Deaths and Injuries in Police Custody

[Kätzchen]

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

I believe I posted something pages ago but her story is very important. She did nothing wrong and should never have been arrested. The video of her arrest is the only reason any justice can be achieved in her death.

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Andrea

Grand jury decides against indictments in Sandra Bland case

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/21/us/sandra-bland-no-indictments/index.html

A grand jury in the case of Sandra Bland has decided not to return any indictments, according to Darrell Jordan, a special prosecutor handling the case.

Bland, an African-American woman, was found dead in her cell three days after she was arrested for allegedly failing to use her turn signal on July 10. She was 28.

Officials in Waller County, Texas, have said she hanged herself with a plastic bag. Her family and others have questioned that account.

Her case attracted widespread attention amid national discussions about excessive force and the role of race in policing.

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Andrea, have you already posted about Sandra Bland? I just came across a news story about her. Apparently the Texas Dept. Of Public Safety has fired the Texas State Trooper who wrongfully arrested Sandra. Video evidence captured showed that the opposite was true: That the officer escalated the event and he physically assaulted Sandra, then wrongfully arrested her. Sandra died in jail for something she didn't do. : (

https://photographyisnotacrime.com/2...-traffic-stop/

Kätzchen, I did not know that they fired the Trooper that arrested and assaulted her. Everything about that traffic stop was wrong and that it ultimately resulted in her death (as so many others have) is a tragedy.

[Andrea]

Ala. Officer Charged With Murder in Death of Unarmed Black Man

http://www.theroot.com/articles/news/2016/03/ala_officer_charged_with_murder_in_death_of_unarme d_black_man.html


Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey charged Montgomery, Ala., Police Officer Aaron Smith with murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man outside his mother’s house.

“I will do everything in my power to protect a police officer who is operating within the law,” Bailey said Wednesday, CBS News reports. “I will also use every ounce of my power to prosecute a police officer who is acting outside of the law.”

Bailey added that Smith, 23, was in custody, with bond set at $150,000.

On Feb. 25 around 3:20 a.m., 58-year-old Greg Gunn was walking to his mother’s house, where he lived, after playing cards at a neighbor’s home. Officer Smith stopped Gunn, reportedly for looking “suspicious.” Within minutes, Smith had shot Gunn dead.

“I want to be crystal clear that the arrest that is being made today is in no way an indictment on the Montgomery Police Department,” Bailey said. “In fact, 99.9 percent of the Montgomery police officers do an exceptional job on a daily basis protecting us and our community. They are, in fact, the thin blue line between order and chaos.”

Civil rights activist Jamel Brown told WAKA that black men can’t be afraid to walk in their own neighborhoods without feeling threatened by police.

“You were telling 17-, 18-, and 15-year-old black boys that they can’t walk in their neighborhood at three and four o’clock in the morning without having to be charged with a looks suspicious,” he said. “No, we’ve got to change that type of dominion—we want to bridge the gap between the police agency and the black community in Montgomery.”

[*Anya*]

Julie Wolfe and Ryan Kruger , WMAZ 8:59 AM. EST March 11, 2016

ATLANTA -- Days before he died, Chase Sherman was in his brother's wedding. Laughing, joking, loving the sea and making a living boating. Even as his family made their way through customs on the return trip from the Dominican Republic, he joked about his passport photo with the customs agent. Hours later, he was in the throes of a mental breakdown. He thought he was being kidnapped by his own parents. And then, he was dead.

"His parents did what everybody is supposed to do, you call 911, because 911 brings help. But in the case of Chase, 911 brought death," attorney L. Chris Stewart said.

Chase's parents stood beside the attorney, calling for charged to be filed against the Coweta County deputies involved in the confrontation

In November 2015, less than a month before his 33rd birthday, as they were traveling home, Chase told his mother he had taken Spice earlier, but not on the trip.

Spice, also known as K2, synthetic marijuana, and potpourri, was officially banned by the DEA as a Class I drug in 2013. Incidents of extreme agitation, psychotic episodes, hallucinations, and even heart attacks have been documented in users.

After going through customs at Hartsfield-Jackson airport, Chase's parents say he became agitated and did not want to get back on the plane to continue their trip home to Destin, Florida. Instead, the family decided to rent a car and drive. Worried about his condition, they called 911 in Atlanta. Atlanta police responded to the call, and according to the family "they were a great help." They helped calm him down, spoke with his parents about the plan to get home, and helped them to the car.

As the family was driving home and passing through Coweta County, Chase had another episode. Kevin Sherman told his wife Mary Ann to call 911. "It was a terrible scene," Kevin said. "He told the 911 operator he didn't know anybody in the car, he was being kidnapped, help him."

"They got one handcuff on, then tased him again, and got the other handcuff on," Mary Ann said. "I told them, 'Don't shoot him!' At that time, they told us to get out of the car."

"Homicide," Attorney Stewart said. "And those aren't my words, these are the official words of the death certificate." A copy of that death certificate provided to 11Alive News by the Sherman family listed the cause of death as, "sudden death during an altercation with law enforcement with several trigger pulls of an electronic control device, prone positioning on the floor of a motor vehicle and compression of the torso by the body weight if another individual."

