The story of Keith Davis– what happens to you when you survive being shot by the police in Baltimore.
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The story of Keith Davis– what happens to you when you survive being shot by the police in Baltimore.

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Robocop Finally Goes To Jail Or, How To Use A Badge To Keep A Predominately Black City Oppressed

William Melendez was a police officer for the City of Detroit from 1993 to 2009. He received more civilian complaints than any other officer in the department. He was nicknamed “Robocop” like the movie character, purportedly because of his merciless violence against criminals. Melendez was accused of planting evidence, wrongfully killing civilians, falsifying police reports, and conducting illegal arrests.

 

Melendez has been a named defendant in at least 12 federal lawsuits. Some suits were settled out of court. Others were dismissed. Three years into the Detroit police force, Melendez and his partner fatally shot Lou Adkins. Witnesses testified that Adkins was shot 11 times while on the ground. The case settled for $1.05 million.

 

Melendez was also indicted by a federal grand jury for civil rights violations. Among other things, Melendez was accused of stealing guns, money, and drugs from suspects, and planting weapons. During his trial, many of the government’s witnesses had criminal records. The jury did not believe their testimony and Melendez was acquitted.

 

Melendez left Detroit and was hired by the Inkster police department. His conduct soon took a financial toll on that city. Since about 2008, Inkster has been financially struggling.  It reduced its police force from about 75 officers to about 23.  The majority of the officers in that predominately Black town are White.   In 2011, Melendez was accused of choking Inkster resident Deshawn Acklin. According to the federal lawsuit filed by Deshawn, Melendez beat and choked Deshawn until he lost consciousness. The court filing alleged that Ackline “succumbed to the pain and lack of oxygen and passed out defecating on himself.” Acklin was treated at a hospital for a closed head injury, a foot sprain, and bleeding from his eyes. He spent 3 days in custody but was never charged with a crime.  For Melendez humiliating and dehumanizing a man, homeowners in Inkster saw their property tax increased an additional $15 to $20 to pay for the $100,000 settlement.

 

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Sourced through Scoop.it from: blackbutterfly7.wordpress.com

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Water War Against the Poor: Flint and the Crimes of Capital

by MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

 

In April, 2014, the state-appointed emergency manager, in order to save money, ordered that the city’s water source be changed from Lake Huron to the notoriously polluted Flint River.

 

The switch unleashed a citywide disaster of disease, destruction, and death. Flint was a toxic river, rich in lead, a major pollutant that has devastating effects on brain development, speech and I.Q. levels in children. As soon as it was pumped into municipal water systems, the corrosive waters leached lead from the old pipes, and sped it to some 90,000 homes into the city.

Flint is now a poisoned city, because of its toxic water.

 

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Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.counterpunch.org

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Beyonce: Formation

“Formation” (2016) is a song and music video by Beyonce. It appeared out of the blue on a Saturday afternoon, February 6th – the day before the Super Bowl, where she performed it to kick off her hitherto-unknown world tour.

 

In one glorious scene, a little boy, unarmed, in a hoodie, appears before a line of policemen – who put their hands up!

 

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Sourced through Scoop.it from: abagond.wordpress.com

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“Black-ish” to Take on Police Brutality in Feb. 24 Episode on ABC

article by Maureen Ryan via Variety.com

 

The Feb. 24 episode of ABC’s  “Black-ish” will take on police brutality.  The episode, titled “Hope,” will revolve around a fictional incident of police brutality that Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) and Andre “Dre” Johnson (Anthony Anderson) discuss with family members, including the couple’s four children. Much of the episode will focus on various characters’ reactions as they watch a news broadcast about the case, which involves an African-American teenager’s encounter with police.

 

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Sourced through Scoop.it from: goodblacknews.org

So, about that Beyonce performance
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So, about that Beyonce performance

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No Charges for Cop Who Killed Family’s Mentally Ill Son in His Underwear Holding a Broom on Video

Miami Gardens, FL — On February 15, Lavall Hall had a schizophrenic episode when he grabbed a broom and then went outside in his underwear. Unable to get her son back inside, Hall’s mother called the police for assistance to get her son back to the hospital, as he was only released one week prior.

 

Hall’s mother says that the police were aware of her son’s condition as they had responded to calls for medical assistance at her home in the past, and that she repeatedly told the officers that he was schizophrenic and bipolar on this evening.

 

“Don’t hurt my child,” the mother asked the officers before the encounter.

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/charges-cop-killed-familys-mentally-ill-son-underwear-holding-broom-video/#l7Sm76RB1YMG3QDO.99

Sourced through Scoop.it from: thefreethoughtproject.com

The cop shot him while he was down on the ground.

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Woman With Asperger’s Who Touched Millions of Lives with Viral Video, Shot Dead by Police

As the Free Thought Project has pointed out in the past, the overwhelming majority of time spent by police during training is devoted to shooting their weapons. Very little time is set aside for training in de-escalation tactics, and most departments receive zero training in dealing with the mentally ill.

 

Read more at http://thefreethoughtproject.com/woman-aspergers-touched-millions-lives-viral-video-shot-dead-police/#qXMbuVtjDy2OE9uw.99

Sourced through Scoop.it from: thefreethoughtproject.com