At least one blog reader suggests I’m overdue to comment on the Baltimore riots. He may be right. On the other hand, instead of being overdue, I may be premature writing about it now.
Tomorrow, Friday the first of May, the authorities are scheduled to announce where the investigation is in the death that ignited the riot. At the moment, there is a welcome “lull in the action” in Baltimore. There are indications that Freddie Gray, the career criminal dope dealer whose death triggered the conflagration, may have died through his own self-destructive misadventure. If the authorities announce such a conclusion, well…longtime readers will recall my take on the explosion in Ferguson, MO. When the chief prosecutor announced that the grand jury which saw all the evidence refused to indict the officer who pulled the trigger in that case, the “protesters” instantly became “rioters”: as seen on TV and still visible on YouTube, they triggered an obviously pre-planned response of violence without waiting to hear the prosecutor’s well-reasoned explanation of the grand jury’s decision. I would not be at all surprised to see the same reaction if the Baltimore investigation indicates the police may not be at fault in Mr. Gray’s sad death.
The flames in Baltimore carry symbolism beyond the obvious, inexcusable arson. The embers of that fire have flown across the country, reigniting the never-really-quenched flames of Ferguson, and sparking new ones in New York, Philadelphia, and elsewhere. That’s happened before and will doubtless happen again. There are people with agendas who want to see the flames of Baltimore turn into a nationwide firestorm.
What I’m about to say will in some parts be what is expected of me, and in some parts, not.
We’ve seen bullshit from both extremes. A Salon writer excuses the destruction of black-owned businesses, and a discount pharmacy in an impoverished neighborhood, and the burning of an old people’s home as somehow right because those who perceive themselves as downtrodden are justified in so expressing themselves. I say that’s so insanely unethical, the very suggestion destroys the credibility of the writer. And on the other side, I hear calls for police to open fire with machine guns and show those rioters a thing or two, and I call bullshit on that as well. Would you have your uniformed son or daughter fire the first shot in the next Kent State shooting, or the next Bonus Army shooting?
There have been some surprises. Within days of warnings that Crips, Bloods, and Black Guerrilla Family members were going to kill cops, all three groups attempted to create peace in the streets, and seem to have had some success, at least up ‘til now. Smart PR for those groups? Sure. But if they did actually help quell the violence, the deserve credit for doing so…as long as that approach continues.
Did the mayor really say that she created a safe zone for rioters? I for one don’t read it that way. I think she was saying that she created a safe zone for peaceful protest and those with a violent agenda took advantage of it, and I can’t fault her for what in retrospect may simply have been poor phrasing. But do I think there should have been a greater uniformed force presence on the streets sooner? Sure…but I wasn’t the one there to see the outbreak building, nor privy to the intelligence that would have warned of it…so I don’t have the standing to criticize the authorities for it, and neither does anyone else who didn’t know what the decision-makers knew in those critical hours.
A rush to judgment without facts – something I’ve warned about in this space before – led to this whole damn thing. I’m going to wait for the facts before I point fingers at the mayor and others in this volatile matter, for the same reasons.
But, enough about my take on the matter.
Let’s hear yours.
Irony will rule if after all the various videos, the fatal injury to Mr. Gray turns out actually to be self-inflicted, while completely out of sight. A good thing the paddy wagon “witness” had the moxie to speak up. Various luminary non-police have been racing each other to judgement about the Baltimore police based on what?–on idle speculation. The police have an incredibly difficult job in dealing with violent criminals who may be willing to hurt themselves in order to leverage a settlement–remember how the villain Scorpio in the movie “Dirty Harry” hires a thug to beat him up to make it look like Harry Callahan did it? Too bad if such foolishness backfired on a not-so-innocent perpetrator. People performing illegal business, especially drug dealing, should not expect to be treated like Tinkerbell, anyway.
Well said, Mas. Thanks.
Over the years you’ve helped me learn to delay judgment until all the facts come in when incidents like these occur. May your wisdom reach others, too.
Ther “facts” will not matter here any more than they did after the Zimmerman trial or the Brown/Wilson grand jury. But let me offer a hypothetical without an “answer”. (I am not LEO or medical)
The police noticed Freddie Gray, aa known “player”, and Gray takes off. One or more officer give chase, grab Gray up and cuff him. The guy who just made an Olympic sprint is now un-cooperative and needs/wants help walking. I am considering that Gray took a hit to the throat from a bike frame, fence, whatever. He is initially talking but swelling in his larynx and/or pharynx is increasing and will soon cut off his air supply. Gray is uncooperative and very physical so the officers give up on a seat belt and use leg shackles. The second prisoner hears thumping but does not ((in the media reports that I have seen) report any vocalizations. At the lock-up, Gray is battered and unconscious.
