The Shooting Gallery: Police Violence MEGATHREAD

[jimmy olsen]

Good news, but they should be charged as well

Links galore within.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/08/18/chicago_police_superintendent_calls_for_officers_who_covered_up_laquan_mcdonald.html

Chicago Police Superintendent Calls for Officers Who Covered Up Laquan McDonald Shooting to Be Fired


Chicago's police superintendent on Thursday called for the city to fire seven of its officers for providing false information concerning the death of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager who was shot and killed by a white officer nearly two years ago. Technically speaking, the seven officers in question are accused of "making a false report" about the circumstances of McDonald's death, but given the video of the incident and the autopsy, a less generous description would probably involve the words lying and cover up.

Josh Voorhees is a Slate senior writer. He lives in Iowa City.

Superintendent Eddie Johnson's decision comes 22 months after Officer Jason Van Dyke unloaded 16 bullets into McDonald, and nine months after Van Dyke was charged with first-degree murder shortly before the city—under court order—released video of the shooting that contradicted Van Dyke's claim he was acting in self-defense when he opened fire.

Based on Van Dyke's version of events, which was backed up by his colleagues at the scene, authorities had quickly deemed McDonald's death a "justifiable homicide" within hours of the incident. But while the officers all told the same story, the dashcam footage ended up telling a far different one (which, if the city had its way, would have remained unknown to the public). Via the Associated Press:

Van Dyke's partner, Joseph Walsh, told an investigator that he repeatedly yelled "Drop the knife!" at McDonald and backed up as the teenager advanced at the officers. Further, he supported Van Dyke's claim saying McDonald "swung the knife toward the officers in an aggressive manner" and that he believed McDonald was "attempting to kill them."

Another wrote that, Van Dyke "in defense of his life ... backpedaled and fired his handgun at McDonald." Multiple officers wrote that even after McDonald had been shot he still posed a threat. "McDonald fell to the ground but continued to move and continued to grasp the knife, refusing to let go of it," one report reads.

In the video, however, McDonald can clearly be seen moving away from the responding officers as Van Dyke steps out of his squad car and, seconds later, opens fire. The officer continued to unload his gun even after McDonald had fallen to the ground. According to prosecutors, the 17-year-old did indeed have a knife in his possession at the time, but they say it was recovered with the three-inch blade folded into its handle.

Johnson's decision is not necessarily the end of the road for the seven officers. While the superintendent has stripped them of their police powers, he does not have the ability to unilaterally fire them. Instead, the seven will have the chance to contest his recommendation before the city's police board, a process that typically takes about seven months. Nonetheless, Thursday's announcement is being hailed by community leaders as a sign of progress—which, given Chicago's history and intractable "code of silence," is both true and depressing.

[jimmy olsen]

Hang this fucker high

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/king-n-police-kill-unarmed-deaf-mute-man-sign-language-article-1.2760714

KING: North Carolina police kill unarmed deaf man using sign language

This is as bad as it gets.

A North Carolina state trooper shot and killed 29-year-old Daniel Harris — who was not only unarmed, but deaf — just feet from his home, over a speeding violation. According to early reports from neighbors who witnessed the shooting this past Thursday night, Harris was shot and killed "almost immediately" after exiting his vehicle.

He appeared to be trying to communicate with the officer via sign language.

"They should've de-escalated and been trained to realize that this is an entirely different situation," neighbor Mark Barringer said. "You're pulling someone over who is deaf, they are handicapped. To me, what happened is totally unacceptable."

Police claim they attempted to pull Harris over for speeding, but he continued driving home instead of pulling over. Whether Harris fully understood what was happening, since he could not have heard the sirens, is unclear. His family, including his siblings, are also deaf and could often be seen communicating with each other via sign language in the neighborhood.

An outrageous 752 people have been killed by American police so far this year. While some of the cases posed genuine risks to law enforcement, this one is hard to justify. Beyond being unarmed and deaf, Daniel Harris appears to have been a rather small, thin man. Opening fire could not have been the only option the officer had. What threat did Harris pose? Was a Taser or pepper spray used? Could the officer truly not subdue Harris on his own?

If reports from neighbors are accurate, it doesn't appear the officer even tried, but pretty much shot and killed Harris mere seconds after he got out of the car.

In a widely shared fund-raiser from the Harris family, they wrote:

"Our family is raising funds to cover his memorial and cremation expenses (details pending). Any monies left over will be used to set up a foundation in his name to educate and provide law enforcement proper training on how to confront Deaf people. Subsequently, we hope to change the DMV registration system by requiring states to set up a 'DEAF' alert to appear when law enforcement look up a car's license plate. With this change, Daniel will be a hero in our Deaf community."

Daniel's hearing impairment is no excuse for what happened. While his family is correct — police should absolutely be better trained, and license plates could and should provide smarter alerts to first responders — this case boils down to the "shoot first, ask questions later" training police are receiving all over the country. Virtually any other option the officer could've considered was better than what he chose in this case, but here we are with another avoidable casualty of police violence.

Daniel Harris should be alive with a speeding ticket, but instead his family is raising funds for his cremation.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-carolina-police-shoot-dead-unarmed-deaf-man-using-sign-language-communicate-officer-1577527

North Carolina police shoot dead unarmed deaf man 'using sign language to communicate with officer'

An unarmed deaf and mute man has been shot by police in North Carolina after reportedly attempting to use sign language to communicate with officers. Daniel Harris, 29, was shot after being pulled over following a brief car chase just outside his home in the city of Charlotte on 18 August.

