"With Liberty and Justice" for Some, but not for All in #SweetHomeAlabama

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.
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.

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? 

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)

If #MotherEmmanuelAME church had treated #DylanStormRoof like First Baptist Church treated Joshua Chukwuedozie Ude they would be alive today.

A screenshot taken from a YouTube video involving Huntsville police officers arresting a man outside a church via al.com

Let's recap.  Remember Josha Ude, the 23 year old grad student from Africa who had the misfortune of sightseeing while black?

Huntsville police spokesman Harry Hobbs said off-duty officers arrested 23-year-old Joshua Chukwuedozie Ude on Sunday, Oct. 27, on charges of resisting arrest and criminal trespassing, following reports of disruptive conduct during a church service at First Baptist Church, located at 600 Governors Drive.
Here's the complete police statement from Hobbs:
"Church members contacted officers working at the church regarding suspicious behavior by Ude and his two adult male companions. Witnesses told police that the three men entered the church after the 11 a.m. service began. One of the men remained in the sanctuary hallway while Ude and another man walked to the front row and began videotaping the pastor and congregation. The three men left the church building on their own accord before the service concluded.
Police approached the three men as they left the building to inquire about their activities. During that conversation, Ude became uncooperative, refused to leave, and was subsequently arrested. Ude's companions, who were also detained by police, videotaped the arrest, posted it to You Tube within 30 minutes and contacted local media. The video does not show the events leading up to Ude's arrest."
"Initial review of the posted videotapes indicate the officers used appropriate techniques under the circumstances,"Chief Lewis Morris said. "However, I have instructed our Internal Affairs division to investigate any alleged use of excessive force during the arrest of Mr. Ude."

In all fairness First Baptist Church said that's not exactly what happened.

On Sunday, October 27th, three men were observed taking photographs outside the church of the mosaic on the front of our building. One man entered the building, was welcomed by our ushers and invited to join the service which was already in progress. Initially, he declined, but later two of the three young men entered the sanctuary approximately 40 minutes after the service had begun, walked down the center aisle and sat in the front pew. Our pastor, Dr. David Hull, was already preaching the sermon at this point. One of the men removed a cell phone and appeared to be videotaping and/or taking photographs. At no time were the men confronted or asked to leave the service. They remained in the service for approximately 10 minutes, at which time they got up, walked out the center aisle and left the service. The third young man remained in the hallway engaged in conversation with our ushers. After leaving the building on their own initiative, an incident occurred in the parking lot involving the young men and uniformed police officers.
First Baptist Church has received many inquiries from concerned members of the public, especially pertaining to videos of the incident which have been posted to YouTube by one or more of these young men. Some have speculated that First Baptist Church asked these men to leave the service because of the way they were dressed. First Baptist Church did not ask these men to leave the service at any time. First Baptist Church welcomes all people who wish to worship and attend our services, and does not have any type of dress code.

You can watch the entire take down here, but if the good people of Charlestons' Mother Emmanuel AME Church had profiled Dylan Strom Roof instead of welcoming him into the house of the Lord with open arms they might be alive today.

EYE am back.

About those Huntsville Housing Authority #AllLivesMatter to prevent another #Ferguson Summits....

The Butler Terrace public housing development along Governors Drive will host an "All Lives Matter" town hall meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 27. (Eric Schultz | eschultz@al.com)

So, The Executive Director of the Huntsville Housing Authority thought it would be a good idea to host a series of town halls for residents of public housing, the majority of whom are black, to prevent another #Ferguson from happening here.

Lundy said Huntsville police will be on hand to talk about why officers might stop someone for questioning, and how those being questioned are expected to act.

 Translation:   We are going to teach you public housing residents how to be good Negroes.

Lundy said Huntsville Housing Authority employees plan to work with the police department to create a one-page list of "do's" and "don'ts" for teenagers who may encounter an officer.

"We want to it be trt of thing that mothers and aunts and grandmothers can disseminate to their children, and maybe hang on their refrigerator," he told AL.com Monday. "I've had that conversation with my son, but a lot of the youth we serve haven't had that discussion.""We're just trying to de-escalate what could occur."

This is the mentality and behavior that needs to addressed IMHO

South Florida police using photos of people for target practice.  @NBC6 investigation At 6. #humantargets pic.twitter.com/0rhmveYrLQ
— Willard Shepard (@WillardNBC6) January 15, 2015

A Florida National Guard sergeant arrived at the shooting range on a Saturday last month for training and recognized her brother's 15-year-old booking photo among the bullet-riddled targets left behind by North Miami Beach police officers, the station said. 

