While You Were Sleeping: Gabriel Taye Suicide

Ugh. I have been putting this one out just because it made me miserable to know. This is about a kid named Gabriel Taye that was bullied in school. Unlike a lot of other stories where a kid is bullied and brings a gun from home to school and kills folks this 8 year old ended up hanging himself at home. Of course none of the people that should take any form of responsibility for this has or will. A couple of days before he killed himself he was attacked by another student at school. There is video of this if you wanted to know. This other kid, that should be in some kinda juvenile center if you ask me, shoved Taye into a wall knocking him unconscious.

While he was laying on the ground for about five minutes other kids came by and nudged him, laughed, and even a school official who was right by him didn't notice him on the ground. The school didn't tell his mother, Cornelia Reynolds, that he was attacked of knocked unconscious at school. They just said that he fainted. The case is reopening because after he had killed himself it was treated as very open and shut. The county coroner, Lakshmi Sammarco, requested that the police open this case back up and implied that it could be a homicide. “There's enough information here that we would like to reopen the case to look at whether we need to amend the death certificate. It was very hard for me to believe that an 8-year-old would even know what it means to commit suicide and so I asked Cincinnati police to treat this as a homicide until proven otherwise and investigate it fully.”

While You Were Sleeping: Jordan Edwards Shooting

Whenever there is any shooting of a Black person by police the first thing that is done is digging. Media outlets and bloggers who side with the police regardless of any information that has or has not been released will begin to see if their “side” is going to win another fight. Its stupid and never something I understand. People do the same thing with politics, religion, and their race. They want to know if someone who is now dead ever committed a crime, hit a woman, or owned a gun to justify why they are no longer breathing. Jordan Edwards is a 15 year old kid that was shot and killed by Officer Roy Oliver last Saturday in Balch Springs, Texas.

While You Were Sleeping: Officer Caesar Goodson Jr. Trial

You all remember Freddie Gray right? I know that he could easily be lost in the amount of Black men and women being killed by police or in their custody particularly the last few years. He was the one given the “rough ride” and died in custody last year. One of the officers that was given the largest amount of charges was officer Caesar Goodson Jr. One charge was second-degree depraved heart murder which I'd never heard of an had to look up. It states that it is “the form of murder that establishes that the willful doing of a dangerous and reckless act with wanton indifference to the consequences and perils involved, is just as blameworthy, and just as worthy of punishment, when the harmful result ensues, as is the express intent to kill itself. This highly blameworthy state of mind is not one of mere negligence. It is not merely one even of gross criminal negligence.”

While You Were Sleeping: Rapist Brock Allen Turner

I heard about this case a few days ago and wanted to wait for more information to come out. So far its been nothing but more bullshit proving that some humans are just terrible people that do not deserve to be alive. Brock Allen Turner who was born on August 1st 1995 was convicted for sexually assaulting a 22 year old woman behind a dumpster while she was unconscious before being found by two Swedish guys that caught him, one asking him “Why are you smiling?” as he tried to escape. This took place at the Stanford campus. In March he was convicted of three felony sexual assault charges and sentenced to 6 months in jail and three years probation but will actually spend about three months inside if he behaves himself. That is a far cry from the six years that were being asked for.

Turner, his father Dan Turner, and the victim have all released various statements regarding what occurred that night. I'll start with this piece of fucking shit Brock. Seriously, after posting what everyone said I'll comment on this guy, his father, the victim, and the way I feel about humanity regarding all of this. I'll be editing a lot of their content but if you want to read any of it in its entirety it is available online.

Brock Turner: “The night of January 17th changed my life and the lives of everyone involved forever. I can never go back to being the person I was before that day. I am no longer a swimmer, a student, a resident of California, or the product of the work that I put in to accomplish the goals that I set out in the first nineteen years of my life. Not only have I altered my life, but I've also changed [redacted] and her family's life. I am the sole proprietor of what happened on the night that these people's lives were changed forever. I would give anything to change what happened that night. I can never forgive myself for imposing trauma and pain on [redacted].

While You Were Sleeping: Symone Marshall Arrest And Death

I heard about this story last week and have been waiting for more details to emerge before writing about it. That is what I do sometimes. I pretend that I am an actual writer and wait for results and more information before slapping on a social justice warrior hat and protesting wrong doings. This is about a 22 year old mother that died while in police custody. She happens to be Black which made people immediately think of Sandra Bland before getting any more details about it. “Don't need details. They're both Black!” I need details. I'm that guy which is why my hair used to fall out from stress. There is always more in my way of thinking.

