White Tulsa Cop Facing Suit for Shooting Black Man w/his Hands Up High: Reaching For an Imaginary Gun in the Sky

Seeing Things That Aren't There. Doc Blynd explains Racism is a "virus in the mind. A racist is a psychopath at war with his own being. [MORE] Suffering from the disease of constant comparison racists & their make believe beliefs [imagining themselves to be a part of a hierarchy wherein persons unable to produce color & lacking melanin are supreme; imagining themselves to be higher than what they imagine you to be] are in a state of non-reality, a play world. "A divided mind, with the an unconscious and a conscious one, can never apperceive things as they are. Truth is adulterated with falsehood in the same proportion to which one is unconscious." Anything such unconscious persons do or say will be stupid; know this while they are in your presence. 

From [HERE] Acquitted of manslaughter and back on desk duty, white Tulsa, Oklahoma Police Officer Betty Jo Shelby now faces a civil suit from the family of the unarmed man she killed last fall.

Terence Crutcher was empty-handed next to his vehicle when Shelby fired a single shot that killed him. Police cameras captured the final moments of the 40-year-old’s life from multiple angles, showing he had been walking slowly with his hands high above his head during the moments before the killing.

A jury decided last month that it could not convict Shelby of manslaughter in the case despite the video evidence. Defense attorneys persuaded jurors that Crutcher had made a move toward the open driver’s-side window of his stationary vehicle, and that Shelby’s decision in that moment to kill him was justified by what she perceived to be a reach for a gun that did not exist.

In a public letter after the trial, however, jurors indicated they believed Shelby’s actions were rash and Crutcher’s death was avoidable — just that none of what transpired satisfied the technicalities of the law they’d been asked to apply to the officer.

At 7:36 p.m. on September 16, 2016, police received a 9-1-1 call from a racist suspect about an abandoned vehicle in the middle of 36th Street North just west of Lewis Avenue. One racist suspect caller said: "Somebody left their vehicle running in the middle of the street with the doors wide open." "The doors are open. The vehicle is still running. It's an SUV. It's like in the middle of the street. It's blocking traffic." "There was a guy running from it, saying it was going to blow up. But I think he's smoking something. I got out and was like, 'Do you need help?'" "He was like, 'Come here, come here, I think it's going to blow up.'" The other racist suspect caller said: "There is a car that looks like somebody just jumped out of it and left it in the center of the road on 36th Street North and North Lewis Avenue." "It's dead in the middle of the street." "It's a Navigator. The driver-side door is open like somebody jumped out. It's on the yellow line, blocking traffic. Nobody in the car."

Police stated that Crutcher kept reaching into his pocket, refused to show his hands, walked towards his vehicle despite being told to stop, and then angled towards and reached into his vehicle. 

However, video and photographic evidence seems to contradict this, showing Crutcher's blood streaking the driver's side window from top to bottom after the shooting and indicating it was closed. Turnbough tased Crutcher, and Shelby shot him. Shortly before the shooting, officers in the helicopter conversed with each other: "This guy's still walking and isn't following commands." "It's time for a taser, I think." "I've got a feeling that's about to happen." "That looks like a bad dude, too, could be on something." Approximately two minutes after the shot, an officer checked Crutcher's pockets, and approximately 45 seconds later, someone crouched to offer aid. Police said Crutcher died in the hospital later that day. Tulsa police chief Chuck Jordan said no weapon was recovered from Crutcher's body or vehicle. [MORE]

The initial wrongful-death filing “contends Shelby had ‘ample opportunity to take ballistic cover’” with fellow officers close by, according to the Tulsa World.

But Crutcher’s surviving family members also appear ready to relitigate both the video footage and Shelby’s decision to shoot, this time in civil court.

Crutcher family lawyers argue the videos do not show “furtive, sudden, rapid, or aggressive movements” that would justify a “split-second decision” to fire — suggesting a civil jury will be asked to evaluate the same key frames of video and questions of officer training and department policy which were key to her criminal trial.

The civil suit also seems to reach further into the inner workings of Tulsa law enforcement institutions, laying blame on the very police policies and practices which helped keep Shelby out of prison.

“The dangers police officers generally face also do not provide a license to police officers to ‘shoot first and ask questions later,’ without properly evaluating the need for such force,” the family’s lawyers wrote.

Civil cases operate with a lower standard of proof. Wrongful-death cases generally require clear and convincing evidence to establish a claim while criminal cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt. 

The white cop was reinstated to her police post shortly afterward and awarded more than $35,000 in back pay for time missed from work during the investigation.

Click to read more ...