It doesn't matter how many things black mothers, aunts, and grandmothers hang on their refrigerators and disseminate to their children if police automatically assume they are criminals and are spooked by their very existence. 

And they wonder why we fear the police?

#EricGarner #TrayvonMartin #TamirRice #EmmettTill #JordanDavis #VonderritMyers #MichaelBrown #JohnCrawford  #ICantBreathe

This is what #WhitePrivilege looks like in one picture

 

Huntsville is now fair game for all protesters, anywhere and anytime... Let's call it the Dale Jackson Precedent. #ShutItDownHSV
— Dale Jackson (@TheDaleJackson) December 9, 2014

Mad because Oakwood University students organized a peaceful demonstration because they want to be treated like human beings, local radio host Dale Jackson (pictured above taking a selfie), decided to mock the absurdity of die- protest orchestrated by America’s grievance industry, with a one man protest, enabled by the City of Huntsville, the Huntsville Police Department, the media, and indirectly, Huntsville/Madison County taxpayers.

The right way to protest according to Dale Jackson

“There is a right way to protest and a wrong way to protest. Laying down in the middle of the road is the wrong way and shame on the politicians who are afraid to stand up and tell them ‘no.'”
That is the point Huntsville conservative talk radio personality Dale Jackson says he wanted to get across on Monday when he staged a one-man protest, lying down in the middle of the street blocking traffic on one of Huntsville’s busiest thoroughfares as local residents tried to make their way home from work.
The genesis of Jackson’s idea came when word started to spread on social media that several Huntsville residents were planning a demonstration they had dubbed “Shut it Down Huntsville.” Their plan to was to start in the parking lot of the Oakwood University Church and march up University Drive, “blocking all traffic in protest.”
The protest mirrored many others taking place around the country in the wake of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner deaths and subsequent grand jury decisions.

Let's backup. Their plan was to start in the parking lot of the Oakwood University Church and march up University Drive, “blocking all traffic in protest.” When Dale Jackson got wind of this, he and his posse cranked up a  they don't have a permit whine on social media.

RT @61Webhead: @TheDaleJackson @RedEyesPage did these protesters obtain a permit to block off University Dr? // DJ: Af 4PM? On Friday? No.
— Dale Jackson (@TheDaleJackson) December 5, 2014

The social media whine was picked up by the mainstream media, which resulted in Oakwood students being urged to not break traffic laws by the University President, and the city councilman who represents the district.

Huntsville City Councilman Will Culver said Huntsville police hope to prevent a planned Friday afternoon protest march from spilling into busy University Drive.
Culver, whose council district includes University Drive as well as Oakwood University where the 4:30 p.m. march is starting, said Huntsville Police Chief Lewis Morris has identified "a few areas where people can stand alongside University Drive and peacefully protest."

Did you get that last sentence?  An area was identified where people can stand alongside (not to be confused with in the middle of) University Drive.

 The police had hoped the protestors would be satisfied staging their "die in" - four and a half minutes laying in the road to simulate the four and a half hours Michael Brown's body lay in the street in Ferguson, Mo. - on less busy Wynn Drive.

There's just one hitch, no one could see the die-in  on "less busy Wynn Drive" which kind of defeats the purpose of the protest.

But when protestors asked if they could have four and a half minutes to lie down on University, Police Chief Lewis Morris said yes. Police had the people and equipment in place to stop traffic, it would only take a few minutes, and it would avoid unnecessary confrontation.

Some have made an issue of the protestors not having a permit to do what they did. Morris pointed out that he signs the permits, he was on the scene, and he decided to grant the protestors' request. It wasn't on paper, but it was within his authority to make a spot decision.

Morris could have refused. He could have been indignant and stuck to the letter of the law.
Instead, he was smart, thoughtful and tolerant.

Which goes to show no good deed goes unpunished.  Under the guise of concern for law enforcement,  Dale Jackson forced HPD to provide him with a seven police car escort and block off busy streets during rush hour for a tax payer funded PR stunt.

Oh well, at least he didn't use the official Alabama State Seal on a memo telling democrats to vote the day after the election again.

Note to future protestors, the next time you want to protest, go to city hall and request a permit. They will be more than happy to oblige you.  If not, remind them of the Dale Jackson precedent pictured above.