If this hypothetical is relevant, Gray was thrashing/convulsing and uncommunicative. It is pretty difficult to break your own neck. However, if Gray was “unconscious” and heaving himself around trying to get air into his lungs, he might have lunged into the boltKfastener such that his body weight could have damaged his cervical spine. He would not have the protection provided by normal muscular control of the neck.
In Long Island, Mr. Gardner (Sp?) resisted arrest and was taken down with a control hold. His complaints that, `I can`t breathe` made it clear that he could, in fact, breathe and since he was conscious, he was not being “choked”. “He was just another pain in the butt trying to scam the cops.” The cops are not medics. Freddie Gray may have gone down the same path. No one noticed his injury and he was just being another pain in the butt.
I don`t know where a duty to provide care begins but I think that we are going to find out.
It don`t matter for Baltimore. It is burning time again.
I forgot one item for the hypothetical which I posted earlier. Several decades ago, I was introduced to a gent in a powered wheelchair+respirator. He was clearing some rural property and backed away from a falling, mostly dead tree. He caught a heel on something and fell backwards. He threw the chainsaw but didn`t have time to roll to his side. He hit the ground on his back with his head against another tree. He became a quadraplegic.
It is difficult to break your own neck, but if you are really “lucky”, anything is possible.
Various media outlets report that the preliminary investigative report has been turned over to the state authorities. Complete autopsy results are still pending, toxicology results in the real world take longer than they do on TV. Asking for independent review is a very good move for many reasons-although some may question the “independence” of the review.
The Gray family has been quoted as saying they want the job done right, not fast and are willing to wait. (My paraphrasing). They should be commended for their efforts to maintain peace and their patience with the system in a truly trying personal event.
I expect few, if any, of the many critics have ever had to try to provide sufficient staffing for such an event. It’s easy to say that a greater presence might have reduced damage. Finding those extra personnel, getting them properly equipped, organized and effectively deployed is another story. That said, there does appear to be room for legitimate criticism of the crisis management effort.
I have an idea: Police should never for any reason stop, question, or arrest ANY black person, no matter what they are doing. That should keep the Race Outrage Industry from getting mad and calling for riots, right? I mean, if no racist cops are doing anything to harm black kids then there is no reason to riot, because the only reason cops are hassling black kids is because they are racists. Right? (PS Yes, that is meant to be sarcastic…)
I too commend his parents and those directly involved with Freddie Gray during his life.
I have to admit that I’m suffering “riot fatigue”. I no longer actually care why a particular city is on fire, nor the stated grievances of those rioting. There’s no such thing as peaceful protest any more, as if every perceived slight is now an excuse to “Burn this bitch down!” like was shouted by Michael Brown’s stepfather in MO. It’s as if “the boy who cried wolf” story was re-written as “the boy who cried racism”; sooner or later the villagers stopped hearing his cries, and then when a real wolf (defined by me herein as total societal collapse along all lines including racial) came along, he ate the villagers.
Pray for our police, pray for our firefighters and all emergency responders.. God Bless America, and I mean that literally; we seem to have lost our way.
Can I point out something wife and I noticed the other nite? Wife is medical professional with all sorts of crit care credentials. Take a look at Freddie Gray when the cops are raising him from the ground by his bike. Look at his crotch. It looks like he urinated on himself. Wife says if he had spine injury it would not be unusual to lose control of bowel or bladder. If so, it might puf a time stamp on his injury.
According to the arrest report, Gray was arrested for possession of a spring assisted switchblade knife. I find it hard to believe that a career criminal would attempt to severely injure himself or break his own neck, for a mere knife possession arrest.
Even if the other arrestee did hear loud bangs and thrashing about, due to the solid metal barrier between the two prisoners, he could have seen nothing and thusly could only speculate on the motivation of Gray’s actions.
In my opinion this alleged leak of self inflicted harm will suffer the same fate as the leak of Officer Wilson’s fractured orbital socket.
Finally, I lock forward to a full description or photo of the knife in Mr. Gray’s possession, for the report calls it spring assisted/switchblade but does not mention the presence of an activation button. Could the knife possibly be a spring assisted flipper or thumb stud variety, and possibly not illegal at all? I am not implying or predicting the knife wasn’t an automatic, as a knife guy myself, I am just curious and would like to see some verification.
