The Shooting Gallery: Police Violence MEGATHREAD

[Jacob]

Has there been any kind of excuse made for the violence? Like "he was assisting arrest" or "he looked like a dangerous criminal we were looking for" or anything like that? Or even "he was insufficiently deferential, so we decided to punish him"?

What did those cops think they were doing? Or was it even in their minds nakedly pure "we're cops and feel like kicking the shit out of a random black man, so that's what we'll do"?

[Habbaku]

Has there been any kind of excuse made for the violence? Like "he was assisting arrest" or "he looked like a dangerous criminal we were looking for" or anything like that? Or even "he was insufficiently deferential, so we decided to punish him"?

What did those cops think they were doing? Or was it even in their minds nakedly pure "we're cops and feel like kicking the shit out of a random black man, so that's what we'll do"?

Haven't seen anything excusing it, so much as the insane right-wingers criticizing people "over-worried" about it in comparison to Ashli Babbit.

[jimmy olsen]

Has there been any kind of excuse made for the violence? Like "he was assisting arrest" or "he looked like a dangerous criminal we were looking for" or anything like that? Or even "he was insufficiently deferential, so we decided to punish him"?

What did those cops think they were doing? Or was it even in their minds nakedly pure "we're cops and feel like kicking the shit out of a random black man, so that's what we'll do"?

The initial press release was the same old passive voice bullshit. (Paraphrasing) The suspect resisted arrest, there was a confrontation where he was subdued, he suffered breathing problems and was promptly taken by an ambulance to a hospital where he unfortunately passed away.

[jimmy olsen]

The initial statement
https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/us/police-report-contradict-video-tyre-nichols/index.html

[The Larch]

This is reaching pantomime villain status.

California police kill double amputee who was fleeing: 'Scared for his life'

Anthony Lowe's family says they want to see Huntington Park police prosecuted: 'I'm heartbroken and filled with rage'


A southern California police department is facing national backlash after footage revealed that officers fatally shot a double amputee and wheelchair user who appeared to be hobbling away on the ground before he was killed.

Anthony Lowe, 36, was killed by officers in Huntington Park, a city in southern Los Angeles county, last Thursday. Cellphone footage captured part of the incident, showing Lowe on a sidewalk next to his wheelchair appearing to try to flee as two officers approach him with weapons drawn. More police cars arrived as the officers followed Lowe, who seemed to be limping away, but the video did not capture the shooting.

Now, Lowe's family is calling for officers to be terminated and face murder charges.

[Valmy]

Are the police going insane? These guys are making the dudes who beat Rodney King look like reasonable professionals lately.

[Syt]

More details on the story:

https://time.com/6251814/anthony-lowe-jr-death-huntington-park-police/

Everything We Know About the Police Killing of Double-Amputee Anthony Lowe

The Jan. 26 police shooting of a 36-year-old, double amputee in southeastern Los Angeles is the latest killing of a Black man to set off protests over excessive and lethal violence by U.S. law enforcement.

Activists and the family of Anthony Lowe Jr. took to the Huntington Park Police Department headquarters on Monday to condemn the killing. "They murdered my son in a wheelchair—with no legs," Lowe's mother Dorothy said.

Last week, five police officers were charged with second-degree murder for beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols in Memphis—leading to his death days after. Protests broke out across the U.S. following Nichols' death.

What is the police's account of the Lowe shooting?

In a Jan. 30 statement, the Huntington Park Police Department said its officers were responding to a stabbing on the afternoon of Jan. 26.

The stabbing victim described his attacker as a man in a wheelchair. The attacker allegedly "dismounted the wheelchair, ran to the victim without provocation, and stabbed him in the side of the chest" with a "12-inch butcher knife," before fleeing the scene in the wheelchair.

In the search for the assailant, they located the alleged suspect, later identified as Lowe, a few blocks away, holding a knife. Huntington police said its officers attempted to detain the man, but authorities said he ignored verbal orders and "threatened to advance or throw the knife at the officers." They also said they tasered the suspect twice.

"The suspect continued to threaten officers with the butcher knife, resulting in an officer-involved shooting," the statement read.

The L.A. Sheriff's Department said on Friday the suspect was shot in the "upper torso," and "was treated on scene by Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics and pronounced dead."

What has happened to the police officers involved?

The police officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave per protocol, according to the Huntington police.

The Huntington Park Police Department, Homicide Bureau of the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, and the L.A. County District Attorney's Office are investigating the shooting.

What do we know about Lowe?

