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| Brett Russell, left, beating victim Gary Hopkins, right. (File) |
An African American Huntsville Police Officer was convicted for the arrest, beating of a white suspect who used a "racial slur" during the incident. No one is saying what the 'slur' was but I'm willing to bet the 'slur' started with the letter N and ended with the letter G.
Compare that with the Huntsville City Attorney saying an elderly black man's injuries after a police encounter are not excessive force.
Frazier's claim states that he was "illegally and improperly stopped, searched and seized," and that police "beat him" and "abused him." Frazier, who had faced warrants for fleeing and eluding police, driving without a license and failure to yield right of way, turned himself in Wednesday afternoon to police and was released on bond.Don't get me wrong, I deplore police brutality regardless of race or gender, but please explain to me why Officer Russell was convicted of using excessive force, but the officers who beat Mr. Frazier were not?
A charge of driving while under the influence was dropped because his blood alcohol level was less than the legal limit of 0.08, police said.
Mayor Tommy Battle has defended the police department since he first viewed the dash cam video last week. Earlier today, the District Attorney's Office released a statement saying none of the officers involved in the arrest "violated any existing Alabama laws or statutes."How about some Liberty and Justice for all citizens who are the victims of police brutality, regardless of race, gender, age, or sexual orientation?
"There is a mean spirit on the lose, not only in Alabama,but America, and that's what makes this election so important". Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders (D. Selma)
15 comments:
REALLY? Both incidents are on video! One I saw showed Frazier being taken to the ground after having police chase him all over town! the other showed a white man SECURED inside of a patrol car, not fleeing etc TAKE out of the car the BEAT repeatedly not taken to the ground due to running from [police!! How can an educated person like you even question these two when you can watch both videos! What you really need to ask is why is the black officers action not all over MSNBC,CNN FOX etc because the white Madison officer was all over national news.You can keep lying to yourself and keep the victim mentality that you have or you can see the facts, the truth and you will feel a lot better!!!
Reason that Police were not charged with regards to Mr. Frazier is that there is no evidence of the Police causing his injuries. Even though HPD did not release the video, they showed the video to media and allowed said media to record the dash cam video and there is a link to video in the article.
From the al.com article you linked:
"Nowhere in the video is a police officer seen hitting William Frazier"
Running from the police is not a beatable offense. Mr. Frazier injuries were a result of his arrest.
Running from the police is not a beatable offence, that is true. But to say that Mr. Frazier's injuries were a result of his arrest is to assume facts that there is no evidence to prove. We don't know if Mr. Frazier had been hit in Club Celebrity. We don't know if he had received his injuries during the chase (before he was arrested).
There is dash cam video of the arrest, and that dash cam video shows that no police officer hit Mr. Frazier during his arrest.
Actually Mr. Fraziers injuries are a fact, injuries he sustained during his arrest according to the City Attorney. "you can't really see everything they did, but his injuries show excessive force,"
That quote is not from the City Attorney but from Alice Sams, the president of the Madison County chapter of the NAACP.
But you were right, the city attorney did say that: "City Attorney Peter Joffrion said the injuries to Frazier's face came when he was put on the ground."
But also: "Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc Sandlin saying that he had reviewed the case and that police had not violated any laws during the arrest."
One was pulled out of his car to be arrest and was injuried in the process, the other was had already be arrested and was in handcuffs when he was pulled out of the squad car and then was hit and kicked by the officer.
One was beaten while in handcuffs, the other got a black eye from being pulled out of car to the pavement.
Difference without a distinction. Both men were beaten by law enforcement. The white man got justice. The black man did not. The black police officer was convicted, the white police officers were not.
It is not a difference without a distinction, one was intentionally injured, the other wasn't.
The white man was arrested, then beaten, then got justice.
If the black cop had not beat a suspect in custody on camera, he would not have been charged or convicted.
The white cops injured the black man because he was resisting arrest and they didn't punch or kick the black man which is why they were not charged.
Brian is it your argument the black man deserved to be hurt by law enforcement because he refused to get out of the car, but the white man did not deserve to be hurt by law enforcement because he was in handcuffs and removed from the car after using a racial slur? If so, that argument is flawed because neither men deserved to be beaten by those trained and protect to protect and serve us. We are either going to have equal justice for all or we're not.
So your argument is that it is alright to beat somebody up that is already restrained because... a black person was taken too the ground too hard?
I believe that it wrong to assault anybody if they have already been restrained in some form. It does not matter what skin color either party is. If you have them in handcuffs and you feel like you have to hit or kick them at that point, you deserve to be punished.
Do I believe that Mr. Frasier deserved to be injured? No I don't, but from what I saw on the video, Mr. Frasier is a big gentleman, bigger than most of the officers arresting him. I don't know what Mr. Frasier was doing as he was being pulled out of the car, but being a big guy myself, I understand that even if he wasn't resisting but wasn't assisting the officers either, the ground was the only option. The injury is unfortunate, but he made a choice not to get out of the car on his own when ordered by the officer. He left the officer with no choice but to pull him out. And I would not have a problem with what the officers did in this irregardless of the skin colors of anybody involved including Mr. Frasier.
This is not about skin color but two different injured people who were in two different circumstances. One was already in custody and handcuffed. One was not in custody and was not handcuffed. There is a grand canyon sized difference between the two. It sucks that they both were injured.
What would your feelings be if it was a white officer that had hit and kicked a black man that was in handcuffs?
My argument is neither men deserved to be beaten by police, regardless of color.
My argument is both men deserved justice, regardless of color.
My argument is both police officers should be convicted, regardless of color.
My argument is for equal justice for all,regardless of color.
Now, what is your argument?
Can a police officer take somebody down to pavement?
I don't believe the officers in the Mr. Frasier case intended to harm Mr. Frasier. I believe they did what they were trained to do and unfortunately Mr. Frasier was injured. I don't believe that charges were warrented. I don't believe destroying those officers lives would have been warrented.
What Russell did to Hopkins was intentional.
The injuries to Mr. Frasier were not intentional.
Intentional or not, 80 year old William Frasier was injured, I would say more so than Hopkins, and you leave out the fact Hopkins issued a racial slur at Russell, which could be considered "fighting words". If destroying the officers lives who injured William Frasier is not warranted, why is the destruction of Russell's live warranted for injuring Hopkins? Never mind. I know why. Bye.
End of Story.
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