Well, there are a couple things that concern me.

First, what’s the goals of the law and is it designed to achieve these goals. Read the full story

Written for the Oakland, California community.

We mourn because a little girl is dead for no reason. We mourn because a little girl is dead for terrible reasons. We mourn for Aiyana Jones, because she is yet another victim of police violence, and because as a community, we want to stand in solidarity with her community and her family – and all those who suffer at the hands of the prison-industrial complex in America.

Aiyana was murdered by the police on May 16, 2010, in Detroit, MI during a no-knock raid on her family’s home. Police threw a flash grenade into the first-floor window, where the little girl lay asleep. After police barged into the home, an alleged confrontation took place between Officer Joseph Weekley and Aiyana’s grandmother, during which it is claimed that Weekley’s gun “accidentally” went off, killing the girl. There is video documentation of what transpired, but there are many conflicting accounts at this time – and more information will undoubtedly be revealed in the near future. The lawyer for Aiyana’s family states that the video taken contradicts the police account of what happened. He states, “What I’m most concerned about is that this videotape demonstrates that police are involved in a cover-up of a child’s killing.” (CBS News) Charles Jones, Aiyana’s father, told reporters that upon rushing into the room where Aiyana was shot, the police forced him to get down on the ground – and he had to put his face in his daughter’s blood.

We do not mourn Aiyana’s death because she was so young and so innocent, though this terrible reality weighs heavy on our hearts. We mourn Aiyana as we mourned Oscar Grant, as we mourned countless individuals whose lives have been ended or forever changed by systemic police violence and the profit-driven prison-industrial complex. So while we do mourn this little girl’s murder, we also acknowledge its connection to the larger whole, which encompasses a racist system of perverted “justice” and social control.

In a sick way, Aiyana’s death represents the intersection of police violence and media spectacle – the raid on her family’s home was filmed as part of a reality television show called “The First 48.” The raid that night was being filmed for media consumption, for entertainment purposes. How disturbing and poignant that the video this film crew recorded of the incident reveals the true brutality of police violence, when its original intent was surely to “document” a dramatized story about police heroics, a story constructed for the American audience to bolster societal beliefs about the role of the police.

Though it is clear that in the coming days and weeks, more terrible facts will most likely be coming to light regarding the circumstances surrounding Aiyana’s murder, what is clear at this point is that the police are not giving an honest account of the incident. This should not be surprising. Acts of police violence are often covered up or depicted as tragic, yet solitary, incidents. By no means should we participate in perpetuating this lie. What happened that night to Aiyana and her family was business as usual when it comes to policing. It happened in Detroit, Michigan, last week – but in 2009 it happened in Oakland, California, and it happens in cities around the country – and the world – all the time.

Officer Weekley is on paid administrative leave at this time, as was Officer Tony Pirone of the BART Police following the murder of Oscar Grant.

Members of the Oakland community will gather at 11 am this Sunday, May 23rd, at Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland in a silent vigil to mourn a young life lost, a family shattered, and another victim of systemic police violence.

April 5, 2010

Chief Betsy J.S. Hard

Bloomfield Police Department

785 Park Avenue

Bloomfield, CT 06002

Dear Chief Hard,

I believe that I was racially profiled by one of your officers on March 31st. I am challenging you to engage in a public dialogue about racial profiling in particular and police misconduct in general. I was given a flimsy justification for the traffic stop, and when I received my ticket the stated reason for pulling me over was not listed. While I’m not expecting a response, I want you and your department to know that the public is now aware of this incident. As a black male I am all too familiar with the practice of racial profiling by law enforcement. However, I refuse to accept this form of discrimination.

Department of Justice statistics show that the police are three to four times as likely to use force against people of color and search them during traffic stops. Of course, there is also an extensive history of unarmed black males who have been shot and killed by law enforcement officers. Individuals who are familiar with the complaint process have told me that there is next to zero chance of your officer being held accountable, so I have chosen to address this case in the court of public opinion. People of color should not have to feel threatened by an entity which purports to “serve and protect”.

Sincerely,

David Samuels

I believe that I was racially profiled by the Bloomfield Police today. Breaking news, I know. My encounter with the cops was minor compared to the fate suffered by Jashon Bryant, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant and countless other brothers whose names we’ll never know, Read the full story

Jashon Bryant’s father, Keith Thomas, discusses his son’s life, the trial of Robert Lawlor, the police officer who shot and killed Bryant, and its aftermath.

Click here to download the MP3

An all white jury found former cop Robert Lawlor innocent of murdering 18 year old Jashon Bryant while on patrol in 2005. Read the full story

BREAKING NEWS: There are street gangs in Hartford. An internal police memo that was obtained by the Hartford Courant describes the gang activity in the city as an “infestation”, citing a total of 138 crews and 4,000 members, 800 of whom are under the age of 17. A large portion of the gangs are said to be affiliated with cliques such as the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings & Los Solidos, all national organizations. After parents, city officials & educators expressed their concern, the cops said, “Oh, that number isn’t really accurate – groups that don’t meet the Department of Justice definition of gangs were included in the totals”. The tone deaf city school Superintendent Steven Adamowski’s reaction was “Gangs? What Gangs? We don’t have gangs in our schools!” It was amusing yet sad to watch Adamowski change course after parents confirmed during an October 21 community meeting that yes, gangs are a fact of life in Hartford schools. Former Weaver High principal Paul Stringer weighed in, stating that Adamowski was well aware of the presence of gangs in city schools. Read the full story

NEW BRITAIN– In response to recent attacks and harassment of students of color at Central Connecticut State University, student leaders are planning a solidarity rally for this Wednesday, October 14th, from noon-1pm in the center of campus. Read the full story

Forget about Al-Qaeda – you need to worry about Al Smith. Right-wing extremists have reemerged as the most serious threat to this country, however federal law enforcement officials have not placed as much emphasis on addressing their activities as those of Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist network. This may have something to do with the fact that right-wingers occupy positions of power within the United States government (wild guess). Read the full story

(East Haven) Due to numerous complaints of harassment against people of color by the East Haven Police Department, over 130 Connecticut residents gathered together Saturday afternoon on Main Street to demand justice and an end to racial profiling and border patrols*. Read the full story