Putting things in perspective;
-Police involvement in total homicides of African-Americans <1%
-Incidents involving death at hands of police where evidence of criminal wrong doing on their part is found <1%
-Prosecution of police where investigation shows criminal wrongdoing on the part of police 100%
– % found guilty by juries? Varies, that's how the system works.
An out of control genocidal epidemic, worthy of burning our cities down? Hardly.
Laughable;
– The media's fawning over the Crips and Bloods pausing their war with each other to confront this more pressing threat to the "hood" (especially when these two street gangs and others of their ilk are responsible for a large percentage of homicides in the minority community).
– The total failure of the media and political types to learn anything from similar prior attempts to lynch police officers before the facts are in.
Sad;
-This country will probably never be defeated by outside attack. Our demise will most likely come from self inflicted terminal stupidity.
Sooner or later, everyone gets tongue-tied or makes a bad choice in phrasing. And politicians, who do a lot of public speaking, are especially at risk. And there is always the problem of the media quoting someone out of context.
That said, I don’t know in what context, “We also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well” would be a good thing.
The mayor also called for “justice for Freddie Gray,” instead of calling for a competent and impartial investigation to determine the facts before rushing to judgment.
It’s hard to break your own neck, but not impossible. There is some evidence that Gray suffered from lead exposure as a child, which could cause brain damage and a weakened skeletal system.
And it’s common for criminals in police custody to thrash around, banging their heads on walls, floors, and car windows. Sometimes it’s because they are hysterical, and sometimes they are deliberately trying to injure themselves, so that they can claim to have been brutalized, and then file a lawsuit against the city.
The cops who arrested Gray, like the ones who arrested Eric Garner, and the one who shot Michael Brown, would have been better off taking an eight-hour coffee break in the doughnut shop instead of trying to do their jobs. And I’m sure a lot of cops all over this country are now thinking along similar lines.
I thought that the gangs were just protecting black-owned businesses and telling looters to target businesses owned by Asians and Arabs. If true, don’t think they really deserve any credit at all.
Just saw Baltimore D.A. news conference. She is proceeding with charges against all six officers. No grand jury, which is her right. I, and no one else for that matter, other than those involved in the investigation, knows the evidence available for her coming to that decision. If that evidence would convince a reasonable and prudent person to come to the same conclusion, I applaud her for her diligence and dedication to justice and the rule of law. If, on the other hand, this turns into a political horse and pony show like the Martin/Zimmerman fiasco in Florida, it will result only in postponing civil disorder on a much grander scale after the trials, if the trials result in acquittals.
I fear that the longer this process is drawn out (which, because of our system of justice, it must), we are facing an ever-growing summer of discontent.
To the officers involved;
If you are guilty of intentional abuse of this individual and he died as a result, I hope you all spend a long time in incarceration, dwelling on the damage you have done not only to Freddie Gray, but also to the officers, still on the job, who will have to deal with the aftermath of your actions.
If you are not guilty, if this is a political persecution/lynching, seek peace in your relationship with a loving God, I will pray on your behalf and contribute to your defense.
I was in the process of writing a long response to this, and one is still needed, but I just noted that the Baltimore State’s Attorney announced this morning that charges had been filed against six officers, and arrest warrants issued for them, on the following charges:
— Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr. (the van driver): Second-degree depraved heart murder, involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, manslaughter by vehicle, misconduct in office.
— Officer William G. Porter: Involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office.
— Lt. Brian W. Rice: Involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office, false imprisonment.
— Officer Edward M. Nero: Second-degree assault, misconduct in office, false imprisonment.
— Officer Garrett Miller: Second-degree assault, misconduct in office, false imprisonment.
— Sgt. Alicia D. White: Manslaughter, second-degree assault, misconduct in office.
The SA said that there was no probable cause to arrest Gray because the knife for which Gray was arrested was not an illegal knife.
Sources:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-freddie-gray-mosby-presser-0502-20150501-story.html#page=1
http://live.baltimoresun.com/Event/Latest_updates_from_the_Freddie_Gray_case_in_Baltimore/161532605
“Did the mayor really say that she created a safe zone for rioters? I for one don’t read it that way. I think she was saying that she created a safe zone for peaceful protest and those with a violent agenda took advantage of it, and I can’t fault her for what in retrospect may simply have been poor phrasing.”
You know Mas, that was my impression as well. Much has been made by some of the folks I listen to on talk shows and the like, not to mention the regular talking heads on the cable news networks, parsing what the mayor stated. When I heard it I came to the same conclusion as you. That’s like saying its your fault for opening the door to let the cat in and horde of mosquito’s enters as well.
