Community Wants Independent Probe of Austin Police Fatal Shooting of Black Man

June 6, 2007

Leaders of east Austin's African-American community call for an independent investigation into the police shooting of Kevin Brown.

The East Austin Social Action Coalition calls for an independent autopsy on Kevin Brown's body and for an independent investigation of the events leading up to the shots that killed Brown Sunday morning.

The Reverend Sterling Lands also says Police Sergeant Michael Olsen should have been, to use his term, "released" from all duties pending that independent investigation. He calls the shooting an "act of apparent unprovoked violence against an Austin citizen."

"Killing Blacks and Browns in Austin, Travis County, Texas will not be tolerated or accepted as standard APD operating procedure," Lands says.

While saying Brown's shooting deprived him of his Constitutional right to due process, Lands says an independent investigation would also protect the due process rights of Sergeant Michael Olsen, the veteran Austin Police officer. Lands says it would prevent Olsen from becoming a "scapegoat" that would permit the issues around the shooting to be forgotten and not allow for a systemic change in Austin Police policy toward people of color

Lands also appeals for calm within the African-American community, saying urges toward violent reaction to Brown's shooting should be turned toward non-violent change within APD. [MORE]

Comments

[Travieso]

Thank you for posting your article. I have lived in Austin for 20 years and in East Austin for 12 years. Though I am bilingual and part native, I look more Anglo - so I can't imagine what how african-Americans and darker latinos feel.

I felt such a sense of outrage at what occurred with the murder of Brown by APD. The problem with APD is that they don't reflect our values in Austin of social justice and equality. I am outraged and angered that APD uses my tax dollars to act like gustapo troops with sociopathic tendencies.

APD can't even fathom the pure distain that the community feels towards them. As a gay person, I have personally been treated poorly by APD officers. Not only is there distrust for the APD in the hispanic and black community but also in the gay community. One incident that I experienced with APD was years ago in the Fiesta parkinglot on I-35. A woman claimed that I bumped into her car and scratched it (it was never proven so nothing ever happened). The woman started cracking gay jokes right in front of me. I expected that the officere taking the report would have been more professional and ignore her hateful comments. Instead, He started laughing and just thought they were so funny that he made his own gay jokes. Just think, we have to pay these hateful homophobes with our taxes so that they can treat us less then they would a straight white guy?! Thanks for letting me take this off my chest.

[Qolayah]

It hurts me as a sister to see our Hebrew (black) men die at the hands of hate and ignorance. I visit this website to validate my beliefs that this country still hates my people deeply. As I say all the time,you cannot rid a country of 400 plus years of hate in less than 40 years,the time of Dr.King. The sad thing about it all is our young men/women have been deceived to believe that can't die at the hands of hate and ignorance (racism). I am grateful for this website for reporting the news, media purposedly neglects to show. My heart goes out to all the victims family who has to deal with such a tragedy.....


My second comment is for the gays. I,as a Hebrew (black) women, am highly offended when you compare your struggle to ours. I agree with the officer for not taking action regarding that womans childish behaviour. Being gay is not a race it is a choice. Tomorrow you can decide not to be gay, I however, cannot decide not to be a Hebrew. My soul burns when I hear gays, group themselves with our struggle. How dare any gay person, make a comparison. Lesbian were not raped, enslaved and beaten. Lesbians have not had to deal with loosing their children and spouses to the hands of the government. Your homosexual men have not had half the battle the Hebrew (black)man has had to deal with. So how dare any gay man/woman compare themselves to our struggle, that continues to this day. Gays are not senselessly been shot over 40 times for pulling out his wallet. Nothing can compare to what we as a nation has been through and are dealing with right now. For the gays,stop offending me. As I stated above, you can choose to not be gay, I cannot choose to not be black.

[Travieso]

Qolayah, you are a very angry person. Since you think being gay is a choice, will you be a lesbian tomorrow? So you agree with the killing of gays in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Eygpt? Even if you think that being gay is a choice, di you think that it is okay to discriminate against that person for making that choice to love who they want? Since people choose there religion, I quess it's okay to discriminate against Mormons, Jews, Catholics, etc, right? Before the Anglos came, native-americans looked on homosexuality with esteem. So as someone of native ancestry, I am just practicing a native tradition. I am not hebrew nor montheistic, so I don't have to live by your moral standards. If you find that reprehensible, well I'll gladly take my land back.

Also, I would advice you to read my comment carefully. I didn't compare gays and lesbians to the african-american struggle. My point was that APD also has a negative history with the gay community. You should read carefully before you start flying of the handle.

It's sad that in our country, we have people who hate love. I hope that tomorrow you wake up and decide to be a lesbian. You would probably be a lot calmer. I send peace and love to you, because you really need it.

[Travieso]

Also, you may find this link interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy-7AoxFEJA

[Josh]

The hell with this NIGGER, Damn niggers need killing.. All you do is kill each other, but if a cop kills one of you pieces of crap..You scream racism...No it's just a criminal nigger that won't do anymore crime,but another nigger will take his place SCREW YOU NIGGERS

[AARON JAMES]

NORTHWEST AIRINES RACIAL PROFILING ATTACK GOVERNMENT RACIAL SCANDAL
http://justiceforjamesfamily.blogspot.com
REQUESTING ASSISTANCE

[AARON JAMES]

Jan 18/06, returning from a flight to MN mayo clinic, my mother and I were profiled and attacked aboard a NWA flight. The stewardess accused my mother of harboring a suspicious bag. I was attacked with weapons by 5 police and left in a pool of blood in the middle of the isle. After being hospitalized I was jailed interrogated and threatened by FBI who tried to link me to radical alquaeda and jihad. I have been hospitalized 7 times (after effects of the attack.) Media-gov’t aligned disinformation villainization and censorship of truth has plagued us and has kept our story secretive. I was placed on the no fly terror list and a trial would ensue with members/ affiliates of FBI CIA NSA MN police military and NWA employees on the jury pool and a criminally charged X-U.S. Marine as judge presiding http://www.clr.org/fed-judges.html Judge David S. Doty charged) who would threaten bodily harm upon family and I to the effect of illegal U.S. Marshal entry into Canada to “Get Us” if we did not return for ‘sentencing’ comparing the Marshals to Hollywood and bloodhounds.Prior to trial, we along with family friends and associates attempting to assist us were all targeted and made subject to all manner of illegal intimidation mind games and emotional trauma from secret government factions: phone lines tapped, legal mail sabotaged arriving parched with contents removed, threatening messages on answering machines, FBI stalking me outside my home (illegal entry into Canada), cyber threats via FBI interface with me on my websites and sophisticated viruses sent. During this time prior to trial 5 plea bargains were sent, as if to say, “falsely confess and we will stop terrorizing you…” My mother has been traumatized with heart palpitations and we have suffered now for 19 months living in seclusion and in shadow, the world kept ignorant of our plight by wrote design of the N.W.O agenda. My name is now posted on FBI sites with a national U.S. warrant out for my arrest and I sleep with my door barricaded each night awaiting possible U.S. Martial attack upon family and I

[jeremy]

If we had a web site called white news black people all over the country will be crying. Give me a break. dont break the law than you dont have to worry about being shoot. thimk of that instead of blaming the police for your wrong doings

[Concerned Guy]

You should be ashamed of being pissed that the "white man" is racist and derogatory towards you then have a site called the brownwatch for colored people. The creators of this site need to make a REAL point or shut the hell up.