Yatoya Toy, Lowe's sister, told the Los Angeles Times that her brother's legs were amputated last year after an altercation with law enforcement in Texas. TIME could not verify the details of that incident.

Lowe had two teenage children, and he lived in South Los Angeles, according to the L.A. Times.

The mother of one of Lowe's children, Ebonique Simon, described him to CNN as a "loving, caring father." She also told CNN that Lowe was "dealing with a lot of depression" over the loss of his legs.

A spokesperson for the family told CBS News that Lowe was undergoing a mental health crisis when he was shot.

What has the reaction been so far?

A grainy video of the incident, which TIME could not independently verify, is circulating online, appearing to show Lowe, dismounted from his wheelchair, hobble away from two police officers as he carries what appears to be a large knife. A police car then blocks the view.

The L.A. Times reported Sunday that Lowe's sister identified him in the video. It also said that the L.A. County Sheriff's Department collected video from a nearby establishment, though it does not intend to release the footage.

Cliff Smith, an organizer with the Coalition for Community Control Over the Police, called on L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón to prosecute the officers involved. "We want specific justice," he said at the press conference outside local police headquarters Monday.

Lowe's mother Dorothy said, "This situation is worse than George Floyd. When these videos go out, it's going to be all bad."

The family has not commented on Lowe's alleged involvement in the stabbing incident.

[grumbler]

Suicide by cop?

[viper37]

Mississipi: Police shooting 11 year old boy

11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by responding police officer after calling 911 is released from the hospital


An 11-year-old Mississippi boy who was shot by a police officer after he called 911 for help is recovering after being released from the hospital, according to his family.

The family is calling for the officer to be fired and charged with the shooting.

Aderrien Murry was shot in the chest by an Indianola Police Department officer early Saturday morning while the officer was responding to a domestic disturbance call at the child's home, according to his mother, Nakala Murry, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.

Murry told CNN that the father of another of her children arrived at her home at 4 a.m., "irate."

Concerned about her safety, Murry asked Aderrien to call the police.

Murry said the officer who arrived at the home "had his gun drawn at the front door and asked those inside the home to come outside." Murry said her son was shot coming around the corner of a hallway, into the living room.

"Once he came from around the corner, he got shot," Murry said. "I cannot grasp why. The same cop that told him to come out of the house. (Aderrien) did, and he got shot. He kept asking, 'Why did he shoot me? What did I do wrong?'" she said.

The shooting happened within what felt like "one to two minutes" after the officer asked those in the house to come outside, Murry said.

The boy was given a chest tube and placed on a ventilator at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson after developing a collapsed lung, fractured ribs and a lacerated liver because of the shooting, his mother said. He was released from the hospital Wednesday. CNN has reached out to the hospital.

Two other children, including Murry's daughter and 2-year-old nephew, were also in the home at the time of the shooting, she said.

Body camera footage has not been released

Murry's family attorney Carlos Moore told CNN the incident was captured on police body camera.
The attorney said his request for the body camera footage was denied due to "an ongoing investigation."

The body camera video of the incident has not been released publicly.

Moore also said he was told there is video of the incident from a nearby gas station.

The Indianola Police Department confirmed that the officer involved in the shooting is named Greg Capers but did not provide any additional details on the shooting, telling CNN the police chief was unavailable.

CNN reached out to Capers for comment but did not immediately hear back.

On Monday evening, the Indianola Board of Aldermen voted to place Capers on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, according to the family attorney.

In a statement over the weekend, the MBI said the agency is "currently assessing this critical incident and gathering evidence" and would turn over its findings to the state attorney general's office after the investigation is complete.

On Wednesday, MBI spokesperson Bailey Martin declined to answer additional questions, telling CNN in an email, "Due to this being an open and ongoing investigation, no further comment will be made."

CNN has contacted the District Attorney's Office for the Fourth Circuit Court and the Mississippi Attorney General's Office for comment.

Family angry police officer remains employed by department
Murry said that after her son was shot, she placed her hand on his wound to apply pressure as he "sang gospel songs and prayed while bleeding out." The officer, she said, tried to help render first aid and placed his hand on top of hers to try to stop Aderrien's bleeding.

When an ambulance arrived, medics were "very attentive," she said.

"Aderrien came within an inch of losing his life," Moore said. "It's not OK for a cop to do this and get away with this. The mother asked Aderrien to call the police on her daughter's father. He walked out of his room as directed by the police and he got shot."

Murry said police told her that her daughter's father was taken into custody later in the day on Saturday but eventually released because she had not filed a police report against him.

