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With the recent grand jury dismissal of the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the choking death of Eric Garner by the police in Staten Island, New York, nationwide demonstrations against the police and the justice system have been occurring. However, there has been little discussion of the fear factor that exists on both sides- by the police and by young, black males- and is responsible for some of the confrontations that have occurred over the years.
Reviewing the Garner case, it appears that there was no rationale for the police action that resulted in his death. He was not involved in any violent crime or threatening behavior, merely selling cigarettes singly to make a few dollars and trying to avoid paying taxes. He could have received a summons and paid a fine instead of having the police grab him and place him in a chokehold. And when he was gasping and saying he could not breathe, there was no reason for the police officer not to release him. But perhaps that was where the fear factor kicked in with the police. Garner was six foot three and weighed well over three hundred pounds. If he had been freed from the choke hold, the officers may have been afraid he would possibly have become violent and injure them even though there was no evidence to suggest this. But the police may have unconsciously feared the physical damage a large black man could wreak on them in close quarters. The bottom line- no justification for the death and it is unclear why the grand jury did not issue any kind of indictment.
Michael Brown, however, is a different story. Brown was also a large black man, six foot four and weighing over two hundred and ninety pounds. Though, Brown apparently had no criminal record, we know that he was a bully and thug by his actions in the convenience store that were captured on videotape prior to his encounter with the police. Here, he stole some cigars and pushed the clerk aside who asked for payment. We also know there was physical contact by Brown with Officer Wilson while the latter was seated in his police car. This was verified by the finding of Brown’s blood and DNA inside the car when he was first shot, and powder on his skin, confirming that he was close to the gun. Whether or not there was a struggle for the officer’s weapon, Brown was evidently partially in the car when the gun was fired. Thus, the initial shot or shots by Officer Wilson that wounded Brown appear to be justified. However, the reason multiple shots were fired when Brown was disentangled from the policeman are unclear. Whether this large black man was coming towards Wilson in a threatening manner, or simply trying to surrender are unknown. The evidence given to the grand jury by different witnesses was contradictory.
The fear factor may be responsible for many of the actions by both the police and young black men that lead to confrontations and injuries. The police see young black men as potentially dangerous, as possibly carrying weapons, as gang members, or physically intimidating if they are bigger than them. It is also believed by the police that a number of the black men they encounter are on drugs and/or have criminal records, and may be a threat if they are allowed to get away with anything, including minor violations.
On the other hand, young black men may perceive the police as legalized bullies who try to move them along, or who will physically challenge them or arrest them for any small infraction. The officers in general are from outside the community and only a small proportion of them are men of color. Because of the publicity attendant to the Michael Brown case and other instances of shootings by police officers, young black men are afraid they may be gunned down by the police. This is so even though actual episodes where black men are unjustifiably shot by officers are probably relatively uncommon, magnified by the publicity they engender. The exact figure is unknown, but police departments nationwide report about 400 “justifiable homicides” to the FBI yearly. The accuracy of this is uncertain and includes all races and shootouts with violent criminals that are certainly defensible.
Thus we have fear as a factor in both groups that may skew their behavior and lead to unnecessary confrontations, violence, and occasional deaths. Is there anything that can be done to prevent this? Education on both sides would probably be helpful, where both the police and the black community have more insight into the fears and behavior of the other. Review by an independent prosecutor of any police gun use and indictment of police officers when necessary would probably be reassuring as well to the black community.
Having a black president and attorney general is not enough to make young black men feel safe on the streets. Local police officers must interact with them and treat them fairly and both groups will benefit.
Resurrecting Democracy
www.robertlevinebooks.com
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020