke’s leadership. The lawsuit claims that his jail has a “blanket shackling policy” as opposed to one that considers the security threat and risks associated with shackling individual women....

Clarke himself is an enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump and a proponent of vigilante justice. In the past he encouraged violence against Trump’s opponents and said Black Lives Matter activists are “black slime” who should be “eradicated from American society.”

Just another "pro-life" Trumpette with a badge.

[Vrede too]

RAISE THE AGE TO DISRUPT THE NC SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE!



FACT SHEET
Safer Communities, Better Outcomes: Keeping Kids out of the Adult Court System

NC House Bill 280, Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act.

[Vrede too]

Louisiana officer convicted of manslaughter in boy's death

[Vrede too]

Police arrest Virginia man dressed as 'The Joker'

"Wearing a mask in public" is a felony??? Is face paint really even a mask?

Anyhow, the team that arrested him:



His accomplice got away:

[Vrede too]

FL Governor Rick Scott removed the first black woman state attorney in Florida history from a key case and handed it over to a white male prosecutor in another county.

Governor Rick Scott: Stop blocking State's Attorney Aramis Ayala (petition)

(FL Gov. Rick) Scott removes Ayala from 21 additional murder cases

[billy.pilgrim]

FL Governor Rick Scott removed the first black woman state attorney in Florida history from a key case and handed it over to a white male prosecutor in another county.

Governor Rick Scott: Stop blocking State's Attorney Aramis Ayala (petition)

(FL Gov. Rick) Scott removes Ayala from 21 additional murder cases

Rick laughs at petitions the same way he does at taxpayers when he funnels state business to his wife

[Vrede too]

Texas Can No Longer Fabricate Its Own Medical Standards to Justify Executions

In a 5-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday concluded that current medical standards must be considered when determining whether a defendant facing the death penalty is intellectually disabled and thus barred from execution under the Eighth Amendment.

The ruling was a strong rebuke, particularly to the state of Texas, which has long based such determinations on outdated science in concert with a set of subjective — if not simply stereotyping — standards that were largely based on a fictional character.

[Vrede too]

Lacking evidence, recanting witness suggests another look necessary in Sharpe conviction

... Dontae was convicted of a murder connected to a drug buy in 1994 but the case quickly fell apart. The prosecution's key witness recanted her testimony within two months of the trial and a detective from the case has come forward to admit that Dontae was wrongfully convicted and that evidence in the case was selectively documented to build the case against him.

... Join Color Of Change and the NC NAACP in calling on North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Attorney General Josh Stein and Pitt County District Attorney Kimberly Robb to #FreeDontaeSharpe. We can’t wait another decade for justice to be served.

[Vrede too]

Ivan Teleguz – an innocent man on death row

Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of Governor Terry McAuliffe

Thank you for contacting the Office of the Governor regarding the case of Ivan Teleguz. We have made Governor McAuliffe aware of your thoughts.

Governor McAuliffe is currently reviewing Ivan Teleguz’s case. Before making a decision, the Governor will carefully consider all of the relevant legal documents regarding this matter.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with the Governor. We hope that you will continue to provide Governor McAuliffe with your views on matters affecting the Commonwealth.

Sincerely,
Constituent Services
Office of the Governor

Cool, I never got replies from NC's McCrory and haven't gotten any replies from Cooper yet.

[Vrede too]

Police Officer Tackles Alleged Jaywalker And Then Starts Punching
Here’s another reason to look both ways before crossing the street.

Jaywalking on a dinky little residential street like that???!!! Suuure, it wasn't about race. You can bet the cop would have lied if not for the video, and may lie anyhow. Support your local police, beat yourself up.

... Sacramento Police Department officials on Tuesday leveled blame at the unidentified officer, who has been suspended with pay during an investigation of the incident.

“The videos of this incident portray actions and behavior that we would consider unacceptable conduct by a Sacramento Police Officer,” the department said in a statement....

Cain was initially booked for resisting arrest, but that charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence, a Sacramento Police Department spokesman told The Huffington Post.

Good, even caught the cop lying about the resisting.

[billy.pilgrim]

Police Officer Tackles Alleged Jaywalker And Then Starts Punching
Here’s another reason to look both ways before crossing the street.

Jaywalking on a dinky little residential street like that???!!! Suuure, it wasn't about race. You can bet the cop would have lied if not for the video, and may lie anyhow. Support your local police, beat yourself up.

... Sacramento Police Department officials on Tuesday leveled blame at the unidentified officer, who has been suspended with pay during an investigation of the incident.

“The videos of this incident portray actions and behavior that we would consider unacceptable conduct by a Sacramento Police Officer,” the department said in a statement....

Cain was initially booked for resisting arrest, but that charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence, a Sacramento Police Department spokesman told The Huffington Post.

Good, even caught the cop lying about the resisting.

Cop will lose his job and get another in a nearby town

[Vrede too]

Update:

Prosecutor sues (FL) governor after he took death cases from her

[Vrede too]

Some cynical, apathetic, sedentary, whiny and compliant fools disparage protest. However, Rosa Parks helped change a nation for the better.

United made a major change to ensure the nightmare of Flight 3411 doesn't happen again

Though his act wasn't intentional like Parks' was, Dr. David Dao's passive resistance to abusive authority has already changed a global airline and probably an industry.

[billy.pilgrim]

Some cynical, apathetic, sedentary, whiny and compliant fools disparage protest. However, Rosa Parks helped change a nation for the better.

United made a major change to ensure the nightmare of Flight 3411 doesn't happen again

Though his act wasn't intentional like Parks' was, Dr. David Dao's passive resistance to abusive authority has already changed a global airline and probably an industry.

Too bad LEO and LEO wannabes like these aholes aren't affecred by market forces.

[Vrede too]

True, but the Jim Crow cops and pols were affected by passive resistance and public outrage, just as these airport security have been and other airport security will be affected by the public outrage generated by Dr. David Dao and social media.

Chicago airport security under fire over United fiasco

[Vrede too]

Three former Virginia attorneys general urge commutation of death sentence for Ivan Teleguz

I don't know that Ivan Teleguz is innocent, but how funky this case is proves why we shouldn't have the death penalty.