St. Louis Officers Face Charges for Alleged Kidnapping and Beating of Man
Prosecuting attorney proceeds with charges against two St. Louis officers in the Fourth of July assault, prompting suspension and criminal prosecution. We discuss it here!
St. Louis Metropolitan Police
By: Adonis Armstrong
A prosecuting attorney is moving forward with charges against two St. Louis officers in connection with the assault on a man that occurred on the Fourth of July.
Today, July 19th, The Associated Press reported that a second policeman from a suburban St. Louis department is facing charges following the arrest of his fellow officer on Monday, July 17th. Both officers, Michael Hill, 51, and Samuel Davis, 26, have been accused of participating in the kidnapping and assault of an unidentified man earlier this month.
As per St. Louis County police, on the day of the incident, Davis handcuffed a man and turned off his body camera. Subsequently, the 26-year-old officer allegedly drove the individual to a secluded location where he reportedly pepper-sprayed and beat the man with a baton, resulting in a broken jaw and other severe injuries. Additionally, Davis warned the man not to return to Northwoods. The victim was later discovered by a witness, who promptly called 911 for assistance.
“These actions put a black eye on all law enforcement officers who are doing their jobs the right way and who are tired of their profession being dragged through the mud because of the bad actions of a few,” St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, Wesley Bell, had previously stated.
Davis was issued an arrest warrant, and he was extradited from North Carolina to St. Louis earlier this week. According to a probable cause statement, Hill, who served as Davis' supervising officer, was present during the victim's detention at a Walgreens store. Allegedly, Hill conveyed to a store employee "what would happen to the victim." Both officers failed to inform the dispatcher about the suspect's custody or file a report. Additionally, like Davis, Hill also did not activate his body camera footage, as stated in the document. “There is no excuse for this criminal conduct, and my office will prosecute these officers to the fullest extent of the law,” Bell stated. Hill and Davis have been suspended as the investigation plays out.
Northwoods police officer accused of kidnapping, beating and pepper spraying man
It is sickening to witness incidents where police officers engage in misconduct and abuse their power. While it is important to remember that not all police officers behave this way, cases like the assault involving the St. Louis officers raise questions about their motivations. Instances of police officers believing they are above the law are deeply concerning and undermine public trust in law enforcement. It is crucial for police departments to prioritize accountability, training, and community-oriented policing to ensure that officers uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and respect for all individuals. Efforts should be made to foster a culture of integrity and empathy within police departments to prevent such incidents.
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Has America Seen A Shift Since The Death Of George Floyd?
The past year has seen a number of cultural, political and social shifts, as the death of George Floyd woke many people up to the way in which injustice is not some past notion, native to the Jim Crow era. We discuss some of the changes that have taken place in the U.S. since!
A mural of George Floyd in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
By: Cory Utsey
May 25 marked one year since George Floyd’s life was stolen by ex-officer Derek Chauvin.
Many people throughout the country honored his life by way of memorial events and marches, as members of Floyd’s family met up with the president, vice president and other lawmakers.
George Floyd family speaks after his death
The past year has seen a number of cultural, political and social shifts, as the death of George Floyd woke many people up to the way in which injustice is not some past notion, native to the Jim Crow era-- it has a strong, invasive presence in the modern world.
Much has changed, and much has remained the same, but below we will discuss some of the things that have taken place in the United States since May 25 of 2020.
1. Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder.
Chauvin’s case, which lasted almost one full month, resulted in him being found guilty of the following three charges: second-degree manslaughter, second-degree unintentional murder and third-degree murder. The charges collectively add up to approximately 75 years in prison, with the second-degree murder charge holding a maximum of 40 years alone. The other three former officers who were present at the scene (J. Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane) were brought up on federal charges and are still awaiting trial.
2. Congress passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
This bill was initially set to reach President Biden’s desk by the one-year mark of George Floyd’s death, and that date has now passed. Nevertheless, the bill was introduced by Representative Karen Bass last June and it was passed by Congress that same month. It ultimately addresses a number of policies that relate to police reform and accountability, such as the creation of the National Police Misconduct Registry, which would collect data on police misconduct and require updated reporting requirements. Skeptics of the bill believe that it is well-intended, yet are unsure if it would actually be implemented in a manner that brings about true, tangible change.