Symone Marshall moved to Texas from Detroit a few months ago. She and a friend, Amanda Arnold, got into an accident saying they were run off the road causing their car to flip three times. Police arrived and they found cocaine in the vehicle and say that Marshall gave them a fake name. They both refused medical attention and showed no obvious signs of being injured. They were both arrested for the drug charge with Marshall having false identification added. Amanda was released the next day after posting bond but Marshall couldn't post the $5,000. Two weeks later she had a seizure in her cell. This is all on video unlike the Bland case. She was pronounced dead later at a hospital.

While You Were Sleeping: Trinity Carr Charged With Homicide

A few weeks back I wrote about the 16 year old student, Amy Joyner-Francis (click here for that), that was beaten to death in a school bathroom at Howard High School of Technology in Delaware while it was watched and recorded by other students. Now three female students have been charged with her death. Trinity Carr, also 16 has been charged with criminally negligent homicide while Zion Snow and Chakeira Wright have been charged with third-degree criminal conspiracy.

The attorney general Matt Denn has said that he plans to have Trinity charged as an adult which I totally agree with. The Department of Justice stated “The individuals responsible for Amy Joyner-Francis's death are minors, but they must be held accountable for their actions. DOJ's goal in making a charging decision was to ensure that those persons responsible for Amy's death are held responsible to the maximum degree permissible by Delaware law.”

Amy's caused of death has been listed as “sudden cardiac death due to large atrial septal defect” which is a hole in the wall that separates the two chambers of the heart as well as saying that a factor that contributed was “physical and emotional stress due to physical assault.” It is being said that the actual assault did not kill her, but her preexisting heart condition did but that if she was not assaulted she would not have died. This is another reason why you don't go around attacking people.

While You Were Sleeping: Student Beaten To Death In School

There is this story that I was made aware of because of the hashtag #RIPAmy. A 16 year old student from Delaware named Amy Inita Joyner-Francis died after being jumped in a school bathroom yesterday morning at Howard High University. It is being reported by media that her friends say that people stood around watching as she was attacked and recorded it on their phones instead of helping her. The ridiculousness of that statement is something I'll get around to discussing in a little bit. 

Wilmington mayor Denis Williams said at a press conference “I'm so upset that the young lady lost her life today. Things like this shouldn't happen. My heart bleeds for the family, the kids that go to this school, administrators and our city.” Amy was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.

Police have begun interviewing students and possible suspects. One witness said “She was fighting a girl, and then that's when all these other girls started banking her, like jumping her, and she hit her head on the sink.” It is also said that a full time police officer is stationed at this school. So far this story is surprising to many because it consisted of nothing but girls, no one stepped in to help, and a police officer was on location when this murder took place.

While You Were Sleeping: Michael Slager Released

It is almost a year to the day I wrote about police officer Michael Slager shooting and killing 50 year old Walter Scott (click here to read it) after Scott slapped a Taser from Slager's hands and ran away. He was shot eight times and left to die on the ground as someone recorded the entire thing. I decided to see what has happened with this case since then. I assumed that Slager was sentenced or already just getting used to life inside of a cage for the rest of his life for murdering another human.

Turns out I was wrong.

He's been free on bond since January of this year. Slager was denied bond back in September but the judge changed his mind since the trial isn't set until October of this year because the state is busy planning the Dylann Roof trial. He's the kid that shot and killed nine people at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Slager will not be allowed to leave his home except for court visits, the doctor, church and to see his attorneys who argued that it would be wrong to keep him in jail any longer because the food contained gluten and affected his celiac disease.

While You Were Sleeping: Jason Spears Shooting

I said it in my last While You Were Sleeping and I'll say it again: you can't just hashtag things and get upset when young Black men are killed by just the police. 12 year old Jason Spears of San Bernardino (on the right) was shot and killed while his 14 year old cousin Terrance Spears was wounded last Sunday night. Jason's aunt had to point out that the boys were not gang affiliated. “We sit at our house. We talk to our neighbors. That's it. Now my sister has to bury her 12-year-old son. For what? Because he went to the store to get some chips?”

At 10pm a dark colored SUV opened fire on the boys. Police are checking all available cameras to get a lead on the shooter. After being shot the boys managed to run to a nearby store. Jason died while Terrance called for help inside the store. Elsa Castro (sometimes listed as Elisa) that was at the store at the time said “I seen the other little boy go inside limping because he was shot in the leg and the other one collapsed right here on his jaw. I turned him over and was telling him, 'Please baby boy, breathe' I just don't understand why they would do this.”