"When was I going to have time to do that? I was in the hospital with my son," she said, reacting to the news of the man's release from custody.

Four days after the shooting, Murry told CNN that "no one came to the hospital from the police station" nor had she spoken to any police investigators about the shooting.

"I'm just happy my son is alive," she said through tears.
Moore told CNN that he is furious that Capers remains employed by the Indianola Police Department.

"We believe that the city and the officer should be liable to Aderrien Murray, for the damages they have caused," the attorney said.

Moore said they will hold a sit-in protest at the Indianola City Hall on Thursday morning.

Indianola is a small, mostly African American town with 31% of the population below the poverty line. It lies in the Mississippi Delta, about 100 miles north of Jackson.

[jimmy olsen]

[Syt]

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/35533/mistrial-declared-in-brookhaven-fedex-driver-shooting-trial-after-detective-withheld-evidence

Mistrial Declared In Brookhaven FedEx Driver Shooting Trial After Detective Withheld Evidence[/size]

The judge hearing a case involving two white men accused of shooting at a Black FedEx delivery driver has ended in a mistrial in Lincoln County, Miss., after a Brookhaven Police officer withheld evidence from the prosecution and defense.

The defendants, Gregory Case and his son Brandon Case, were charged with attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy and shooting into the vehicle of D'Monterrio Gibson. Their accuser told the Mississippi Free Press in February 2022 that two men confronted him as he was delivering packages in their Lincoln County neighborhood in January 2022, chasing him down and leaving bullet holes in his delivery van. The men were not indicted until November 2022.

The Associated Press reported this morning that Mississippi Circuit Court Judge David Strong cited errors by Brookhaven Police Department Detective Vincent Fernando as he declared the mistrial this morning. Those errors included failing to give prosecutors and defense attorneys a videotaped statement the police had taken from Gibson and improperly testifying about finding guns in the home of one of the defendants and shell casings outside.

The defense requested the mistrial and Strong said he "had no other choice," The Daily Leader reported this morning. The trial began on Aug. 15, almost a year and eight months after the incident occurred.

Gibson's attorney, Carlos Moore, has repeatedly accused the Brookhaven Police Department of delaying investigating the shooting and of "shoddy" work. He is now asking the U.S. Department of Justice to step in.

"As the attorney representing D'Monterrio Gibson, I share the deep disappointment and frustration expressed by Circuit Judge David Strong over this development," the attorney said in a statement to the Mississippi Free Press this morning. "A mistrial represents not just an administrative setback but also a delay in justice for Mr. Gibson and his family. It is concerning that BPD withheld a potentially crucial piece of evidence, and I concur with District Attorney Dee Bates, the withheld evidence necessitated a mistrial. We believe that this is not an isolated incident but a part of a larger pattern of obstruction by the BPD."

Moore said he has "recently communicated with one of the leaders of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division" and that the Justice Department is "actively monitoring the developments in this state prosecution as it deliberates on whether there will be a federal hate crime prosecution against the Cases."

"I have also requested the DOJ to investigate the Brookhaven Police Department's conduct in this matter for potential obstruction of justice. It is paramount that every law enforcement agency upholds the highest standards of integrity and transparency, especially when the pursuit of justice for a victim is at stake," Moore continued. "We remain committed to seeking justice for D'Monterrio Gibson and ensuring that the legal process is fair, transparent, and accountable. We are hopeful that the Department of Justice's involvement will help shed light on this serious matter and ensure that justice is served."

WJTV reported that Bates told reporters a new trial will be scheduled, but he did not know if it will happen before he retires at the end of the year.

[Syt]

https://kansasreflector.com/2023/08/11/police-stage-chilling-raid-on-marion-county-newspaper-seizing-computers-records-and-cellphones/

Police stage 'chilling' raid on Marion County newspaper, seizing computers, records and cellphones

MARION — In an unprecedented raid Friday, local law enforcement seized computers, cellphones and reporting materials from the Marion County Record office, the newspaper's reporters, and the publisher's home.

Eric Meyer, owner and publisher of the newspaper, said police were motivated by a confidential source who leaked sensitive documents to the newspaper, and the message was clear: "Mind your own business or we're going to step on you."

The city's entire five-officer police force and two sheriff's deputies took "everything we have," Meyer said, and it wasn't clear how the newspaper staff would take the weekly publication to press Tuesday night.

The raid followed news stories about a restaurant owner who kicked reporters out of a meeting last week with U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, and revelations about the restaurant owner's lack of a driver's license and conviction for drunken driving.