The family says the real blow came after Chase stopped breathing. They say the EMT on scene did little to help "just 20 chest compressions, or so", and then the deputies high-fived each other in front of his parents. "Like he was a trophy they got off the street," Kevin said.

"They both told me they had to protect themselves, I mean, what were they protecting themselves from? He was already handcuffed. He was unarmed. What did they have to protect themselves from?" Mary Ann asked.

"Is this how we treat those who are having a mental breakdown? Is this how we treat those that are mentally ill?" their attorney asked.

The GBI told 11Alive's Ryan Kruger their investigation is complete and has been turned over to the Coweta County D.A. 11Alive has contacted the Coweta County Sheriff's Office for a comment, but have not yet heard back. Sheriff Mike Yeager has previously publicly stated the deputies were acting to defend themselves.

http://www.13wmaz.com/news/family-at...fived/77499428

[Andrea]

No Charges For Cop Who Killed Unarmed Black Man Despite Grand Jury Recommendation

http://filmthecops.news/news/no-charges-cop-killed-unarmed-black-man-despite-grand-jury-recommendation/

This week, DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James declined to press any charges against Avondale Estates Police Sgt. Lynn Thomas for fatally shooting unarmed Jayvis Benjamin, despite the recommendation of a grand jury.

The fatal shooting occurred on January 18, 2013, after Benjamin, a 20-year-old college student with no criminal record, was involved in a car crash. As can be seen in the dashcam video below, Benjamin exited the car with his hands up and walked away from Thomas before the fatal shooting later occurred, off camera.

Benjamin’s family and community called for Thomas to be criminally charged almost immediately after the incident. However, District Attorney James failed to take any action for a full two years. By comparison, the arduously long investigation into the fatal police shooting of Laquan MacDonald in Chicago, which received nationwide criticism, lasted approximately 400 days.

After 800 days, James finally took action, but he took the highly unusual action of convening a “civil grand jury” to review Benjamin’s case, as well as six other police-involved shootings. The civil grand jury was charged with deciding which cases, if any, should be recommended to a criminal grand jury, to face criminal charges.

Of the seven police-involved shootings, the civil grand jury recommended only one case be heard by a criminal grand jury: Benjamin’s. According to James, the civil grand jury “strongly recommended the case move forward for indictment.”

Benjamin’s family expressed vindication that a grand jury agreed with them that the officer’s actions leading to the death of their loved one were criminal. And in May of last year, James confirmed that he would convene a criminal grand jury in the case.

Another 10 full months went by without James taking any action, and his inaction began to garner nationwide attention.

Now, James has reneged on his promise to convene a criminal grand jury, going against the findings of the civil grand jury, and has closed the case. Barring a federal investigation, Officer Lynn will never face criminal charges for the fatal shooting of unarmed, 20-year-old Jayvis Benjamin.

Officer Lynn continues to be on active duty with the Avondale Estates police department.

[*Anya*]

FWPD investigating video showing officer allegedly spraying bikers

Lauren Zakalik, WFAA 7:02 PM. CDT March 14, 2016

FORT WORTH -- A Facebook video apparently depicting a Fort Worth officer spraying pepper spray into a group of oncoming motorcyclists has received more than 200,000 views in 15 hours.

Fort Worth police confirmed Monday morning they started investigating the video as soon as they received it. FWPD Corporal Tracey Knight says macing drivers is not a department-endorsed tactic.

News 8 spoke Monday to Jack Kinney, the man who recorded the video with his helmet camera, and Chase Stone, who edited the video and posted it to Facebook.

They say a group of about 200 motorcyclists were traveling up northbound U.S. 287 in Fort Worth Sunday afternoon when a Fort Worth police officer pulled over one of the motorcycle group's "safety vehicles," which is a vehicle that follows behind bikers in case of an incident.

In the edited video, which slows down and zooms in at one point, so viewers can see more clearly, the officer appears to spray something directly into oncoming traffic as he exits his vehicle. The bikers say it was pepper spray. "It's the last thing I would expect to see," Kinney said.

"His intent was to hit the bikers for sure, there’s no doubt about it," Stone says. The men spoke to News 8 via Skype from Longview, Texas, where they live.

"His intent was to send somebody down, if not to cause a major accident with that spray," Stone said.

As the story spread online Monday, viewers shared pictures and videos with us. Two videos show bikers driving "foolishly," the viewer said, on another area highway, poping wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic. Fort Worth police say they had multiple calls about reckless motorcycle drivers on area highways, including 287.

We asked Stone and Kinney if it was possible the officer felt threatened. "If you're worried about safety, why would you pepper spray a large group of bikers like that?" Kinney said.

They say nothing justifies spraying blinding material into traffic. They say people could've died. "When you put other people’s life in danger, it's just uncalled for," Stone said.

Late Monday afternoon, Fort Worth police announced the officer in the video has been taken off patrol and put on administrative duties until the culmination of the investigation. The officer is a six-year veteran with the force.

Police also say three of the people in the truck the officer pulled over were cited; the driver, for not having a license, and two others, for riding in the bed of a pickup truck.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/tarra...ikers/82200692