Snertly sums it up:

While #ShutItDownHSV was performed to draw attention to Ferguson and similar issues, Dale Jackson's stunt is just to draw attention to Dale Jackson.
I'm glad Mr Jackson got his 120 seconds in the lime light, but it's absurd for him to equate laying alone on a public road stroking his ego with a social protest and demonstration involving over a hundred people..

RedEye'sWeekly Rundown 5/9/2014

 

Reminder: Voter Suppression isn't coming, it's already here. 

 Alabama voters now need to have a photo ID to cast a ballot. Not having one could get you turned away at the polls.
Poll workers will get a long list of acceptable options, but if you registered and don’t have any of them, you still have a chance. You can apply for an ID to use for voting purposes only.
You will have to provide some documentation to get the free photo ID used for voting. A birth certificate is the easiest way to do it, though you can sign up without it if you were born in-state.
But don’t you dare register for the card if you have another form of ID, though. If you sign the Voter ID Card application and you already have a photo ID, it’s a class C felony.
So Lynda Hairston with the Voter Registration Office says, ” We want you to be very careful that if you sign it, you do not have one in your possession.”

Former Republican turned Independent, turned Democrat, Charlie Crist tells the truth and shames the Devil.

I’m happy for his soul, but I’m happier that someone had the balls to say what he did about Republican opposition to President Obama. Granted, it’s coming from a calculated politician who understands that he’s not nearly crazy and bigoted enough to be a factor in the Republican Party anymore, but I appreciate it all the same.

School Board Meeting Gone Wild, First Amendment thrown out of the door,  here, there, and everywhere.

Restricting access to school board meetings seems more an "intimidation" of critics than any intimidation critics may pose in recording board actions. And it's against the law.

Caught on Tape:  Did Police handle this properly? (Warning hard to watch)

The video shows the officer tackling Jaquora White, 15, and then handcuffing the girl while she is seizing. Jaquora is then left on the floor for an extended period of time while the officers and school officials attempt to clear the halls. Paramedics were eventually called and Jaquora was taken to the hospital.

Out of the frying pan, into the fire?

When a school system closes public schools and replaces them by funding private organizations like The Pinnacle Schools, the people, the community, and especially the students, lose. The district, the people, lose their ability to oversee and question even extreme examples of child abuse as seen in these pictures.

Why Michelle Obama joining the #BringBackOurGirls Campaign is Ridiculous

Firstly, it was absurd to see Michelle Obama holding up a sign with the #BringBackOurGirls hash tag considering that her husband, as Commander-In-Chief, oversees Seal Team 6, as well as every other elite military unit available in the world’s mightiest army. If Mrs. Obama wants to #BringBackOurGirls, then she need not hold up a sign with a sad faced frown. She should talk to her husband.

 Eye see you.

The DOJ said Huntsville's plan does not integrate the school system enough.
Mayor Battle disagreed, stating the DOJ's plan "actually congregates larger numbers of African-American children and underperforming children in a few schools than the plan offered by the Huntsville School Board".

Peace.

Operating within police policy in black and white

I didn't go looking for this story, it found me during my morning blog stroll on al.com with the headline Woman leads Huntsville Police on slow speed chase around Target Shopping Center, charged with attempted murder (updated).  

Sounds sensational doesn't it?  Well it's not.  Once you get past the headline and go inside the story, HPD was called after reports of a woman driving erratically in the parking lot of the Westside Shopping Center.  According to the al.com report she appeared to ram a police car and attempted to run down a police officer,  shots were fired by the police officer, they missed.  I'm glad the shot fired didn't hit an innocent bystander, but I digress.  

WHNT 19 reports on the Wild Night at Huntsville Shopping Center  click here to watch full raw video, woman rams car officer shoots in Target Parking lot.    The video is about 5 minutes from start to finish.  IMHO it shows a woman making the HPD officers look like the Keystone Cops.  IMHO the only ones in danger of being murdered were the shoppers at the shopping center being hit by a stray bullet, but that's just me.  I report, you decide.

Compare the arrest of the woman in the above incident to that of  of 80 year old William Fraizer(pictured above) who filed an eight million dollar excessive force and brutality claim after his arrest for attempting to elude police.

This is the video of Frazier's arrest narrated by the City Attorney .  Please watch from beginning to end, about 6 minutes.

This is a photo of William Frazer after his arrest.

Allegations of police brutality by concerned citizens were dismissed by the District Attorney's office and the Mayor, who said police operated within policy.

Looks like there are two different policies to me.

What say you?