Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Wednesday that a grand jury decision not to charge three police officers in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor “does not answer the call” for justice sought by many Americans.
This decision is a travesty that represents the double-standard where police have a lower burden of responsibility than citizens and this shielding of incompetent if not corrupt police will continue to erode the trust of people in their police forces while giving a greenlight to further atrocities.
The absurdity of the incongruity between a relatively swift & very large settlement related to a death caused by law enforcement … and essentially a finding of no responsibility by any of law enforcement … is both bizarre and dishonest and morally corrupt.
Daniel Cameron’s only experience in law is working on Mitch McConnell’s staff. He is ill equipped to be anyone’s AG, yet…he’s there.
Nice messaging from Biden, “Does not answer the Call”.
Appropriate response that should be enough to assure police hes on their side too but it won’t because they’ve been given a taste of authoritarianism in their defense…and they liked it.
There should be complete disclosure of the GJ record in this case to make clear where the law prevented indictments (and needs to be changed) v the typical bullshit self-defense arguments and attendant limitations on police liability when using deadly force. Maybe it’s just me, but if a gang in plain clothes breaks down my door, they are the transgressors and antagonists and I can defend myself and my home —-unless and until they clearly identify themselves as cops and tell me what they’re there for in the first place. What crime I am accused of etc. Military style attacks are entirely inappropriate for police unless the community is in immediate danger.
That innocent people can die in a hail
of police gunfire and no one be accountable criminally is absurd. That they guy who didn’t shoot anyone is the only cop indicted demands full transparency in this case. Precisely how did prosecutors present the case to the GJ? There’s the rub.
Daniel Cameron has been working on his Eagle Scout Award for Clownish Buffoonery In Acquiescence To A Sitting President. It’s a lock as of yesterday.
The “Buns Up” badge.
Biden’s response was dare I say it -Presidential. No knock warrants, qualified immunity, police accountability, investing in BIPOC communities -these need federal level attention. Seattle PD is under a consent decree wrt use of force. More cities and municipalities need this kind of monitoring.
Two Biden stories in one morning on TPM!!!
Someone must have taken over and locked Josh in the closet.
BTW—Biden’s comment was appropriate.
And one of them doesn’t even mention Trump in the headline.
It’s the pivot!
Police bicycle pushed over man’s neck as he lies on the ground at Breonna Taylor protest in Seattle. https://t.co/zzsFffiTBp pic.twitter.com/SGTGjXaTiG
— ABC News (@ABC) September 24, 2020
Very seriously, the patience of black people has been extraordinary…far beyond mine.
Solving systemic racism in our society has been and continues to be extremely difficult.
Now add to that the fact that the Presidon’t is a racist doing his utmost to fan the flames.
The subhuman bottom-feeder has got to go.
Why is it we are only now hearing it supposedly wasn’t a no knock warrant?
If officers clearly identified them Taylor’s Boyfriend would be in jail for shooting a cop.
Either her boyfriend knowingly shot a cop, or they are at fault.
Even Failure to identify as a charge would be more tolerable
TPM infrastructure week?
I have a Black Lives Matter sign in front of my house in a white neighborhood in a white town. Still, the prosecutor did not make the wrong decision. I am also a criminal defense attorney and have been a prosecutor. The easiest client to defend is a police officer who shot someone during the course of a law enforcement episode. When the incident started the police were in a place and doing something under the authority of a lawful warrant supported by probable cause—no one denies that. While doing that someone shot at them. Despite the fact that the shooter’s actions were lawful, the police had no way of knowing that and lawfully returned fire, with the exception of the one who was charged, who acted recklessly.
If those other two officers are charged, they will be acquitted, no matter the composition of the jury. My experience prosecuting in a northeastern city was that once sworn Black jurors were no less concerned or forgiving of crime than White jurors. When I defended a policeman who shot (but did not kill) a Black drug dealer, I did not avoid Black jurors and still got an acquittal.
You can argue about changing police policies, but this prosecutor did not make a mistake when not charging for homicide, at least based on what is in the public record.
Topic expertise is always welcome.
Surely that is the huge problem. It really seems it should be reversed.
As the trained professional, who’s job is to be calm and put themselves at risk to protect and serve.
In this case, for example. The reason the boyfriend’s actions were lawful is because the situation police put everyone in. Late night and poor opportunity for identification to be understood, were avoidable (as was being at the wrong place). They created the danger.
Was this warrant not able to he served when he left the house in the morning as you not endanger folks not on the warrant?
To make it worse they returned fire on a target they couldn’t see.
We all should
Homicide, maybe not. Seems they all should at least be charged as the other offers was. They all shot at something they couldn’t see.
From there, also the person responsible for choosing the time and cadence of the knock then entry should be charged the same.
4th and 2 on the goal line.