By Iva Anthony
TNCP NY Correspondent
NEW YORK, NY — Police officers are sworn in to protect and serve their community, to keep its residents safe and to enforce law and order. Most police officers uphold their oaths, serving their communities with honor and pride. There are a few cases where instead of keeping residents safe, police officers are the ones causing harm.
The Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) recently published information regarding arrest related deaths in the United States. It has been the most comprehensive study that has ever been done. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia reported 2,002 arrest-related deaths during the three years from 2003 through 2005, homicides by state and local law enforcement officers were the leading cause of such deaths during this period (55 percent), followed by alcohol and drug intoxication incidents (13 percent) and suicides (12 percent).
Homicide or Acting Within Their Duties?
In November 2006, five NYPD police officers shot at three black men sitting in a car 52 times, killing Sean Bell and severely wounding Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield after they left a bachelor party at a strip club in Queens, NY. Outrage from the black community as well as civil rights leaders over the shooting has poured out. Many blacks feel that the police have a history of using excessive violence against minorities.
"Since [former mayor] Giuliani, the police have been granted this power to shoot first and maybe ask questions later," said Louis Falcon, a 34-year-old Hispanic from Jersey City. "It’s like they have carte blanche to do whatever the hell they want to do to minorities and there’s not a damn thing anyone could do about it."
Since 1999 five Black men, Amadou Diallo, Patrick Dorismond, Ousmane Zongo, Timothy Stansbury and Sean Bell, have been killed by NYPD. The killing of Diallo, who was shot by the police 41 times in 1999, still resonates within the Black community today.
"This reminds me of Diallo," said Benjamin Johnson, a 52-year-old Black man from the Bronx. "How can a brother feel safe in his own community when the police are firing at will? What crime did Sean Bell commit? What crime did Diallo commit? These are the questions that need to be answered by the NYPD."
Andrew Scollo, a 26-year-old White man, computer technician from Long Beach, agrees with the sentiments held within the black community.
"This is more than a coincidence," he said. "Police officers unfairly target blacks and stereotype them as criminals and thugs with no other evidence than the color of their skin. I hope these cops are held accountable for their actions and they are found guilty of murder because it was uncalled for."
Big City Issue?
This is hardly a big city issue. On December 4, 2007, Lansing police officers stormed into a Super 8 motel room, shot and killed 26-year-old Joseph Carter. According to the 2000 census, Lansing, MI had a population of about 119,128 compared to New York City’s over 8.0 million residents.
Acting on a tip, the police officers wrongfully assumed Carter was holding his 21-year-old girlfriend Kasey Carter hostage. Lansing police initially said Carter was holed up in his hotel room with a loaded gun pointed to his girlfriend’s head but Michigan state police confirmed that never happened. Kasey Carter claimed the loaded gun slid off of the side of the bathtub and went off. Hearing a gun being fired, police charged in and shot Carter in the face and neck. A special prosecutor has been assigned to review the case. Hugh Clarke, the attorney for Carter’s parents, declined to comment.
Police Targeted
“Police are hired to protect and serve and sometimes they have to make split second decisions,” said Sue Murphy, a 60-year-old Black woman from Lansing, MI. “They (police) don’t always have time to assess the situation. We all know of incidents like the ones in New York where police have been guilty of making a bad judgment call. We have to stay on top of local politicians to make sure that only the best of the best become the ones who actually are on the streets protecting and serving its citizens. When the law enforcers do their jobs, we must wholeheartedly support them.”
Sue Murphy lamented, "I know of a case in another city where two officers were responding to a domestic disturbance and one officer was killed and his partner was shot in the arm. We would hope that those who are here to protect and serve are highly trained. It seems as though over the years, police and other law enforcement agents have targets on their back. There was a time when there was extreme respect for law enforcement and now it seems as though there is no respect for their authority. However, if I feel my life is in danger, I’m not going to call my neighbor, I’m calling 911 and will expect the police to show up in a timely manner!"
From 2003 through 2005, FBI data shows 380 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The majority of these deaths were accidental (221), whereas 159 were homicides. The FBI also reported 174,760 assaults on law enforcement officers during those three years.
The Waiting Game
While we await the results from the Carter case, one thing is certain. There are too many incidents where Blacks have been the victims of police violence to be called a coincidence. According to the report most persons who died while being arrested were men (96 percent) between the ages of 18 and 44 (77 percent). Approximately 44 percent were white; 32 percent, Black; 20 percent Hispanic and 4 percent of other or multiple races. According to the U.S. census population percentage in 2005, 80 percent were White;12.8 percent Black; 14.4 percent Hispanic; and the remaining percent was of other or multiple races.
There are more questions than answers in New York and in Lansing; as well as, across the country about the negative stereotypes and hostilities between the police department and the black community. The Bell family and the Carter family await answers and await justice for their sons, gunned down by those who were sworn in to protect them.
Anir Senyah contributed to this story. To comment, e-mail at tncp@comcast.net.