3. “Defund” and “abolish” are now a part of many people’s vocabulary.
Police brutality, along with the idea that the police need to be defunded or abolished are nothing new; Black activists have long covered these sorts of topics. However, the death of Geroge Floyd, along with many other police-involved deaths that have taken place, have caused many to question the function, competency and “reformability” of a police system that has long abused Black and brown people. The phrases “Defund The Police” and “Abolish The Police” were often chanted and written across poster boards during the protests that took place last summer. Although the idea of defunding or abolishing the police is quite controversial, many have proposed that much of the money used to fund police departments would be better used if it were reallocated to address other issues, such as mental health.
4. Everyone wants to appear “woke”.
Companies and people alike are now doing more to appear “woke”, meaning that they want to appear as though they are concerned with social justice and racism. “Black Lives Matter” now sits in the bios of various influencers. Companies continuously release commercials that address racism. Even in animated television, non-Black voice actors have stepped down from their roles of voicing Black characters. Many people cite these changes as performative, but they have become quite common nevertheless.
For many people, a lot of the social, political and cultural shifts seen in the United States have been ingenuine; many feel as though different sectors of society have adapted the belief that “Black Lives Matter” as a way of avoiding cancellation, as a way of pandering to the Black community, or as a mixture of both.
Even so, it is undeniable that the death of George Floyd has changed the way that many people view race and race relations in the United States, as these tensions and injustices have long existed. But it is also undeniable that it should not take the loss of someone’s life for people to be willing to listen.
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Daunte Wright And George Floyd Were Connected and Both Deserved Better
Two men, two fathers, two human beings whose lives were stolen in a similar manner, shared a common connection. George Floyd and Daunte Wright deserved better! We discuss it here!
By: Cory Utsey
Sunday, April 11 marked the end of another Black man’s life.
Daunte Wright was murdered by ex-officer Kim Potter, who is now being charged with second-degree manslaughter, during a traffic stop after she allegedly mistook her taser for her gun. He was only 20 years old.
This senseless act, which took place in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, is less than 15 miles from where George Floyd was murdered in May of 2020, but the interconnected nature of these two men extends past location and even past police brutality.
George Floyd’s girlfriend Courteney Ross was a former teacher of Daunte Wright.
Two men, two fathers, two human beings whose lives were stolen in a similar manner, one of which took place amidst the trial against the murderer of the other.
The connection between Floyd and Wright is eerily reminiscent of the ties between US Army 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario-- who was pepper sprayed and thrown to the ground by two Virginia police officers in December-- and his uncle Eric Garner, who was killed by police in 2014.
Even further back in time lies the connection of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was lynched in 1955 Mississippi, and Fred Hampton, a prominent figure of the Black Panther party who was killed by the FBI in 1969 at the age of 21. Hampton’s mother babysat Till in his adolescence.
Nevertheless, the lives of Black people remain intertwined in violence and trauma that is inflicted by racist police, and reinforced by a system that values property more than Black lives. In the wake of Wright’s death, protestors have been met with curfews and the presence of the Minnesota National Guard; this response is much different than that of the storming of the Capitol, for instance, where actual agitators were given much more leeway.
The fact of the matter is, Daunte Wright deserved better.
He was ultimately stopped because of expired license plates and for hanging an air freshener in his mirror. However, even if he was doing something “wrong”, guilt should not breed a death sentence.
George Floyd deserved better. It should not matter whether or not he potentially ingested carbon monoxide, or even if he had drugs in his system-- no one should have their neck knelt on for over eight minutes.
Emmett Till deserved better. Breonna Taylor deserved better.
Adam Toledo, the 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed by Chicago police in late March, deserved better, and so do the many others whose lives have been stolen.
Police brutality, gun violence, and the overall abuse of power should not be normalized, neither should negligent justice be expected.
The value of Black lives should not have to be reiterated time and time again--the state of “matter” should be the minimum. And this cycle of trauma and death should not have to continue.
Change is not an option, it is a necessity.
Meet Adonis Armstrong, Co-Founder & President of 247 Live Culture!
Email: Adonis@247LiveCulture.com