It was poor phrasing as you say. Unfortunately we have a 24 hour news cycle and everything is game.
Just some miscellaneous observations:
1. The Salon piece is not the only one I’ve seen, I think there’s been at least one and maybe two others, which seek to justify the riots. I can’t agree with them, as I firmly believe in nonviolent protest, but I do agree with Martin Luther King that though he condemned rioting, “a riot is the language of the unheard.” From his speech as Grosse Pointe High School, March 14, 1968, “Now I wanted to say something about the fact that we have lived over these last two or three summers with agony and we have seen our cities going up in flames. And I would be the first to say that I am still committed to militant, powerful, massive, non-violence as the most potent weapon in grappling with the problem from a direct action point of view. I’m absolutely convinced that a riot merely intensifies the fears of the white community while relieving the guilt. And I feel that we must always work with an effective, powerful weapon and method that brings about tangible results. But it is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it America has failed to hear? … It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice and humanity.”
2. The charges filed against the six officers are just that, charges, and we still do not know the facts on which they are based. Andrew Branca offers some interesting observations (made yesterday before the announcement of the charges) about things which might or might not could have happened, some of which would be illegal, some not:
http://legalinsurrection.com/2015/04/what-do-we-really-know-about-why-freddie-gray-died/
3. There have been a couple of interesting pieces over at NPR about how, though Baltimore has a “disturbing pattern of police brutality”:
http://www.npr.org/2015/04/30/403231756/baltimore-sun-probe-exposes-disturbing-pattern-of-police-brutality
which is based upon these investigative stories from the Baltimore Sun:
http://data.baltimoresun.com/news/police-settlements/
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-gray-police-lawsuits-20150422-story.html#page=1
that the real problem in Baltimore is not blatant racism or Black/White relations, but more class issues and police/poor people issues, as demonstrated by how the community has come together to clean up after the riots and by the city’s reputation for friendliness:
http://www.npr.org/2015/04/30/403362595/baltimore-through-a-reporters-eyes-primary-problems-are-not-racial
http://www.npr.org/2015/04/29/402971487/residents-disappointed-at-how-rioters-tore-up-baltimore
4. There was an interesting article in the Washington Post about the effect of lead poisoning on poor kids and on Gray in particular. About Gray, it said: “In June 1991, when Gray was 22 months old, his blood carried 37 micrograms. ‘Jesus,’ Dan Levy, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University who has studied the effects of lead poisoning on youths, gasped when told of Gray’s levels. ‘The fact that Mr. Gray had these high levels of lead in all likelihood affected his ability to think and to self-regulate and profoundly affected his cognitive ability to process information. … And the real tragedy of lead is that the damage it does is irreparable.’ … Freddie, who never graduated high school … was often absent from his studies because of truancy or suspensions. ‘All the schools that I went to, I was in special education,’ Gray said. He ultimately got arrested more than a dozen times, with convictions involving the sale or possession of heroin or marijuana. He eventually served two years behind bars. There, he learned brick masonry and harbored ambitions of getting into the trade. But even that seemed a stretch to some. ‘I don’t know much about brick masonry because I am not very handy myself, but, you know, is he someone that I would want to plan my walkway?’ said psychologist Neil Hoffman, who interviewed Gray as part of the lead-poisoning lawsuit. ‘No.'” That information may help explain why he ran from the police.
Forgot to give the link to the story I quoted from in my 4th point:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/freddie-grays-life-a-study-in-the-sad-effects-of-lead-paint-on-poor-blacks/2015/04/29/0be898e6-eea8-11e4-8abc-d6aa3bad79dd_story.html?tid=pm_local_pop_b
All this rioting, and yet no deaths? That is borderline miraculous. My take is that we all know we have decent lives in this country, and we don’t want to make them worse. The rioters could kill police, or innocents, and yet they haven’t. The police could bust a few heads, and yet they refrain. Some armed citizens in front of that CVS might have prevented the fire, but I bet there aren’t very many armed citizens in Baltimore, Maryland.
Should we have black police officers arrest black suspects? Should we have segregated areas in which to live? Black police departments for black areas, white police departments for white areas? If America was really as racist as the Left says it is, there wouldn’t be illegal Democrats rushing to get here. If America is so racist, why do so few people move to other countries?
I predict that as long as our money system and food distribution system holds out, things won’t get too bad here.
Society fail all the way around.
Pray for ALL.
I read today that six officers will face charges. The investigation is ongoing. I have this sick feeling we may see some good men thrown to the wolves for political purposes. I hope I’m wrong but it’s a progressive tool as you know all too well Mas.
