Sad, but not surprised...
On June 16, 2017, Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted in the shooting death of Philando Castile.
I am sad however I am not surprised...
Whenever I hear an unarmed black man is shot to death by a police officer, I, like many other African Americans, have several thoughts swirling in my mind:
Damn! Not again!
How / Why did this happen?
Is this going to stop?
The one thought I have that I hate is "I bet the officer(s) get acquitted." I want to think that the victims would get justice but here we are again.
I remember that week of July of 2016. That week, Alton Sterling was shot in Baton Rouge under questionable circumstances so Black America was already on edge and then the live Facebook post happened. I remember watching in disbelief as Mr. Castile's girlfriend calmly broadcasted the events that lead to the shooting and the events that occurred afterwards.
It was replayed over and over in the news and social media.
The problem with this and other incidents is the whole "I was afraid for my life." defense those officers used.
Before I get trolled for police bashing, you have to realize that I get it. I have family in law enforcement and have worked in law enforcement for 10 years so I understand the dangers. That uniform, that badge makes you a target to some dangerous people. I do not envy police officers and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the position.
On the other hand, not all officers are worthy of the respect the badge and uniform are meant to inspire. To say all officers are good and want to help is statistically impossible. There are some bad apples, however I do not judge all officers or people for that matter on the acts of a few.
All this makes me ask the question: Why does the black man in America seem to invoke so much fear?
There are some theories.
Is it that the media portrays black men as dangerous criminals and thugs?
Is it racial profiling?
Is it police training or lack thereof?
I don't know. It could be one or all but I do know this: Philando Castile did everything correctly and was still killed because Officer Yanez was scared.
Today the dashcam footage of the stop was released and I have seen it. Twice. To be honest, it was horrifying. It was exactly 7 seconds between the time that Mr. Castile stated he had a firearm and Officer Yanez shooting him 7 times.
This is a heartbreaking part of life as an African American. I have seen this many times before which is why I am not surprised that no charges were pressed against the officer. I am sad that this is something that I will have to explain to my son in a few years.
When I was about 14, my mother sat me down and explained to me about how to interact with police. She taught me respect for elders from day one but this was different. It wasn't until I was older that I realized she was teaching me how to be non-threatening. The thing that stands out to me the most about that conversation is that she was very adamant she was. When she was serious or wanted me to understand something, she became animated and wanted laser-like eye contact while she spoke and I got all of that and then some that day. I will have the same talk with my son. I, of course, will teach him to respect all adults unless given a reason to do otherwise, but I will also tell him all the things my mother told me. Hopefully, we will not live in a world where I have to do that but, I'm not holding my breath.
Keep pushing guys and be safe
I am sad however I am not surprised...
Whenever I hear an unarmed black man is shot to death by a police officer, I, like many other African Americans, have several thoughts swirling in my mind:
Damn! Not again!
How / Why did this happen?
Is this going to stop?
The one thought I have that I hate is "I bet the officer(s) get acquitted." I want to think that the victims would get justice but here we are again.
I remember that week of July of 2016. That week, Alton Sterling was shot in Baton Rouge under questionable circumstances so Black America was already on edge and then the live Facebook post happened. I remember watching in disbelief as Mr. Castile's girlfriend calmly broadcasted the events that lead to the shooting and the events that occurred afterwards.
It was replayed over and over in the news and social media.
The problem with this and other incidents is the whole "I was afraid for my life." defense those officers used.
Before I get trolled for police bashing, you have to realize that I get it. I have family in law enforcement and have worked in law enforcement for 10 years so I understand the dangers. That uniform, that badge makes you a target to some dangerous people. I do not envy police officers and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the position.
On the other hand, not all officers are worthy of the respect the badge and uniform are meant to inspire. To say all officers are good and want to help is statistically impossible. There are some bad apples, however I do not judge all officers or people for that matter on the acts of a few.
All this makes me ask the question: Why does the black man in America seem to invoke so much fear?
There are some theories.
Is it that the media portrays black men as dangerous criminals and thugs?
Is it racial profiling?
Is it police training or lack thereof?
I don't know. It could be one or all but I do know this: Philando Castile did everything correctly and was still killed because Officer Yanez was scared.
Today the dashcam footage of the stop was released and I have seen it. Twice. To be honest, it was horrifying. It was exactly 7 seconds between the time that Mr. Castile stated he had a firearm and Officer Yanez shooting him 7 times.
This is a heartbreaking part of life as an African American. I have seen this many times before which is why I am not surprised that no charges were pressed against the officer. I am sad that this is something that I will have to explain to my son in a few years.
When I was about 14, my mother sat me down and explained to me about how to interact with police. She taught me respect for elders from day one but this was different. It wasn't until I was older that I realized she was teaching me how to be non-threatening. The thing that stands out to me the most about that conversation is that she was very adamant she was. When she was serious or wanted me to understand something, she became animated and wanted laser-like eye contact while she spoke and I got all of that and then some that day. I will have the same talk with my son. I, of course, will teach him to respect all adults unless given a reason to do otherwise, but I will also tell him all the things my mother told me. Hopefully, we will not live in a world where I have to do that but, I'm not holding my breath.
Keep pushing guys and be safe
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