Constitutional Vanguard: Other Police Shootings of Unarmed Black People in 2019 from the Washington Post Database: No. 5: The Crimes: Michael Dean, Atatiana Jefferson
I have sent paid subscribers the final installment of my newsletter series documenting 2019 police shootings of unarmed black people. This one deals with two cases where the police were charged with crimes. I also summarize what we have learned over the course of the series.
By my count, at least nine of the 12 people unarmed black people shot and killed in 2019 by police were noncompliant. At least three of the shootings were clearly justified, with almost no question. Facts are disputed to some extent in most of the other cases, but there is a pretty solid argument that another four were justified, with no clear evidence to the contrary. Another three were justified if you believe the cops, or unjustified if you believe the decedent’s family. Finally, two of the cases resulted in criminal charges against police.
That’s all the shootings of unarmed black people for an entire (recent) year.
My biggest takeaway from this is: comply with the police and you will almost always be OK. The cases where people were not compliant, they had no justification not to do exactly what police said.
Details in the newsletter and in the four entries preceding it. Today’s entry also has a hint of what is coming next. Read it here. Subscribe here.
The officer has been charged with murder.
….
It strikes me as a horrific misunderstanding and terrible police tactics, but I’d have to hear more to convince me that murder charges are appropriate. We’ll see if a Fort Worth jury agrees.
A gift to the cop. His lawyer sure as cowboys have saddle sores isn’t going to ask for a jury instruction on lesser includeds. The jury won’t find murder, and the cop will walk.
nk (1d9030) — 6/27/2021 @ 6:19 pmRegarding the Temple, Texas shooting:
Yes, yes, I know it’s Texas, I said it above, didn’t I? I still hear it ring as hollow as a lead peso. They must have heard of pixilation even in the little out-of-the-way places halfway between Dallas and Austin.
nk (1d9030) — 6/27/2021 @ 6:43 pm