I did see a video,last night, about Sharpton coming to town and a local Pastor saying he should turn around and go back, they don’t need his kind of “help”.
I know and thank God that we have many Patriotic….Noble Americans!!!!
But these days, it’s getting harder and harder to understand why anyone would take a job as a police officer!!
My Husband and I have a son who is a LEO and we are worried sick.
Will all this trouble result in “Nationalizing” the police force?????? I hope not.
With regard to the “peace” brokered by the Crips & Bloods…
I think it was the NY Times that published an article that the much ballyhooed truce from rival gangs turned out to be those gangs simply redirecting rioters towards Arab and Asian businesses – I think there were more Asian businesses destroyed than any others?
I saw Dana Perino on Larry Wilborne’s show last night – she was on TV today saying she brought up the Times article when the gang truce was discussed, and (surprisingly?) her comments were cut.
I guess that little bit of info didn’t fit in with Larry Wilborne / Comedy Central’s narrative?
Mas,
You did hear the 6 officers have been charged? Several different charges for all.
Trouble is guaranteed when a group is singled out as arrest at your own peril.
If your 5 year old uses Mommy’s nail polish to decorate a family heirloom and the only response is to compliment the child on it’s art work you’re going to see a lot more art.
Rioters, looters and arsonists are not protestors, they are criminal thugs. The federal, state and local authorities must understand the damage they ( the authorities) do to black Americans when they allow the criminals to run wild like spoiled brats.
Enforce the law uniformly, authorities keep opinions to themselves until AFTER the facts are on the table.
A reasoned voice – which we expect from you, Mas. Have to rein my comments in as well because the initial reaction of all sheepdogs is to react n protect n sort thru the mess once order is established. Thank God for cool heads.
Mas,
You are right to avoid a rush to judgment. Since your post, six Baltimore officers have been arrested, one for murder. They are still innocent until proven guilty. The facts are coming out, and it doesn’t look good for those officers.
While I applaud your restraint, I can’t help but detect just a hint of bias when you refer to Freddie Gray as “the career criminal dope dealer.” To be fair, you should have also noted that the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a civil rights investigation into allegations of brutality and misconduct by the Baltimore Police Department. An investigation by the Baltimore Sun last year found:
“Officers have battered dozens of residents who suffered broken bones — jaws, noses, arms, legs, ankles — head trauma, organ failure, and even death, coming during questionable arrests. Some residents were beaten while handcuffed; others were thrown to the pavement.
And in almost every case, prosecutors or judges dismissed the charges against the victims — if charges were filed at all. In an incident that drew headlines recently, charges against a South Baltimore man were dropped after a video showed an officer repeatedly punching him — a beating that led the police commissioner to say he was “shocked.”
So while some may think it important to note Mr. Grays past transgressions, it would then be just as important, perhaps even more so, to note those of the Baltimore police.
After the blatantly political diatribe by the young Baltimore Prosecutor, I see no hope for real justice. Glad I’m an old man but fear for my children’s future.
Mas,
Kudos for approaching this with balance and restraint. The truth is so often found in the middle. Unfortunately, as with nearly every other issue, those on the far right and those on the far left just scream platitudes at one another from the fringes of a middle ground that neither group has sense or reason enough to occupy.
I will take a contrarian view here. One thing we never hear is a police captain stating that his officers are sworn to protect and serve and are held to even higher standards than the public to follow the law. He could say that police behavior that is illegal is always unacceptable and will be punished in his police organization and that he welcomes oversight. I have never heard a police captain welcome an independent investigation that includes civilian review. I’ve never heard a police union official state that it’s members are sworn to uphold the law and that the Police Union welcomes civilian oversight to insure quality and legal police performance. That the police make considerable numbers of grievous errors of commission and omission can be deduced from the huge purses paid out yearly by major cities to inhabitants falsely arrested, beaten, etc. who then sue the city. Policing is a dangerous job but it doesn’t make the top ten, led by those in the fishing industry, FYI. The number of policeman killed in the line of duty has been declining for several decades except for a spike during he last year or two. In contrast, the number of civilians killed by police has stayed roughly the same. No one has the right to injure police officers or destroy property and call it justified for some reason. Rule of law covers both parties, however, and in this case, no probable cause was seen, the death was ruled a homicide, and several LEO were charged. One question is, do police in America want to be feared or to be respected, and does their apparent increasing militarization further distance them from the people they are supposed to be serving?