Crying w/o Tears, Deluded White Cop Tells White Jury He Was Being Dragged by Unmoving Car in Murder of Sam DuBose

"A mind that is filled with belief is a mind which can project anything according to the belief. When you see things always remember this." [MORE]  In the presence of Blacks racists cannot see things as they really are. Racism white supremacy is a virus in the mind. [MORE]

Here, racist suspect officer misperceived reality and "believed" he was stuck to a moving car and was being dragged by it - b/c a Black man was present. His beliefs were actually delusions or misperceptions. [on cross he admits he misperceived being stuck to Black man's car- See video below at 1:45:51]. (Racists also believe they must act genocidally towards non-whites in order to survive. [MORE] and [MORE].) When the mostly white jury view the video will they see what is right in front of them with their eyes or will they see things only with their minds? [It Would Be Better If They Had No Eyes. At least there would have been no possibility of misunderstanding.] Don't hold your breath in racist system. 

Some Racist Cops are Actors & Masterful Liars. [Just Cry & Tell White Jury You Were Scared of Black Man]. From [HERE] A crying white University of Cincinnati police officer on trial for the second time in the killing of an unarmed black motorist said on Friday that he feared for his life during the traffic stop when the shooting took place.

Officer Ray Tensing, 27, shot once, hitting 43-year-old Samuel DuBose in the head after stopping him for a missing front license plate on his car in July 2015, a body camera worn by Tensing showed.

Tensing, who is white, was charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter in a retrial of the case. A mistrial was declared last November in the first trial after jurors could not agree on a verdict.

Like the previous trial, the jury is mostly white: Nine whites and 3 African Ameircans (9 women and 3 men). [MORE] His previous jury was composed of 10 whites. [MORE] [Yes nearly all white in a City that is 45% Black. [MORE]]

Tensing fired his gun after DuBose started his car. Tensing stated that DuBose had begun to drive off and that he was being dragged because his arm was caught in the car. Prosecutors alleged that footage from Tensing's bodycam showed that he was not dragged and a grand jury indicted him on charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter. The encounter was captured on video and set off protests.

During the white cop's tearful testimony on Friday at the Hamilton County Courthouse in Cincinnati, Tensing, dressed in a dark suit, said that DuBose was evasive during the traffic stop and attempted to speed away.

"He just mashed the accelerator to the floor," said Tensing, who paused occasionally to wipe his eyes with a tissue. "I protected my life," Tensing said when asked by prosecutors if he had served and protected DuBose. Tensing said repeatedly that he shot to "stop the threat."

On July 19, 2015, Mr. Tensing pulled over Mr. Dubose’s 1998 Honda Accord a few blocks south of campus for having no front license plate.

Body-camera video released by prosecutors shows that Mr. DuBose shows the officer the missing license plate which was in his glove box after Tensing tells him he pulled over for not having a front tag. Mr. Tensing then is asking Mr. DuBose for his license and Mr. DuBose acknowledges that he does not have one with him after looking for it. DuBose says "I have a license, just run my name." He then says "I thought I did [have my licnese]. What did you pull me over for?" Tensing says "Again, the front tag." Dubose responds, "But it is not illegal to not have a front tag in Cincinnati." As if he did not hear, the officer asks again "do you have a license on you?" and then asks, "Are you suspended?" 

Tensing, who seems confused about what to do next starts to open the driver's door and orders DuBose to remove his seat belt. DuBose pulls the door closed, starts the engine, and puts the car in drive. Within the next few seconds, Tensing reaches into the car with his left hand, yells "Stop! Stop!", draws his pistol with his right hand, and fires once striking DuBose. Sources differed as to whether the car was moving before the shot was fired. According to the § Kroll Report, "it is difficult to determine with precision how much, if at all, the car moved [prior to the gunshot], but whatever movement may have occurred appears to have been minimal." 

After firing, Tensing falls away from the vehicle which accelerates as he and two other officers run after it. After travelling about 400 feet, the vehicle collided into a telephone pole and came to a stop. After the officers reach the car, the video shows DuBose inside with a gunshot wound to his head.

Then Cop Starts Lying. In bodycam footage, Tensing repeatedly tells other officers that he was dragged when his arm became caught in the car, possibly in the steering wheel. In the police report that he filed after the incident, he stated that he was dragged, forcing him to fire his weapon. Through lawyers, he released a public statement that he was afraid that he would be run over. He was allowed to view the video before making a police report. 

On July 29, authorities released Tensing's bodycam video, which, according to prosecutors, shows that Tensing was not dragged.

Black Man's Car Did Not Move Until After Cop Shot 

A report by a risk-consulting firm hired by the university said that the video showed that Mr. Tensing was not being dragged, that the car had barely moved before the gunshot was fired and that Mr. Tensing had made several critical errors — including drawing his gun and reaching into the car.