Another issue that is coming out in the wake of this shooting is the response time of law enforcement. Paramedics and firemen are stationed less than 200 feet where the boys were shot but they had to wait about eight minutes for police to arrive which means that was eight minutes the boys were hurt and dying while having no help. I know it sounds crazy, because it is and isn't at once, but during violent crimes you have to wait until police arrive. A lieutenant also pointed out that the fact that there was a shift change during the time of the shooting may have led to a smaller response time. Good information to put out there for criminals. There were also cutbacks a few years ago and their budget was slashed in half.

While You Were Sleeping: Jamal Gaines

On February 26th Jamal Gaines was shot and killed at a store he owned and ran called East Coast Kickz in Rahway, New Jersey. It bugs me that I didn't hear about this. I didn't know the kid or anything but even though I avoid the news things like Black guys being shot and killed usually make it into my news feeds online somehow. Sadly if its by the hands of police, not each other.

A bit after the store was closed two armed men posing as police officers entered holding guns. Tina Wilson, Gaines' mother, described it as such. “The guy pushed his arm and put the gun to his head, so my son threw a drink on the guy with the gun and ran toward him, and the second guy shot him.” The then ran through an alley and escaped. She also said that someone had been threatening him and his sister. The store will remain open.

While You Were Sleeping: McKayla Dyer

There was a school shooting last week and another one in Arizona this morning that is still developing. Meanwhile an 8 year old girl named McKayla Dyer was shot and killed by an 11 year old at a trailer park in White Pine, Tennessee and no one mentioned it. Back in the day a young, White kid being killed would dominate the news but in todays world it barely makes headlines. Its not sensational enough. Not enough blood. Not the right race to get attention. No cops involved. Just a kid killed. Its sad but true.

The 11 year old shooters name is not being released due to his age but he may be tried as an adult. It is being said that the boy shot McKayla because she would not let him see her puppy. He got his fathers shotgun and shot her in the chest. Her sister witnessed this. When police arrived she was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The boy and his family were taken to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office to be interviewed. The father asked for a lawyer to be present during the process.

While You Were Sleeping: Kalief Browder Suicide

Last week 23 year old Kalief Browder of New York committed suicide after mental issues caused by his time spent in solitary confinement. Honestly, I had never heard of this guy or his story. I'd heard some like it but not his in particular. When he was 16 years old he was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. He never stood trial and was never found guilty but he was sent to Rikers Island for three years. His family could not afford the $10,000 in bail (some say it was $3,000) so he stayed in prison for three years.

He was beaten by the police, other inmates and while there (which there was footage of) Browder spent over 400 days in solitary confinement. He tried to kill himself a few times while there.In 2014 Mayor Bill de Blasio used Browder's case as an example of the broken system and declared that they would clear backlogs in courts and reduce the amount of inmates. After being released Browder earned his GED and started going to community college but still had trouble living a normal life.

While You Were Sleeping: Francis Pusok Beating

A man was recently given a beating by San Bernadino police that is usually reserved for child molesters, cop killers, and Black men. After downing the suspect, 30 year old Francis Pusok, police kneed, punched, and kicked him over 50 times while he lay on the ground. Most people have gone their entire lives without being hit that many times. Pusok got it in a minute. Punched your hand 50 times and see how tedious it is. While watching the video the first thing I noticed was the coldness of the reporter as she lets everyone know that she doesn't care about any cops that are hurt because this guy is on a horse. After the police start beating the hell out of this guy she goes silent and you just watch a guy being destroyed on live television.

Pusok was originally being pursued after a search warrant for identity death. They had a warrant and he left in a car. While being chased through Apple Valley he got out of the car and started running on foot. Someone called to say that someone stole their horse and police chased him on foot while he got away on the horse. You gotta hear the press conference where they make the cops sound like heroes for getting tired and dehydrated while chasing Pusok. Two cops were hurt. One by the horse and the other with back pains and cuts.

While You Were Sleeping: Walter Lamar Scott Murder

Warning: this contains an image of a dying man. Nothing gory. But its there. One of the problems with actively not watching the news is that you miss out on important news like the fact that Black guys are still being hunted down by police. Before I begin please allow me to reiterate that body cameras do not stop people from being killed, beaten, or attacked. They just allow us to see it happen. The most recent case of someone being shot and killed when it really didn't need to happen is the killing of 50 year old Walter Lamar Scott by 33 year old officer Michael Slager last Saturday in South Carolina.