It seems impossible that Mr. Gray broke his own neck. I also don’t think can infer a lot from the video that is being played on TV. I expect the bulk of the information will be from the medical examiner’s report and the witness and police accounts which we are not privy to at this time. It also doesn’t seem likely that the prosecutor would file such weighty charges merely to bow to pressure. There will be evidence one way or another. We probably won’t see it until trial.
I’m writing this after news that 6 police officers have been indicted.
The facts which resulted in the indictments still aren’t out; but the demeanor of Balto city officials eager to placate the angry crowds, and the crowds howling for blood, make me think the deck is stacked against the cops.
When City Attorney Marilyn Mosby remarked that (paraphrased) ‘With three black women working on this, how can it go wrong?’— (I assume she was referring to herself, and US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and one other ‘woman of color’…) —we see what this is all about: RACE.
The crowds howling for the officers’ heads reminds me of the crowds at the Roman Coliseums howling for the Christians to be thrown to the lions. They want blood…
And the Medical Examiner immediately coming out with a finding of ‘Homicide’— how can that be determined from an injury which could have been caused by any number of possible circumstances: Gray falling, Gray getting pushed, Gray injuring himself, someone else injuring him? What kind of pressure do you suppose the ME was under to bring about the ‘right’ finding?
What are the chances these cops will get a fair trial?
Basing conclusions on facts rather than conjecture or rumour?
Even if it involves waiting until all facts are known, and/or rumours are found to be true or shown to be baseless?
Sounds good to me.
Does anyone here know the source of the much repeated “Freddie Gray’s spine was 80% severed”? The only source I’m aware of comes from the mouth of the family’s attorney. Has anyone referenced an autopsy report or any reputable proof that this was actually the case?
No less a legal mind than Alan Dershowitz has claimed that the prosecutor has WAY overcharged the case and should be reined in. So too says Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke (http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/05/01/clarke-freddie-gray-charges-duke-lacrosse-case-all-over-again/)
Having said that, I have heard news reports that the city of Baltimore has in recent years paid out 5.7 million dollars in police brutality claims, some involving multiple claims against the same officer(s).
From The Business insider:
“Since 2011, the city has been involved in 317 lawsuits stemming from complaints of assault, false arrest, and false imprisonment, The Sun found.
More than 100 of these lawsuits — filed by residents ranging from a 26-year-old pregnant accountant who said she witnessed a beating to an 87-year-old grandmother aiding her wounded grandson — have resulted in judgments for the plaintiffs or settlements, according to The Sun.
The city has ended up paying $5.7 million to alleged victims of police brutality between 2011 and September 2014.”
(http://www.businessinsider.com/baltimore-paid-5-million-in-4-years-for-police-brutality-lawsuits-2015-4)
It’s been reported that a favorite tactic of Baltimore officers transporting uncooperative suspects in the sort of van Freddy Gray died in is to give them what they call a, “rough ride.” This apparently consists of violent acceleration followed by slamming on the brakes, etc.
You can apologize for the Mayor’s intemperate remark about giving the protesters, “Space to destroy,” all you want but that statement speaks for itself. Telling is how hard she worked the next day to deny she ever said it despite the recording of her saying EXACTLY that being played over and over and over on various news sources.
My take away from the whole thing is that I’m glad I don’t live there. Because of both corrupt cops and the animals they have to deal with. Let them burn and destroy all they want, then they can live with the result. Of course the flames had not even been extinguished before city Democrats were demanding more Federal dollars to pay for all the destruction caused by the residents of a city that has been under total Democrat rule since 1968. Add in Detroit, Chicago and the entire states of New York and California and you are left with the inescapable conclusion that Democrats should never be put in charge of anything, ever.
Well, -something- happened to him, to what degree that was self inflicted we have yet to find out. Nice person or not, why was he being busted? A pocket knife? Their Mayor, and high level member of the national Democrat party, did say what she said. She then had to walk it back. We can debate if what came out of her mouth the first time was what she intended, or she is just doing spin afterwards.
Now, to the larger problem., the fundimental transformation of America. The police are being caught in a damned if you do, and damned if you don’t, roll. If you were a cop in Baltimore or anyplace else for that matter, after seeing what has happened to the cops so far, what are you willing to do? One local radio talk show host opined after Freguson that the cops should open fire on the protesters. Really? What’s gonna happen to -THAT- person? What would that trigger? Hint: Professional racist and tax evadors are now the spokes person for the White house saying that we need more federal control of Law enforcement! Ah, some Animals are more equal than others… and Up is the new Down! Like the Chinese curse sez: Be careful what you ask for, you may get it.