UCPD officers [white] Phillip Kidd and David Lindenschmidt arrived at the scene just after the gunshot, and their bodycam footage shows Tensing getting up off the pavement. According to County Prosecutor Joe Deters, neither officer stated in his official statement to Cincinnati police that he saw Tensing being dragged. Officer-in-Training Lindenschmidt, who had started working in the field only that month, made what have been called "rookie mistakes" in picking up Tensing's fallen flashlight and moving Tensing's vehicle. [MORE]

Was Wearing a Confederate Flag Under Shirt When He Shot Black Man. The white cop was wearing a T-shirt depicting a Confederate flag under his uniform at the time of the shooting. The shirt was presented as evidence in the previous murder trial against Tensing according to USA Today. Along with the Confederate flag, Tensing’s shirt read “Great Smoky Mountains, 1934.” [MORE]

Mr. Tensing was fired after the indictment.

Last January, the university agreed to pay $4.85 million to Mr. Dubose’s family and provide an undergraduate education to his 12 children.

Tensing is free on a $1 million bond. 

Click to read more ...

ACLU says Blacks in N.J. are arrested for marijuana 3 times as often as whites - a Disparity at an all time high

From [HERE] In New Jersey, African Americans are arrested for possession of marijuana about three times as often as Caucasians and Hispanics, and in some of the state’s smaller towns more than 25 to 30 times as often, according to a report issued by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey on Thursday.

The ACLU’s two-year analysis of data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program revealed police in New Jersey’s rural and suburban towns were more likely to disproportionately arrest blacks for marijuana than police in urban communities between 2000 and 2013.

“The war on marijuana is a war on marijuana users, and it’s disproportionately a war on black communities,” ACLU-NJ interim executive director Diane DuBrule said in a statement released with the detailed 70-page report.

The arrests ranged from possession of a joint to as much as 50 grams (less than two ounces).

The report also noted that the rate of marijuana use among blacks and whites is similar, based on the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, while the arrest rate for blacks is much higher. The survey said that 42.1 percent of blacks reported having used marijuana, compared with 48.9 percent of whites.

“Racial disparities in New Jersey marijuana arrests are at an all-time high,” the report said. According to the ACLU, blacks were twice as likely to be arrested in 2000 and three times as likely in 2013. [MORE]

White Jury Believed Liar Race Soldier Cop & Uphold His Decision to Murder Philando Castile

Liar Cop's Testimony was In Accord with the Appetite of the White Jury Not with the Realities of Life.  From [HERE] The Minnesota race soldier cop who killed Philando Castile last year during an unlawful traffic stop has been acquitted by a mostly white jury (10 of 12) of all charges he faced over the gruesome death that was broadcast live.

Jeronimo Yanez shot Mr Castile after the black motorist informed him that he had a gun in his car. Mr Castile was licenced to have the weapon, and had been told to calmly inform officers of the firearm in those situations for his safety.

The Minnesota jury acquitted Mr Yanez of one count of second-degree manslaughter, and two counts of intentional discharge of a firearm that endangers safety. He faced the latter charges because Mr Castile's girlfriend and her four-year-old child were in the vehicle with him.

White Jury (13 out of 15 were white). The jury in the trial of St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez consisted of 15 individuals–nine men and and six women, with just two non-white people sitting on the bench (both were Black - however, they could have been alternates). Three of the jurors were dismissed as alternates at the trial's end and did not deliberate. The group was mostly white and skewed older. Profiles of the jurors are [HERE]

Mr Yanez was fired from his position on the police force following his acquittal. 

Just Tell White Jury You Were Really Scared of Black Man & Start Crying.

The Cop's Two Versions of What Happened Cannot Both Be True. The day after the incident occurred Yanez explained to police officials that he was not sure whether Castile was reaching for a gun. He told the police investigators he never actually saw a gun [MORE] and [complaint PDF]. Yanez also inconsistently told a fellow St. Anthony police officer minutes after the shooting,  "And I don't know where the gun was, he didn't tell me where the [expletive] gun was and then it was just getting hinky, he gave, he was just staring ahead, and the I was getting [expletive] nervous, and then I told him, I know I [expletive] told him to get his [expletive] hand off his gun." [MORE] 

However, at the trial he said that he saw the gun and Castile had pulled it out. Something that Castile's girlfriend Diamond Reynolds denied. Castile also denied it; as his last dying words were,  'I'm not pulling it out,' on a video released by proscecutors during trial. On the video Reynolds also responded by saying, 'he's not pulling it out."  Apparently, the white jurors did not find Castile or Reynolds to be credible and believed whatever the cop told them. 

Specifically, last Friday Yanez, testified he fired his weapon because Castile had his hand on a gun, not his wallet and identification papers.

"I had no other choice. I didn't want to shoot Mr. Castile. That wasn't my intention," CNN affiliate WCCO reported. "I thought I was going to die." Then he started to cry on the stand. Apparently, the white jury believed him and sympathized with him. Yanez told them he was scared of a Black man.

Mr Yanez testified that he feared for his life when Mr Castile grabbed for his firearm, even though he was told not to.

"It's your testimony today that you saw Mr. Castile pull out an object?" prosecutor Rick Dusterhoft said Friday.

"It was a gun," Yanez said.

"You said he pulled it out?"

"Correct," Yanez said.

"And he said he wasn't (pulling it out)?"

"Correct, but it doesn't always mean that's what he was doing," Yanez said.

Previously, Yanez said

"When Roseville police officers arrived you never warned them there was a gun did you?" Dusterhoft said.

"No," Yanez said.

Previously Yanez inconsistently stated to police investigators, "Castille put his hand around something."  He said Castile's hand took a C-shape, "like putting my hand up to the butt of the gun." Yanez said he then lost view of Castile's hand. "I know he had an object and it was dark," he said. "And he was pulling it out with his right hand. [MORE]

Previously, Yanez said he thought or believed Castile had the gun in his right hand and he had "no option" but to shoot. [MORE] On the video Yanez is yelling, “Don’t pull it out!” However, a year later on the witness stand he said he saw a gun. Both versions can't be true folks. 

Prosecutors said Yanez is not credible.

“Based upon the evidence, we believe that Castile never removed, nor tried to remove, his handgun from his front right pocket, which was a foot deep,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. Yanez’s partner also didn’t see a gun. [MORE] On cross examination the race soldier cop was asked,

"When Roseville police officers arrived you never warned them there was a gun did you?" 

"No," Yanez said.

Prosecutors say Yanez acted negligently in using deadly force and had not given clear instructions.

According to prosecutors, Officer Yanez asked Castile to produce his driver's license and proof of insurance. Castile first provided him with his insurance card.

Castile then, calmly, and in a non-threatening manner, informed Officer Yanez, 'sir, I have to tell you that I do have a firearm on me.'

Before Castile completed the sentence, Officer Yanez interrupted and calmly replied, 'okay' and placed his right hand on the holster of his own, holstered, gun.

Officer Yanez then said, 'okay, don't reach for it, then.'

Castile tried to respond but was interrupted by Officer Yanez, who said, 'don't pull it out.'

Castile responded, 'I'm not pulling it out,' and Reynolds also responded by saying, 'he's not pulling it out.'

Then Officer Yanez screamed, 'don't pull it out!' and quickly pulled his own gun with his right hand while he reached inside the driver's side window with his left hand.

Officer Yanez pulled his left arm out of the car, and then fired seven shots in rapid succession into the vehicle.

The seventh and final shot was fired at 9:06 and two seconds p.m. After the final shot, Reynolds frantically yelled, 'you just killed my boyfriend!'

Philando Castile moaned and uttered his final words: 'I wasn't reaching for it.'

To which Reynolds loudly said, 'he wasn't reaching for it.'

Before Reynolds completed her sentence, Officer Yanez again screamed, 'don't pull it out!' [he testifed that it was already out]

Mr Castile's mother spoketo the media after the decision, expressing anger and sorrow with the verdict.

"There has always been a systemic problem in the state of Minnesota, and me thinking,common sense that we would get justice. But nevertheless the system continues to fail black people", she said. "I am so disappointed in the state of Minnesota".

[In the system of white supremacy/racism you can be executed anytime, anyplace by a race soldier cop. Until this system is replaced, justice in courts can only be random or coincidental] 

Click to read more ...

Will the Mostly White Jury Believe the Liar Race Soldier Cop's Testimony in the Philando Castile Murder Trial? Don't Hold Your Breath in Racist System

Just Tell White Jury You Were Really Scared of Black Man & Start Crying. From [HERE] and [HERE] On July 6, 2016, Philando Castile was fatally shot by Jeronimo Yanez, a St. Anthony, Minnesota race soldier cop, after being pulled over in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul. Castile was driving a car with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter as passengers when he was pulled over by Yanez and another officer. According to Reynolds, after being asked for his license and registration, Castile told the officer he was licensed to carry a weapon and had one in his pants pocket. Reynolds said Castile was shot while reaching for his ID after telling Yanez he had a gun permit and was armed. The officer shot at Castile seven times.

Diamond Reynolds live-streamed a video on Facebook in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. It shows her interacting with the armed officer as a mortally injured Castile lies slumped over, moaning slightly and his left arm and side bloody.

Yanez, testified Friday he fired his weapon because Castile had his hand on a gun, not his wallet and identification papers.

"I had no other choice. I didn't want to shoot Mr. Castile. That wasn't my intention," Yanez said while wiping tears from his eyes, CNN affiliate WCCO reported. "I thought I was going to die."

An audio recording captured Castile telling Yanez that he had a gun in the car, and Yanez telling Castile not to reach for it.

"It's your testimony today that you saw Mr. Castile pull out an object?" prosecutor Rick Dusterhoft said Friday.

"It was a gun," Yanez said.

"You said he pulled it out?"

"Correct," Yanez said.

"And he said he wasn't (pulling it out)?"

"Correct, but it doesn't always mean that's what he was doing," Yanez said.

Previously, Yanez said

"When Roseville police officers arrived you never warned them there was a gun did you?" Dusterhoft said.

"No," Yanez said.

Now You See It Now You Don't. Previously Yanez inconsistently stated, "Castille put his hand around something."  He said Castile's hand took a C-shape, "like putting my hand up to the butt of the gun." Yanez said he then lost view of Castile's hand.

"I know he had an object and it was dark," he said. "And he was pulling it out with his right hand. 

Yanez said he thought Castile had the gun in his right hand and he had "no option" but to shoot, the complaint said. Most importantly, on the video Yanez is yelling, “Don’t pull it out!”

Prosecutors say Yanez is not credible.

“Based upon the evidence, we believe that Castile never removed, nor tried to remove, his handgun from his front right pocket, which was a foot deep,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. Yanez’s partner also didn’t see a gun. [MORE] On cross examination the race soldier cop was asked, "When Roseville police officers arrived you never warned them there was a gun did you?" 

"No," Yanez said.

Prosecutors say Yanez acted negligently in using deadly force and had not given clear instructions.

Officer Yanez asked Castile to produce his driver's license and proof of insurance. Castile first provided him with his insurance card.

Castile then, calmly, and in a non-threatening manner, informed Officer Yanez, 'sir, I have to tell you that I do have a firearm on me.'

Before Castile completed the sentence, Officer Yanez interrupted and calmly replied, 'okay' and placed his right hand on the holster of his own, holstered, gun.

Officer Yanez then said, 'okay, don't reach for it, then.'

Castile tried to respond but was interrupted by Officer Yanez, who said, 'don't pull it out.'

Castile responded, 'I'm not pulling it out,' and Reynolds also responded by saying, 'he's not pulling it out.'

Then Officer Yanez screamed, 'don't pull it out!' and quickly pulled his own gun with his right hand while he reached inside the driver's side window with his left hand.

Officer Yanez pulled his left arm out of the car, and then fired seven shots in rapid succession into the vehicle.

The seventh and final shot was fired at 9:06 and two seconds p.m. After the final shot, Reynolds frantically yelled, 'you just killed my boyfriend!'

Philando Castile moaned and uttered his final words: 'I wasn't reaching for it.'

To which Reynolds loudly said, 'he wasn't reaching for it.'

Before Reynolds completed her sentence, Officer Yanez again screamed, 'don't pull it out!' [he testifed that it was already out]

Reynolds responded by saying, 'he wasn't.'

Prosecutors explained 'the mere mention or presence of a firearm alone cannot justify the use of deadly force.' 'Unreasonable fear cannot justify the use of deadly force.

Last Monday, as prosecutors began outlining their case against the officer, they presented a different video for the first time in public: dashboard camera footage of the shooting itself.

The footage, which prosecutors had previously described in court filings, left unclear important parts of the encounter between Philando Castile, the motorist, and Officer Jeronimo Yanez. But it showed the speed with which a cordial conversation deteriorated into gunfire, and seemed to capture Mr. Castile trying to allay the officer’s fears about a gun he had with him.

In cases like this one, with lots of video evidence, convictions are far from assured, and white jurors/judges often sympathize with officers who say they had to make a life-or-death decision in seconds.

Officer Yanez is being tried as a former University of Cincinnati police officer prepares to face a jury about 700 miles away in a different fatal shooting of a black motorist during a traffic stop. And a former Milwaukee police officer will be tried next week on a charge of reckless homicide in another death.

White Jury. The jury pool in the trial of St. Anthony Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez currently sits at 15 individuals–nine men and and six women, with just two non-white people sitting on the bench (both are Black - however, they could be alternates). Three of these potential jurors will be dismissed as alternates at the trial's end and will not deliberate. The group is mostly white and skews older. Profiles of the jurors are [HERE]

Defense lawyers tried to remove a young prospective juror who immigrated from Ethiopia as a child, saying she did not fully understand the American justice system and was incapable of serving. Prosecutors challenged the dismissal, saying that she was an accomplished student and that her exclusion was a veiled attempt at racism. Ultimately, the judge ruled that she would serve in the jury pool.

The mostly white jurors must determine whether Officer Yanez acted reasonably given what he knew at the time. Paul Engh, a defense lawyer, told jurors on Monday that the case was all about Mr. Castile’s gun.

“But for Mr. Castile’s continuous grip on that handgun, you would not be here,” said Mr. Engh, who called the shooting a “tragedy” but “most assuredly not a crime.”

Officer Yanez’s trial is the first time in modern Minnesota history that an officer has been charged for an on-duty fatal shooting, according to reports by local news organizations.

The stop took place on Larpenteur Avenue at Fry Street, just outside the Minnesota state fairgrounds, at about 9:05 p.m. Riding in a 1997 white Oldsmobile with Castile were his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter. Castile was the driver, Reynolds was the front-seat passenger, and the child was in the back seat.  

Evidence shows Mr Castile, an elementary school cafeteria worker, was racially profiled. On police scanner audio, obtained by local NBC affiliate KARE, an officer can be heard racially profiling Philando Castile and his fiancé moments before they were pulled over by St. Anthony police in Minnesota.

“I’m going to stop a car,” the officer says on the recording. “I’m going to check IDs.  I have reason to pull it over.”

“The two occupants just look like people that were involved in a robbery,” the officer says. “The driver looks more like one of our suspects, just ‘cause of the wide set nose,” the officer continues. [MORE]

Click to read more ...

Video Shows Gang of White Cops in Jersey City Kicking & Dragging Latino Man who is on Fire After Car Crash

From [HERE] A video released on Wednesday that appears to show a white police officer in New Jersey kicking a Latino man shortly after he emerged, in flames, from a car accident has added a new dimension to an investigation into a police shooting.

The footage captured what may have been a case of mistaken identity. The man who came out from the flaming wreck was not the suspect who had just led Jersey City police on a miles-long car chase through the city on Sunday night, according to the Hudson County prosecutor’s office.

In a graphic video first released by Univision, the man, Miguel Feliz-Rodriguez, 28, appeared to be rolling on the sidewalk in an attempt to extinguish the fire that engulfed his torso. Esther Suarez, the county prosecutor, said he was an “innocent victim.”

The bystander filming the scene, Erik Roberto, 36, can be heard shouting: “Help him out! Help him out!” as a group of police officers approached Mr. Feliz.

Instead, one of the officers, whose gun was drawn, appeared to kick Mr. Feliz in the head.

After that, “they were dragging him to the street like he was an animal,” Mr. Roberto said in a phone interview. “I don’t think any human being should be treated in that way.”

The Hudson County prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the episode before the video was released, as is common practice in cases of officer-involved shootings; the police had fired at the suspect, Leo Pinkston, during their pursuit. Mr. Pinkston is said to have caused at least one other car accident before crashing into Mr. Feliz. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said he could not comment on whether Mr. Pinkston was injured by any of the shots fired.

But the video has drawn a new level of scrutiny to the officers’ behavior.

“This video is now part of all the evidence we are considering as we investigate the actions of all individuals who were involved with the events of Sunday night in Jersey City,” Ms. Suarez said in a statement.

The episode began with a car chase shortly after 11 p.m. on Sunday. The police had tried to stop Mr. Pinkston, 48, in his vehicle, but he fled, evading the officers for about six miles before crashing into a utility pole and injuring Mr. Feliz, who had been driving on Tonnelle Avenue, the county prosecutor’s office said.

Both men were eventually transported for emergency medical care.

Mr. Pinkston has been charged with eluding officers and aggravated assault, both second-degree crimes.

Mr. Feliz remained hospitalized on Thursday.

“My brother at this moment is very bad,” the victim’s brother, Ramon Feliz, told Univision in Spanish. “He has 30 percent of his body burned.”

Jersey City police referred questions about the episode and continuing investigation to the city spokeswoman, Jennifer Morrill, who expressed “serious concerns about the conduct of this pursuit” but reserved judgment while the matter was being investigated by the county prosecutor.

“Once we clearly identify all the officers involved, we will be seeking termination in addition to any possible criminal penalties in appropriate cases,” she added in an emailed statement.

Mayor Steven Fulop of Jersey City said in a tweet on Wednesday that the episode was “unacceptable,” and raised the possibility of criminal charges against the officers involved.

But Carmine Disbrow, president of the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association, said that the mayor’s “thoughts are with politics and not policing.”

“As it should be, this entire incident is being fully investigated,” Mr. Disbrow added in a statement. “Taking swift action isn’t always elegant, but this video clearly shows that the officers acted quickly to extinguish the flames, and pull this man out of harm’s way.”

Deluded White LVPD Cop who 'Thought He Saw a Carjacking' Charged w/ Inv Manslaughter after Murdering Unarmed Black Man

Frightened by Blackness. From [HERE] and [HERE] A white Las Vegas police officer has been charged in the death of a Black man whom he chased down last month from a hotel, shocked with a stun gun seven times and who along with three other white cops, held for more than a minute in an unauthorized chokehold, the authorities said on Monday. The other white cops were not charged. 

The officer, Kenneth Lopera, faces felony counts of involuntary manslaughter and oppression under the color of office in the death of Tashi Farmer aka Tashi Brown, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said at a news conference. The felony charges each carry a minimum of one year in state prison and a maximum of four years.

The charges were brought against Officer Lopera, 31, after the Clark County Coroner’s Office determined that Mr. Farmer’s death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation from the chokehold. 

Officer Lopera, who is white, encountered Mr. Farmer, who was black, in the Venetian hotel on the Las Vegas Strip shortly before 1 a.m. on May 14. Mr. Farmer appeared panicked, was sweating heavily and told Officer Lopera and his partner that people were chasing him, according to an account of the episode that the Police Department provided last month. But Mr. Farmer ran off before the officers could talk to him, according to the account.

Inexplicably, the white cop begins to fervently chase [hunt] after Farmer as if he had committed a crime- ordering him to stop. [Under arrest or seized for what at this point? In order for the police to stop you the Supreme Court has ruled that police must have reasonable articulable suspicion that there is criminal activity afoot and the person detained is involved in the activity. Police may not act on on the basis of an inchoate and unparticularized suspicion or a hunch - there must be some specific articulable facts along with reasonable inferences from those facts to justify the intrusion. Clearly, these rules are only intended for white people.] 

During the chase Officer Lopera, who caught up to Mr. Farmer behind the hotel, said he believed Farmer was trying to carjack a pickup truck. As he ran behind him, the he cop claims he saw Farmer try to open the tailgate and then driver’s side door of a truck parked near the rear of the property. However, the driver of the truck told detectives he did not feel like he was being carjacked and apparently did not see him try to get into his car. [MORE] and [MORE]. The video also does not appear to show Farmer touching the car. He appears to run past the vehicle. He is about 10 feet from the vehicle when the cop orders him to stop and when the first stun gunshot comes. 

Lopera was trying to prevent Farmer from carrying out what he believed was a carjacking, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) statement. The video shows that this statement is inaccurate. 

Farmer is then seen lying on the ground as the policeman is heard yelling “Don't move! Get on your stomach!” While the man cried out “I will,” still lying on the ground and attempting to pull the Taser probe out of his back, he was struck several more times.

During the tussle on the ground Lopera, assisted by up to three other white officers, also punched Farmer in the face and head. As the victim continued to struggle, the policeman applied a “rear naked choke,” a martial arts tactic which is not approved by police authorities, the LVMPD statement says.

The neck hold is not seen on the body camera footage, but it was better captured by the outside camera. Three people are seen assisting the officer during the attack on Farmer, who are subsequently replaced by three arriving police officers. 

Mr. Farmer, who also went by Tashi Brown, was pronounced dead at 1:39 a.m. at a trauma center, the authorities said.

None of the cops claimed 'they thought they saw a weapon.' He was unarmed and had committed no crime. Investigators concluded that no charges would have been filed against Brown had he survived the encounter, Undersheriff Kevin McMahill said in a news conference last month. [MORE]

Click to read more ...

White Harris County Cop Indicted for Murder for Assisting Her Husband in Strangulation, Pouncing Death of Latino Man

From [HERE] White deputy Chauna Thompson and her husband Terry Thompson, also white, were indicted Thursday in the death of John Hernandez, a Latino man. 

A grand jury handed down an indictment for murder in the case, and Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales made the announcement Thursday afternoon.

"We believe this grand jury's true bill is a reflection of our community's belief that a crime occurred and that that crime was murder and it was participated in by Terry Thompson and his wife, Deputy Chauna Thompson," Ogg said.

Hernandez died three days after video showed Terry Thompson, the husband of Harris County Deputy Chauna Thompson, using a chokehold to detain Hernandez after a confrontation between the two men.

The charging document states Terry Thompson, 41, caused Hernandez's death "by placing a strangulating hold on (Hernandez) and maintaining pressure while placing the weigh of the defendant's body on (Hernandez)."

Twelve witnesses, as well as Hernandez's wife, were interviewed by the grand jury. Ogg said both the Thompsons declined to be interviewed.

Gonzalez said while it is difficult to see one of his deputies indicted for murder, he believes all the facts were presented.

Bond was set for the Thompsons at $100,000 each. Both could face five years to life in prison if convicted.

