Shit is shady in Ferguson, Missouri. An
18 year old kid named Michael Brown that was getting set to head to
college was shot and killed in the street by an unnamed police
office. On one side, meaning the public, they say that Brown held his
hands up when confronted by officers and shot down. On the law side
they say that he attacked an officer as he attempted to leave his
vehicle and was shot and killed. You can probably guess who I
believe. New reports say that the cop who shot Brown has been treated
for a swollen face. That's better than being shot, killed, and left
in the street.
Brown's friend, 22 year old Dorian
Johnson, told his account of what happened since the kid killer is
still in hiding. Johnson said the police pulled up and said “Get
the fuck on the sidewalk. Not but a minute away from our destination,
and we would shortly be out of the street. We were so close, almost
inches away, that when he tried to open his door aggressively, the
door ricocheted both off me and Big Mike's body and closed back on
the officer.” He says the cop grabbed Brown by his neck and Brown
tried to get free which, cop or not cop, you grab me by my goddamn
neck we have problems.
Johnson continues stating the cop said
“'I'll shoot you' or 'I'm going to shoot'” and started shooting
immediately. Johnson and Brown tried to get away which for anyone
saying that you shouldn't run from a cop, welcome to the world of
being a Black guy. “I saw the officer proceeding after my friend
Big Mike with his gun drawn, and he fired a second shot and that
struck my friend Big Mike. And at that time, he turned around with
his hands up, beginning to tell the officer that he was unarmed and
to tell him to stop shooting. But at that time, the officer firing
several more shots into my friend, and he hit the ground and died. We
wasn't committing any crime, bringing no harm to nobody, but my
friend was murdered in cold blood.”
The family of Brown has hired the same
lawyer that represented Trayvon Martin's family, Benjamin Crump wants
the St. Louis police to be open and honest. “The police need to be
very transparent and forthright in this investigation. The important
thing is that this is open and transparent enough that people don't
think things are being swept under the rug.” The other lawyer,
Anthony D. Gray stated “I believe St. Louis County lost their
objectivity. There is video footage that the police confiscated. The
police asked one young lady who was a witness for her phone. The
police have what we think is raw footage. We're not here to indict
all police officers. We have strong suspicions on this one.”
I was talking to my friend the other
day and telling her that growing up as a Black guy in Los Angeles
that I am used to police just doing things they shouldn't. It doesn't
just apply to L.A, it goes all across the country and likely the
world. I grew up hating the police and as I get older and see more
and more cases and scenarios like Brown's I realize that a Black
man's life is not worth all that much. I've written before about Five Things I Learned Being Black and what I said about the police
still applies. I still get long stares from police when sitting at
the bus stop or walking down the street and a thought always crosses
my mind.
“Will they find a reason to shoot me
today?”
This is something I should never have
to ask as a human being let alone someone who has absolutely no
criminal history. When I see police I don't sigh and smile feeling
safe that they're patrolling the city. I honestly wait for them to
fuck with me. I know for a fact that I'm not the only Black dude that
feels this way. The people of Ferguson have been protesting as well
as rioting. I'm not one to advocate any rioting, especially since
innocent people are being hurt and burning down your own neighborhood
solves nothing, but goddamn. People are losing their minds over this.
Well, not everyone. More people are worried about Robin Williams
killing himself. Not judging. Just sayin'.
There is nothing like the feeling of
knowing that not only is society afraid of you because of the color
of your skin, but the men and women that are paid to serve and
protect the public use you as target practice. Even when these
stories fade away from the news, which they always do, where these
people live will never be the same. A family had their son murdered
in the street while walking with his friend. A city that already had
problems with the law is getting worse. At a certain point you get
tired of talking, protesting, marching, sit-ins, praying, and just
plain old hoping things will get better. Eventually you get get fed
up with being treated worse than an animal and the only thing you can
do to get attention and what you want is violence.
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