I will hold comments on the guilt or innocence of those involved until after facts have come out. However, the political grandstanding by the prosecuting attorney yesterday was sickening. I fear we will never know the real truth.
1) The prosecutor’s husband is running for city council in the district where the riot was/is occurring. It is a good bet that the timing and the nature of the charges are politically motivated.
2) The charges are so overblown that the cops will likely be exonerated, thus setting the stage for more riots with all the concomitant weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth about the injustice of it all from the Perpetually Aggrieved and their bussed-in professional agitators.
3) Abuse of power by the police is completely despicable, but under the present conditions the accused will not be able to get anything approaching a fair trial in Baltimore, and a change of venue will result in more rioting, arson, and looting with the usual suspects rending their garments and singing the blues about no justice no peace.
4) Not directly related but relevant, the Seattle cops sure put on a good show last night in dealing with the Annual Seattle May Day Anti-Capitalist Riot, Looting, Arson, and General Buffoonery Fest. As I recall, the usual assemblage of cretins and subhumans tried to start a sympathy riot in Seattle during the Los Angeles County Inter-ethnic May Festival of 1992 (aka the Rodney King riots) and the seattle cops gave the ringleaders a PR-24 shampoo with a side order of pepper spray for the supporting cast at the outset and it never got off the ground. Unless you were in close proximity to the 1992 event (and we were) you may not be able to appreciate the immediate suppression of such behavior. So in closing – Go SPD!! Good show!!
An interesting take on the entire situation in Baltimore and the history that led up to the recent events. You need to read this.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2015/04/29/david-simon-on-baltimore-s-anguish
It’s a sad day in American history when we’ve turned the peace keepers into the enemies. The racial divisions being suggested by government officials is disgusting. For those of us that grew up in the sixties this seems all too familiar. Why and how we were all suddenly brought back fifty years in time loosing all the progress we’ve made??? I think we all know that answer.
As yo say Mass, we still “know” nothing, nor will we until we hear from the accused. Nor can I imagine being a LEO in that environment.
A read: http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/poverty-despair-big-government?utm_source=Cato+Institute+Emails&utm_campaign=2c5c2d5fa2-Cato_Weekly_Dispatch_April2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_395878584c-2c5c2d5fa2-141658638&mc_cid=2c5c2d5fa2&mc_eid=0f0aa1b8ec
That was a “you”, in Baltimorese.
With six people charged it will be interesting to see which ones, if any, try to cut a deal and testify against the others.
Compare how the May Day riots went the other day in Seattle to how Baltimore authorities handled their riots. Huge difference and very clear proof of how worthless the Mayor and Police Chief of Baltimore are.
Based on the body language of the mayor and commissioner and the police throwing rocks back at the rioters, I do believe she gave orders that effectively translated into stand down.
I’m waiting for the autopsy. Its actually rather easy to break someone’s neck…but there are specific conditions. I don’t see how a bolt and a ride in the van would cause it.
What trouble me was how much bias I was hearing in comments given by officials. Ironically, I was very impressed with the brief bit I heard Cummings speaking and the interviews done of the peaceful protesters.
Steve from MA writes, “I will take a contrarian view here. One thing we never hear is a police captain stating that his officers are sworn to protect and serve and are held to even higher standards than the public to follow the law. He could say that police behavior that is illegal is always unacceptable and will be punished in his police organization and that he welcomes oversight. I have never heard a police captain welcome an independent investigation that includes civilian review.”
Steve from MA, my moderator dashboard tells me you are fairly new here. Those who’ve been here for a while know that at least one police captain has publicly stated that he and his officers are indeed held to what the law calls “a higher standard of care,” and indeed exist to protect and serve, and that those who tarnish the badge they wear deserve to be punished, because any group that does not police itself will inevitably be policed by others.
Police uses of force are indeed reviewed by outside entities: other agencies, and prosecutor’s offices, and the Department of Justice itself. The problem with civilian review boards is finding civilians familiar enough with the job to competently staff them, who are unbiased and unprejudiced. Bar association ethics committees are normally staffed by attorneys, and medical ethics review boards are normally staffed by MDs, for the simple reason that we lay people do not have the specific knowledge, training, and collective experience to judge the subtleties of complicated issues which will be presented to such organizations. Why should any entity reviewing police not be staffed by people who have similar standing to analyze what is done by those they would judge?
I’m reading differing stories almost hourly.I watched Fox News’ “Justice with Judge Janine tonight. She had Milwaukee Co sheriff David Clark on. It was one of the most informative and well reasoned discourses I’ve seen on this matter.
