#Bobby Hansford

[losttoy]

Black people killed by police in 2018 (as of April 12, 2018)

Steven Brooks, 45, PA, Dashaun Shepard, GA Grechario Mack, 30, CA Elijah James Smith, 20, UT Juan Markee Jones, 25, VA Brenda Jenette Harrison-Bumbray, 50, MD “unnamed”, CA Saheed Vassell, 34, NY Bobby Hinton,60, LA Timothy Orlando Wyatt, 41, FL Christopher Lamarr Hall, 34, MI Brian Bellamy, 41, NC Edward Van McCrae, 60, NC Rodney Toler, 39, WV Jallen Jones, 31, CT Linus Phillip, 30, FL Danny Ray Thomas, 34, TX Rueben T. Ruffin Jr., 24, KY Jermaine Massey, 35, SC Stephon Clark, 23, CA James Vaughn, 49, TN Shermichael Ezeff, 31, LA Shali Vladimir Frances Tilson, 22, GA Jontell Reedom, 27, CA Michael Delloyd Ward, 46, NY Decynthia S. Clements, 34, IL Solomon Agwomoh, 51, IL Christopher Eisinger, 35, CA Qawi A. Muhammad, 48, FL Marlon Smith, 29, TX William Watson Jr., 40, MO Haydon Taylor, 25, OK Lee Edward Bonner, 37, MS Mario Dantoni Bass, 37, VA Darion Baker, 22, TX Lonnie James Smith Jr., 21, AL Glenn Tyndell, 37, MD Trey Pringle 24, SC Juan McCray, 31, CT Jimmy Terry, 30, IN Ronnell Foster, 32, CA Robert Young, 29, FL Mark Daniels, 39, PA Sidney T. Richardson IV, 48, FL David Darden, 36, GA Tierre Guthrie, 39, GA Anthony Jacob Weber, 16, CA Dominic Jerome “DJ” Broadus II, 31, FL Brett Dontae Bush, 28, GA Anthony Williams, 37, TX Daniel O. El, 33, IL Albert Morton Jr., 31, PA Sterling Michael Hansford Jr., 52, NY Khalil Lawal, 31, PA Dwayne Pritchett, 48, NY Billy Lewis Rucker, 33, MD Crystaline Barnes, 21, MS William Pollard Jr., 45, IN, Nathaniel T. Edwards, 43, IL Corey Mobley, 38, FL Ricky Jerome Boyd, 20, GA Arther McAfee Jr., 61, TX Kevin Sturgis, 31, PA Geraldine Townsend, 72, OK Donte Shannon, 26, WI, Jihad Mustafa Merrick, 29, IA Bryan Johnson Gregory, 33, TN Marconia Kessee, 34, OK James Hawkins, 35, NC Thomas Yatsko, 21, OH Terry Amons, 43, CA Amanuel Dagebo, 22, OH Jonathan Bennett, 23, NC Shalun Dique Smith, 21, CA “unnamed”, MS Trayvon Mitchell, 38, FL

Charles Smith Jr., 17, AR Ledarren Mixon, 28, OH Sahleem Tindle, 28, CA Derrick Staton, 16, MD Mark Steven Parkinson, 65, GA Deautry Charles Ross, 34, CA

Notes 1-This was put together on April 15th using information from http://killedbypolice.net. This is a good source because it only takes names from confirmed news sources. 1.1-About half of reported civilian deaths by police officers do not include the race. There are most definitely more that we do not know of. 2-Police are not required to report the people they kill, so we know that there has to be more than this that is not reported. Currently the best government data we have on police killings is from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting but these killings are self-reported by law enforcement and participation in the database is voluntary – only about 750 agencies contribute to it, a fraction of the 17,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States. 3-This passes no judgment on guilt or innocence, just a full list. I am sure some of these names are actual criminals, but the world will never know other than taking the police’s word. Police are not the judge, jury and executioners and these people should be alive to face their crimes or prove their innocence in a court of law. (We have also learned from Walter Scott that police lie on the reports and plant evidence) 3.1-IF they were criminals, does not excuse the police from violating these people’s Fifth Amendment Rights. They were deprived of life without due process of law. Many of these people are shot in the back (which is against the law according to Tennessee v. Garner of 1985) or unarmed (see below). The major problem is we have violent White criminals like Ted Kaczynski, Timothy McVeigh, James Eagan Holmes, Jared Lee Loughner, Dylann Storm Roof, Robert Dear, Jason Dalton and other who are all terrorists who collectively killed hundreds of people and were apprehended without being shot. Meanwhile, black people are being shot for non-violent crimes like jaywalking, having a busted taillight and so on. 3.2-Police should be able to deescalate a situation and use non-lethal force. They carry stun guns, billy clubs, etc. and wear bullet proof vests. If they are too afraid or too trigger happy, they should not be on the force. 4-This does not include police brutality cases like Floyd Dent, Martese Johnson or so many more. 5-This not include people like Travon Martin or Jordan Davis, who were killed by “stand your ground” laws by civilians. 6-This also does not include people like Lennon Lacy and Otis Byrd in what looks like lynchings 7-yeah, yeah … not all cops. I am sure they have a hard job, but it does not excuse this list or especially how long it is. There were 127 total police deaths in 2014, including unrelated car accidents, heart attacks and even one 9/11 related illness. It is MUCH more dangerous to be black than a police officer. 8-Yes, there were plenty of white people killed by police. “All lives matter”, BUT black people are 3-4x more likely to be killed by police than whites. In 2014, 47% of black people killed were unarmed when only 16% of white people killed were unarmed. There are deep racial disparities that come from a system of oppression.However, this list is important. Sure Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Freddy Gray get the headlines, but every name needs to be remembered.