A passerby recorded what happened right before the shooting and its aftermath. Scott was pulled over for a broken tail light, a slight scuffle ensued, something flew to the ground, and Slager shot at Scott hitting him eight times as he ran. Did Scott try to grab his gun (the go to response for killing nowadays)? Did Scott punch him repeatedly while they wrestled on the ground? Did Scott himself have a gun or reach for one? The answer to all of these is “No.” Scott slapped a Taser from Slager and got pumped with bullets until he collapsed on the ground and died.

While You Were Sleeping: Anthony Hill Shooting

There have been a lot of shootings in the news. Not the kind we're very much used to involving criminals killing innocent people or each other, but police killing citizens. For the last two years this seems to have increased quite a bit and since a lot of the guys being killed are my race it doesn't make me feel all that comfortable around the police. One of the latest that occurred was the third in five days involving a 27 year old Air Force veteran in Atlanta, Georgia named Anthony Hill who was shot and killed by an officer while nude in broad daylight.

Hill wanted to be a musician and had spoken of his mental illness in various tweets and on his Facebook. Some of what he wrote was “I am thankful to be something other than normal. I dont fight my circumstance, I embrace it. I love myself. Always #IamBipolar” as well as “The media continues to paint the same horrific picture of mentally affected people but I have to tell you, there are so many shades in between the extremes.” One of his last messages said “The key think to remember is, #blacklivesmatter, ABSOLUTELY, but not moreso than any other life.”

While You Were Sleeping: #IAmJada

There is a 16 year old girl named Jada of Houston, Texas. She went to a party with her friend where she was offered a drink. After consuming it she passed out and missed the rest of the party. She had no idea what happened during this time until the photos started appearing. The pictures featured her half naked and passed out on the floor after being sexually assaulted. These weren't pictures being used to report the crime, but to mock her with the hashtag #jadapose.

Many people started posting themselves online doing this pose and thinking that it was funny. Back in July Jada finally came out and spoke for herself saying “There's no point in hiding. Everybody has already seen my face and my body, but that's not what I am and who I am.”

While You Were Sleeping: Tamir Rice Shooting

There was another shooting and death of a young Black a few weeks ago. For some reason this one didn't get as much attention as others. 12 year old Tamir Rice was shot and killed in Cleveland, Ohio by a cop. This is all on video so I think people need to stop asking for cameras on police thinking it is gonna stop them from killing people. Eric Garner was choked and died on crystal clear footage in broad daylight by New York police and that guy wasn't even indicted.

That's for another post. Back to this story.

Officer Timothy Loehmann, who is 26 years old, responded to a call of someone with a gun. This is all on tape. He showed up, the kid reached for his fake gun, and was shot and killed. When seeing the video I said to myself two things. “Wow! That cop didn't wait for his car to stop moving!” and “Why the hell was that kid waving a fake gun around?!”

While You Were Sleeping: Daniel Handler Insult

I barely heard about this story and am surprised that it didn't make more news. That is why I write this nonsense. An author of children books aimed at Black children Jacqueline Woodson received a National Book Award for her book Brown Girl Dreaming. After accepting the award author Daniel Handler who is best known for his Lemony Snicket novels got up to tell what he thought would be a funny joke.

Now, before I get to what he said I need to just say this to you, the reader, and I want you to share this information with your friends: read the room. You can't just say whatever comes to mind or whatever you think is funny and expect everyone to agree with you.

While You Were Sleeping: Ezell Ford Shooting

“I do not know what Ezell Ford is but I will look it up. ”

That is how I learned that a week ago a 25 year old Black male by the name of Ezell Ford was killed by the LAPD while chatting with Andrew Kishino. Before I begin let me explain why I called this While You Were Sleeping.

I started the What People Care About This Week as a response to someone who told me that all I write about is gossip (they obviously don't know that I write for 9 separate blogs ranging from food to art) and to sarcastically and seriously point out what was big in the news for the week but would be replaced with something else and the other being forgotten. Remember when the Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson was a big deal? This is going to be about the things that not only I missed, but are not being talked about.

While You Were Sleeping will be about what was swept under the rug, not reported because it wasn't sensational enough, or overshadowed by Nicki Minaj's lack of talent or Miley Cyrus having her ass wiped with a Mexican flag.