My prayers go out to the NYC officer shot today(Sat).
Michael JT, special thanks for citing the Bill Keller interview of David Simon on Baltimore street history. Simon’s comments on how the bureaucratic tail has wagged the Baltimore Police dog are astute. The theme of “ending the drug war” that Simon mentions seems to be getting increased traction. I would remind us, though, of the 50,000 or so American drug addicts that have yearly contributed to “ending the drug war” through unintentional suicide by their own overdose. Add to that the widespread brain damage, other health issues, and drug-related crime. I would rather fight a winning, humane, mental-health-based “war against drugs,” than surrender and call appeasement a solution. I would not choose to imitate Copenhagen, for example. We cannot trust government to facilitate distribution of stupefying drugs without making more of a mess. Not to say that government isn’t already sometimes providing such deceptive poison through incompetence, or worse.
Officials’ taking Machiavellian credit while laying blame and trying to rise politically through smoke-and-mirror “statistics” has got to go. Letting “boys be boys” and burn down the town is not a winning strategy, either. Civil behavior needs to be reestablished and consistently mandated, rather than encouraging destruction by anti-socials who are looking for an excuse to vent rage or loot. The primary function of government is to protect the innocent public on the spot, not to cowardly use self-righteous, passive-aggressive, wanna-be bullies, plus police and National Guard, to try to intimidate and manipulate us. The last thing we need today, though, is federally-directed, FUBAR execution of local police functions. And forget martial law as any real solution to public disturbance, unless you REALLY want to anger people. Martial law is historically too infuriating.
Finally, as Abe Lincoln said to the deceivers: “…you can’t fool all of the people, all of the time.” May God help us, we need all the help we can get, via honest government with a real economy. Thank you, Mas.
“Two-Gun Steve”,
You said “The primary function of government is to protect the innocent public on the spot…”
Actually, the primary function of government is to protect our nation and to maintain order. Innocent public is fairly well on their own until after SHTF.
Some politicians want our police to put Hands in Pockets, Look the Other Way when dealing with minorities. That should work out splendidly, ya think?
For anyone doubting the role of politics in the charges, please read Charles Krauthammer’s piece on National Review’s site. The device I am using doesn’t let me “bring it to you” here.
There most certainly is doubt as to what DID happen to Freddie Gray, however, the way these charges were brought and then verbalized leaves no doubt as to the intent of the prosecution.
Mas, I want to thank you once again for having, first, the courage to begin this thread and then monitor it in your always-steady fashion. You consistently provide the voice of reason so sorely lacking in today’s society.
Wow, we’re all over the map on this one.
Blaming bad behavior on lead poisoning as a child is a new excuse. What happened to parents telling their children, “Don’t eat the paint, don’t drink the bleach, don’t eat the soap. Well, actually I have ate soap but only because my mouth was dirty!
I believe that the prosecutor is over-reaching on the charges, probably for political reasons. Does anyone really think that any of these cops will “rat out” one of their own? As has been suggested. Nah!
I don’t have a reputation to protect, so I’ll go out on a limb and say that the only thing the 6 police officers will be found guilty of is failure to follow police procedure. Failure to properly restrain Gray (seat belt) in the wagon and failure to get him immediate medical help.
Mas, I am going to have to disagree with your statement that police should only be investigated by police. I am paraphrasing here for brevity.
I will relate an incident that happened to me many years ago: I was ice fishing on a lake, the fish weren’t biting and I started trying different lures etc. I lost my head and had 3 lines in the water. (you are allowed only 2) A conservation officer came by and noticed that mistake and I was rewarded with a $80 fine. No fish, just $80 smackers poorer.
Using your reasoning; I should have had a jury trial consisting of only ice fisherman. Only ice fisherman can know how boring it is to sit on a block of ice in the middle of winter and not catch any fish. I don’t really equate ice fishing with police work, but you get the idea. I have been on several ride alongs with the police.
In Illinois if a death occurs during an arrest, the State Police are usually called in to conduct an investigation. But is it really impartial? I would like to see a commission composed of 50% police and 50% “civilians”. The police could bring the “civilians” up do date on any fine points not covered in the hearings.
If there is one lesson to learn from this event, and similar ones, is for people to wait for the final results of the investigation before drawing firm conclusions. Immediately after such incidents there are so many erroneous, conflicting, and downright mendacious tales floating about who was at fault or exactly what had occurred. Careful, circumspect inquiries usually reveal much different information and culpability.
Comments are closed.