[texasprelawland-blog]

U.S. Judicial System Is Being Pushed For Reform As New Legislation is Introduced To The House

By Tyra Allen, The University Of Texas San Antonio Class of 2020

June 5, 2020

While facing a global pandemic, citizens and people from around the globe have witnessed the recorded death of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American, who was suffocated to death by a white police officer. There have been many recent deaths prior to Floyd’s, such as Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, who died by the hands of the police and armed citizens. Congressmen and women, lawyers, politicians, activists, leaders of our communities, and many U.S citizens are calling for justice to be served and reform to our judicial system.

Lawmakers are aiming for bipartisan cooperation to take swift action in bringing justice to the innocent lives lost. Last Friday, Judiciary Chairmen Lyndsey Graham R.-S.C. announced that he would be working with Dianne Feinstein D.-Calif. [5] Graham provided some insight into the changes that needed to be made, “The Committee intends to call a wide variety of witnesses on the topics of better policing, addressing racial discrimination regarding the use of force, as well as building stronger bonds between communities and police,” Graham stated. “We intend to shine a bright light on the problems associated with Mr. Floyd’s death, with the goal of finding a better way forward for our nation.”[5]

Rep. Ayanna Pressley created a resolution “condemning all acts of police brutality, racial profiling, and the use of excessive and militarized force throughout the country.”[6] The resolution was introduced on November 14, 2019, “Whereas police brutality and the use of excessive and militarized force are among the most serious ongoing human rights and civil liberties violations in the United States and have led to community destabilization, a decrease in public safety, and the exacerbation of structural inequities;”[6] The resolution was created in partnership with Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, California Rep. Karen Bass, along with thirteen other cosponsors. [6] A multitude of reforms that would hold police accountable and provide racial justice are also included within the resolution. As of December 18, 2019, the resolution was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries' bill the, Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act of 2019, introduced is looking to amend Section 242 of title 18 by adding at the end the following: “For the purposes of this section, the application of any pressure to the throat or windpipe which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air is a punishment, pain, or penalty.”[4] As of October of 2019, the bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. [4]

Rep. Frederica S. Wilson introduced the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Black Boys Act. It is a bill that seeks to “Establish the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, to study and make recommendations to address social problems affecting Black men and boys, and for other purposes.” [11] In the finding of the bill, it explains why having this data would be relevant, “Black men are subjected to unequal profiling by the police and disproportionately harsh sentences in the judicial system. The Black male population is six times more likely to become incarcerated than their White counterparts. Although the Black male population comprises approximately six percent of the United States population, of the 2,300,000 people incarcerated nationwide, 1 million are Black males. Black males receive ten percent longer Federal sentences than White males who commit the same crime.”[11] An annual report will be filed by the Commission at the beginning of each year during their first Commission meeting. The report shall address the “current conditions affecting Black men and boys and make recommendations to address these issues.” [11]

On January 3, 2019, Rep. Bobby L. Rush introduced the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, “Whoever conspires with another person to violate section 245, 247, or 249 of this title or section 901 of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3631) shall be punished in the same manner as a completed violation of such section, except that if the maximum term of imprisonment for such completed violation is less than 10 years, the person may be imprisoned for not more than 10 years.”.[7] Essentially, this bill would make lynching a hate crime. The bill was named in honor of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy who, in 1955, was abducted and lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant Dunham. In 2007, Dunham admitted she lied about Till flirting with her. The two men who were tried for abducting and murdering Emmett Till were acquitted by an all-white jury. [1] Under the protection of double jeopardy laws, one year later (1956), Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam admitted that they did kidnap and kill Emmett Till, and told the entire story to Look magazine for $4,000. [1]