Police said they attempted to pull Harris over for allegedly speeding on the Interstate 485.

After getting out of his vehicle, there was a "brief encounter" between Harris and state trooper Jermaine Saunders, which resulted in Harris being shot and killed instantly.

Eyewitnesses to the shooting claim the father of one died "almost immediately" after getting out of his car. They say Harris was likely trying to communicate with the trooper using sign language before he was killed.

Neighbour Mark Barringer told WCNC: "They should've deescalated and been trained to realise that this is an entirely different situation, you're pulling someone over who is deaf, they are handicapped. To me, what happened is totally unacceptable."

The North Carolina Highway Patrol and the State Bureau of Investigation confirmed they have launched an investigation into the incident which will include a review of the dashboard and body cameras. Trooper Saunders has since been placed on administrative leave.

Harris's family have set up an online fundraising page to help pay for his funeral and are calling for a change in the DMV registration system, which would require US states to set up a "deaf" alert to appear when officers look up a car's license plate.

The family wrote on the YouCaring crowdfunding page: "Daniel K. Harris was unexpectedly killed in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday, August 18, 2016. He was unarmed when shot and killed by a state trooper. His tragic death could have been prevented. Police brutality ends NOW.

"Our family is raising funds to cover his memorial and cremation expenses. Any monies left over will be used to set up a foundation in his name to educate and provide law enforcement proper training on how to confront deaf people. With this change, Daniel will be a hero in our Deaf community."

[jimmy olsen]

In more awesome violence related news, a clerk responds to a robber armed with a machete by pulling out a full length scimitar! 

https://youtu.be/gVEmOQRgqwk

[Darth Wagtaros]

He should have been able to hear so that this wouldn't have happened. 

[Valmy]

He should have been able to hear so that this wouldn't have happened. 

You know my parents gave me very specific rules with regards to the cops. No sudden moves. Keep your hands where they can see them. Stay in the car. Look straight ahead. Do whatever they tell you.

I guess I figured it was to keep from being arrested or detained.

[Razgovory]

He should have been able to hear so that this wouldn't have happened. 

You know my parents gave me very specific rules with regards to the cops. No sudden moves. Keep your hands where they can see them. Stay in the car. Look straight ahead. Do whatever they tell you.

I guess I figured it was to keep from being arrested or detained.

I got the same advice.  If I was arrested there would be all sorts of awkward questions

"why are you carrying lock picks and a loupe?

[Malthus]

KING: North Carolina police kill unarmed deaf man using sign language

Unfortunate title editing.

One wonders how exactly the cops were able to kill a person with sign language. 

[Valmy]

He should have been able to hear so that this wouldn't have happened. 

You know my parents gave me very specific rules with regards to the cops. No sudden moves. Keep your hands where they can see them. Stay in the car. Look straight ahead. Do whatever they tell you.

I guess I figured it was to keep from being arrested or detained.

I got the same advice.  If I was arrested there would be all sorts of awkward questions

"why are you carrying lock picks and a loupe?

I just was saying I didn't realize it was to prevent me from getting shot. But yes that might suck to.

[jimmy olsen]

He should have been able to hear so that this wouldn't have happened. 

You know my parents gave me very specific rules with regards to the cops. No sudden moves. Keep your hands where they can see them. Stay in the car. Look straight ahead. Do whatever they tell you.

I guess I figured it was to keep from being arrested or detained.

Of course he should have stayed in the car,  but there are always going to be people who don't do that. They might be drunk, ignorant or simply belligerent. Police standard operating procedure should be something other than instantly gun down all of the above.

[Darth Wagtaros]

He should have been able to hear so that this wouldn't have happened. 

You know my parents gave me very specific rules with regards to the cops. No sudden moves. Keep your hands where they can see them. Stay in the car. Look straight ahead. Do whatever they tell you.

I guess I figured it was to keep from being arrested or detained.

Yeah, I was always told the same. They should be prepared for those who don't know or who are really nervous.  The government response shouldn't be to treat every citizen as an existential threat until proven otherwise.

[Martinus]

He should have been able to hear so that this wouldn't have happened. 

You know my parents gave me very specific rules with regards to the cops. No sudden moves. Keep your hands where they can see them. Stay in the car. Look straight ahead. Do whatever they tell you.

I guess I figured it was to keep from being arrested or detained.

That's a bit humiliating for a citizen of a free country, though, isn't it? Not to mention, even if these were common sense rules, failure to observe them should not mean you are dead.

I mean, when I read rules like that, you would have thought you are a peasant living in a country ruled by murderous robber barons, not the "land of the free".

[Martinus]

KING: North Carolina police kill unarmed deaf man using sign language

Unfortunate title editing.

One wonders how exactly the cops were able to kill a person with sign language. 

I guess it depends on the signs they used. Axii could be pretty deadly.

[Darth Wagtaros]

The Killing Word from Dune sounded out in ASL.

[Valmy]

I mean, when I read rules like that, you would have thought you are a peasant living in a country ruled by murderous robber barons, not the "land of the free".

Well the end of that warning was that if the cops do anything fucked up we will lawyer up later. So there is that.

[Admiral Yi]

That's a bit humiliating for a citizen of a free country, though, isn't it?

I don't see how any of the things Raz mentioned are humiliating.