Meyer said he had never heard of police raiding a newspaper office during his 20 years at the Milwaukee Journal or 26 years teaching journalism at the University of Illinois.

"It's going to have a chilling effect on us even tackling issues," Meyer said, as well as "a chilling effect on people giving us information."

The search warrant, signed by Marion County District Court Magistrate Judge Laura Viar, appears to violate federal law that provides protections against searching and seizing materials from journalists. The law requires law enforcement to subpoena materials instead. Viar didn't respond to a request to comment for this story or explain why she would authorize a potentially illegal raid.

Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, said the police raid is unprecedented in Kansas.

"An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public's right to know," Bradbury said. "This cannot be allowed to stand."

Meyer reported last week that Marion restaurant owner Kari Newell had kicked newspaper staff out of a public forum with LaTurner, whose staff was apologetic. Newell responded to Meyer's reporting with hostile comments on her personal Facebook page.

A confidential source contacted the newspaper, Meyer said, and provided evidence that Newell had been convicted of drunken driving and continued to use her vehicle without a driver's license. The criminal record could jeopardize her efforts to obtain a liquor license for her catering business.

A reporter with the Marion Record used a state website to verify the information provided by the source. But Meyer suspected the source was relaying information from Newell's husband, who had filed for divorce. Meyer decided not to publish a story about the information, and he alerted police to the situation.

"We thought we were being set up," Meyer said.

Police notified Newell, who then complained at a city council meeting that the newspaper had illegally obtained and disseminated sensitive documents, which isn't true. Her public comments prompted the newspaper to set the record straight in a story published Thursday.

Sometime before 11 a.m. Friday, officers showed up simultaneously at Meyer's home and the newspaper office. They presented a search warrant that alleges identity theft and unlawful use of a computer.

The search warrant identifies two pages worth of items that law enforcement officers were allowed to seize, including computer software and hardware, digital communications, cellular networks, servers and hard drives, items with passwords, utility records, and all documents and records pertaining to Newell. The warrant specifically targeted ownership of computers capable of being used to "participate in the identity theft of Kari Newell."

Officers injured a reporter's finger by grabbing her cellphone out of her hand, Meyer said. Officers at his home took photos of his bank account information.

He said officers told him the computers, cellphones and other devices would be sent to a lab.

"I don't know when they'll get it back to us," Meyer said. "They won't tell us."

The seized computers, server and backup hard drive include advertisements and legal notices that were supposed to appear in the next edition of the newspaper.

"I don't know what we're going to do," he said. "We will publish something."

Newell, writing Friday under a changed name on her personal Facebook account, said she "foolishly" received a DUI in 2008 and "knowingly operated a vehicle without a license out of necessity."

"Journalists have become the dirty politicians of today, twisting narrative for bias agendas, full of muddied half-truths," Newell wrote. "We rarely get facts that aren't baited with misleading insinuations."

She said the "entire debacle was brought forth in an attempt to smear my name, jeopardize my licensing through ABC (state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division), harm my business, seek retaliation, and for personal leverage in an ongoing domestic court battle."

At the law enforcement center in Marion, a staff member said only Police Chief Gideon Cody could answer questions for this story, and that Cody had gone home for the day and could not be reached by phone. The office of Attorney General Kris Kobach wasn't available to comment on the legal controversy in Marion, which is north of Wichita in central Kansas.

Melissa Underwood, communications director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, replied by email to a question about whether the KBI was involved in the case.

"At the request of the Marion Police Department, on Tuesday, Aug. 8, we began an investigation into allegations of criminal wrongdoing in Marion, Kansas. The investigation is ongoing," Underwood said.

Meyer, whose father worked at the newspaper from 1948 until he retired, bought the Marion County Record in 1998, preventing a sale to a corporate newspaper chain.

As a journalism professor in Illinois, Meyer said, he had graduate students from Egypt who talked about how people would come into the newspaper office and seize everything so they couldn't publish. Those students presented a scholarly paper at a conference in Toronto about what it has done to journalism there.

"That's basically what they're trying to do here," Meyer said. "The intervention is just like that repressive government of Egypt. I didn't think it could happen in America."

Full size: https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SearchWarrant2.jpg

[Admiral Yi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjFP_Qa71ZE

Search warrant for newspaper lists falsely obtaining Newell's driving record.

[Sheilbh]

Not normal police violence - but disgraceful story. It's extraordinary:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bettersten-wade-dexter-jackson-mississippi-police-missing-rcna121697

[Syt]

LegalEagle made a video about the Marion County case mentioned above: