I called the cops, today. There were white guys throwing racial epithets towards a black guy. Things were escalating and there were kids around. I thought to intervene, and saw a gun rack with a shotgun in one guy’s truck. I still paused because the majority of cops in my neighborhood are white, so I took pains to explain the details of the situation on 911. One racist asshole left before they arrived. The black man started to walk away and eventually leave as well, but four cruisers suddenly surrounded his vehicle. I gave my statement and so did a few others, but wtf.
edit - I’m just going to say I really hate the fact my police department is primarily white made me pause. I hadn’t fully appreciated the impact all this news has had on me until today.
Yea, I would imagine that there is a lot of that going on, meaning crimes are unreported/unresolved due to the fact that people are more afraid of the police than the criminals. From what I read this is also a major problem for illegal migrants who can not report a crime for fear of being deported.
So, 4 police cruises surrounded the victims vehicle? Hopefully they didn’t do a guns-drawn routine?
They all had hands on the guns, but they didn’t draw. He was screaming his head off at everyone by that point - not that I can blame him one bit - and made the mistake of bumping chests with a cop. Thankfully he didn’t get thrown to the ground, but he got a seat in a cruiser.
The video was obtained by WSB Channel 2 in Atlanta. The woman can be heard telling the officer she’s afraid to move her hands because of recent police-involved shootings.
“Remember, we only kill black people. We only kill black people, right?” the officer from Cobb County tells the woman.
WSB identified the officer as Lt. Greg Abbott. The traffic stop occurred in July.
WGCL Channel 46 reports the department has confirmed the comments and Abbott has been placed on administrative duties while the incident is investigated.
Lance LoRusso, the lawyer for Abbott, says the officer was trying to “de-escalate a situation involving an uncooperative passenger.”
“In context, his comments were clearly aimed at attempting to gain compliance by using the passenger’s own statements and reasoning to avoid making an arrest,” LoRusso says.
…comments were clearly aimed at attempting to gain compliance by using the passenger’s own statements and reasoning…
Not only imprudent, but also hopeless. I suspect playing a logic joke using someone’s own words would fly over the heads of a large segment of society.
Not really a thing a cop should be joking about anyway.
I agree. But bad jokes aren’t exactly a war crime.
Really effed up nonetheless. At minimum he should get an official reprimand.
This guy isn’t an official or leader. He wasn’t spreading racist propaganda. He just said something stupid in an attempt to calm someone. So let’s not over-react to a dumb joke in a one-on-one conversation.
Of course, if he has a record of acting like a racist, that puts things in a very different light. But based on what we know now, do you really think he deserves the Justine Sacco treatment?
Justine Sacco doesn’t deserve the Justine Sacco treatment, so probably not.
It wasn’t even a joke, more like a wise-ass quip. Wise-asses should be slapped in the back of the head and then normal life resumed.
Agreed. I found that whole episode disturbing, in part because I was one of the people baying for her destruction. It’s easy to get caught up in online mob justice. It was a long time before I realized just how unfair that all was.
Wow, I didn’t know that! Cool.
I used to be afraid of the social media mob for no real reason – one of those highly unlikely fears with extreme consequences, like a plane crash – but now it’s so common that I’m used to it. It’s mostly just funny to see such a non-progressive means used for progressive ends. I wish the Internet good luck with that!
Probably what will happen in the end.
He might take a class or get a couple days off, which is probably about right given the circumstances.
Then again, he might also see worse than people who actually shoot black people, because reasons.
http://wjbf.com/2017/08/31/cobb-county-to-fire-officer-who-told-woman-we-only-kill-black-people/
“No matter what context it was said, it shouldn’t have been said,” Register said. “This badge should mean that there is justice and fairness for all and that is certainly what we strive to do here in Cobb County.”
Register said the recommendation is to fire Abbott and they are putting the plans into motion to make that happen.
If only he’d done something less offensive, like plant evidence on a black teen.
Or maybe Cobb County isn’t shit and has high standards.
Or, you know, shot and killed a black man (off camera).
Not a shooting or racial incident, but (a) another example of police behaving poorly but also (b) an example of a really committed nurse.
Well, that’s fucked up. I mean, better than someone being shot to death by a cop, but fucked up nonetheless.
I think she needs to sue. They already let this guy keep his job after being obviously out of line.