Deputies said Chauna Thompson, 45, and her husband arrived at the restaurant with their three children on the night of May 28 and saw Hernandez, 24, urinating in the restaurant parking lot. Investigators said Terry Thompson confronted Hernandez about his behavior, and a fight began.

Video shot by a witness showed the deputy and her husband pinning Hernandez to the ground. Terry Thompson was choking Hernandez with his forearm. Two white men witnessing the incident partially block the recording in an attempt to prevent the incident from being captured on camera. Although they appear to be accessories to the murder they were not charged by prosecutors, who are also white.   

Hernandez was hospitalized after the confrontation. He died three days later after he was removed from life support.

Click to read more ...

Ct. Says LRAD Sound Cannons Used by NYPD Can be Excessive Force - cause migraines, sinus pain, dizziness & facial pressure

From [HERE] The bulky black squares have been seen at protests in New York for years, sometimes hoisted on the shoulder of a police officer. Though they resemble heavy-duty speakers of the sort used to make announcements at high school football games, they are actually powerful sound cannons known as Long Range Acoustic Devices, or LRADs.

The police have often used LRADs to issue commands in an extra-loud voice. LRAD systems are used by law enforcement, government and defense agencies, as well as maritime and commercial security companies to broadcast audible notifications and warnings over distance. But the devices also have what the manufacturer calls a “deterrent” function. That was used during protests in Midtown Manhattan after a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict a police officer who had placed Eric Garner in a chokehold, killing him.

About 1 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2014, the police used a model called the 100X to emit a series of sharp, piercing beeps directed at people who in some cases were less than 10 feet away. Soon afterward, six of those who were nearby at the time and said they had developed migraines, sinus pain, dizziness, facial pressure and ringing in their ears filed a lawsuit challenging the police’s use of the device.

On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that the sound it emitted could be considered a form of force.

The use of the device “as a projector of powerfully amplified sound is no different than other tools in law enforcement’s arsenal that have the potential to be used either safely or harmfully, one example being distraction devices — items like stun grenade, flash bang, or concussion grenades,” Judge Robert Sweet of Federal District Court in Manhattan wrote, adding, “It can be plausibly inferred that the use of a high-powered sound magnifier in ‘close proximity’ to plaintiffs was not appropriate.”

Judge Sweet dismissed the plaintiffs’ claims against William J. Bratton, who was the police commissioner at the time of the episode, and agreed with the argument by lawyers for New York City that the use of the device did not violate First and Fourth Amendment rights.

But Judge Sweet’s finding that the plaintiffs had a “cognizable claim” that their 14th Amendment rights had been violated, by an excessive use of force, means that their suit against the city and two members of the Police Department’s Disorder Control Unit can proceed.

“This is a decision that we are very proud of that we think has national significance,” Gideon O. Oliver, one of the lawyers for the plaintiffs, said, at a news conference on Thursday outside federal court in Lower Manhattan. “And it puts police departments on notice that they can no longer treat LRADs as glorified bullhorns.”

A Police Department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on the ruling.

A spokesman for the city’s Law Department said by email: “The Long Range Acoustic Device is an effective and safe communication tool. We are reviewing the decision and evaluating our next steps.”

The device was developed in part as a response to a terrorist attack on a Navy destroyer, the U.S.S. Cole, off the coast of Yemen in 2000. It is capable of emitting sound bursts loud enough to repel potential attackers.

The Police Department first bought two of the devices in 2004, when the Republican National Convention was held in New York. The device’s shrill deterrent function was first employed by the police in Pittsburgh in 2009 during protests against Group of 20 meetings, resulting in a lawsuit that was settled without a ruling on whether the sound qualified as a form of force.

In a briefing written in 2010, the Disorder Control Unit said the device could produce a “piercing sound” that could “cause damage to someone’s hearing and may be painful.”

The model at issue in the lawsuit can be heard up to 600 meters (almost 2,000 feet) away, Judge Sweet wrote, and can produce a maximum continuous output of 136 decibels at a distance of one meter. The judge also wrote that when it was used during the 2014 protest, “the N.Y.P.D. did not have written policies and training materials in place for police officers using LRAD devices in the field.”

At one point during the protests, Judge Sweet wrote, “unidentified protesters threw objects, likely glass bottles,” while the police were making arrests. He added that the situation appeared to be “broadly in control.”

Two officers used one of the acoustic devices to order protesters onto sidewalks, but they also “employed the deterrent tone between fifteen to twenty times over a span of three minutes and at a rate that was ‘almost continuously,’” the judge wrote, adding that at points the officers used the device within 10 feet of the plaintiffs and angled it toward them.

One plaintiff in the case, Shay Horse, a photographer, said on Thursday that the sound that night was earsplitting and seemingly without respite.

“This is a sound version of a fire hose,” he said. “It’s like a noise flamethrower.”