In 2019, The ACLU of California affiliates and other partners organized the AB 392: The California Act to Save Lives, a bill to reform the use of deadly force by police. [2] The ACLU stated that “California police officers are not only killing people of color at disproportionate rates; they are also killing more people than most departments in the country. “ [2]It should be noted that California police kill citizens at a rate that is 37 percent higher than the national average per capita. [2] People of color are killed at disproportionate rates. According to the California Department of Justice, of the 172 people killed by California police, two-thirds were people of color, and three-quarters of them were unarmed. [2] The bill was signed by California Governor, Gavin Newsome, and went into effect on January 1, 2020. [8]

In 2019, Travis Washington, an alumnus of Southern Illinois University, created a petition for the Hands Up Act. [3] This bill seeks to make mandatory a 15-year prison sentence if any police officer kills an unarmed citizen. [10] He presented his bill on a Ted Talk hosted by his alma mater, Southern Illinois University. [9] Currently, the petition has over 1 million signatures and is steadily growing. [10] Washington plans on introducing this bill to Congress this year.

There are many more bills being created that will be introduced to Congress very soon. As protests continue, it is to be expected that the push for reform will follow in progress. If you want to stay up to date on the status of the bills being introduced to Congress, please visit congress.gov/bill

________________________________________________________________

1.     Biography.com Editors. (2020, January 14). Emmett Till Biography. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/emmett-till

2.     Buchen, L. (2019, February 8). New Bill Limits When California Police Can Use Deadly Force. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police/new-bill-limits-when-california-police-can-use-deadly

3.     Hansford, J. (2019, August 9). 5 Years After Ferguson, We’re Losing the Fight Against Police Violence. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/opinion/ferguson-anniversary-police-race.html

4.     Jeffries, H. (2019, September 19). H.R.4408 - Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force Prevention Act of 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2020, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4408/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22REAL+Act%22%5D%7D&r=52&s=1

5.     McPherson, L., & Cioffi, C. (2020, June 2). Congress plotting action against police brutality, racial injustices in response to Floyd death. Retrieved June 2, 2020, from https://www.rollcall.com/2020/06/02/congress-plotting-action-against-police-brutality-racial-injustices-in-response-to-floyd-death/

6.     Pressley, A. (2019, November 14). H.Res.702 - Recognizing that the United States has a moral obligation to meet its foundational promise of guaranteed justice for all. Retrieved June 1, 2020, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/702/text

7.     Rush, B. (2019, January 3). H.R.35 - Emmett Till Antilynching Act. Retrieved June 2, 2020, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/35/text#:~:text=To%20amend%20title%2018%2C%20United,of%20America%20in%20Congress%20assembled%2C&text=This%20Act%20may%20be%20cited,%E2%80%9CEmmett%20Till%20Antilynching%20Act%E2%80%9D.

8.     Scott, Z., Virrueta, E., &Vieyra, D. (2019, August 19). CALIFORNIA FAMILIES CELEBRATE AS GOVERNOR SIGNS ONE OF THE STRONGEST POLICE USE OF FORCE LAWS IN THE COUNTRY. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.aclusocal.org/en/press-releases/california-families-celebrate-governor-signs-one-strongest-police-use-force-laws

9.     TedxTalks. (2020, May 8). Hands Up Act, Travis Washington, TEDxSIUC [Video file]. In YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/cT8upOuKH1s

10.  Washington, T. (2019). Hands Up Act. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.change.org/p/us-senate-hands-up-act

11.  Wilson, F. (2019, March 7). H.R.1636 - Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act. Retrieved June 2, 2020, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1636/t

Photo Credit: Martin Falbisoner

[newwavenewsandentertainment]

Behind the Scenes of Ayra Starr's "Last Heartbreak Song" Video Featuring Giveon

Behind the Scenes of Ayra Starr's "Last Heartbreak Song" Video Featuring Giveon

Billboard takes us behind the scenes of Ayra Starr’s newly released music video “Last Heartbreak Song” featuring Giveon. This exclusive look dives deep into the beach set, capturing the vibrant energy and unseen moments that bring the video to life. The Story Behind the Song Ayra Starr opens up about the meaning behind “Last Heartbreak Song.” She shares that she held onto the track for a…