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auraisereigh · 1 month ago

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"Promise me, Little star"

Chapter One

Brennan Sorrengail x Riorson reader Blurb: When the battle of Aretia ends Star is left to pick up all the pieces her loved ones left behind. wc: 5.6k ☆ SPOILERS FOR THE EMPYREAN SERIES. Violence, Fatal injury, Death, Grief and loss, War. Let me know if i missed something. Uses pronouns: she/her. i use Star as a nickname as y/n sounds weird, and i'm awful with names.

Star's masterlist main masterlist

We are losing. No doubt. The amount of dragons they have on us is too high. We only have the riders who decided to side with my father. And most of us are infantry.

And it's all too clear when you're standing on the top floor of Riorson house.

I might have shot some riders out of the sky but that doesn't kill their dragons. The cross bolt does that, but they're reloading too slowly for the amount of dragons in the sky.

I keep looking out for a certain Black dragon. Hoping he stays alive. He is not a price I'm willing to pay for war.

I draw another arrow and aim at a passing dragon, a brown. I loosen the arrow. It shoots through the dragons wing, not its rider.

I stand there aiming and loosening arrows for the longest time, there seems no end in this battle. The only thing that would show that is the amount of men we are losing.

I'm running low on arrows when I see an Orange dragon go down, behind Riorson house in the mountains. I don't think much of it when I see a Black dragon follow. Naolin.

I look over to my dad on the battlefield, making sure he can hold his own, when I'm sure I turn and run down the five floors this fortress has. I make my way to the back door that leads to the mountains I saw Naolin and his dragon fly to. I don't have to make it too far in. I can hear the two dragons.

I make my way around the mountain quietly, not wanting to startle the dragons. Naolin's dragon, Tairn, knows I'm not on their side but he also knows I wouldn't harm him.

I drop my bow when I see Naolin crouched next to the body of a man, a rider. Blood pooling from his body, an arrow in his chest. He's dying.

I make my way over to them, unarmed, except for the magic I was born with. When I reach Naolin he is not crying, there are tears streaming down his cheeks but he is not crying out loud.

No, he's channeling his power. But he's a siphon, what could he possibly do for a dying man.

"Naolin?" My voice is soft but there's a hint of uncertainty. He is the only person who knows me completely. The one I'm not scared of to show vulnerability or weaknesses.

He doesn't respond but his dragon takes a step back and lets out a noise of disagreement. They must be talking to each other.

"Naolin?" I try again, my voice is much quieter this time.

"Star?" His voice is strained. He looks drained. More than he was when I just arrived.

I crouch next to him placing my hand in the crook of his elbow "it's me." I know that if he was in the right state of mind he would scold me for being here. In the open, where anyone can attack anytime. "What are you doing?" My voice panics a little feeling how hot he's becoming, how pale his skin is, how he looks like he's trying not to scream.

"Promise me something," he starts, his voice strained and rough.

I hold onto him, my magic pouring into him in the hopes to warm his cold body. "Promise me you'll live a full life." He's saying goodbye. No, he can't. I don't know a lot about siphoning but it's impossible to resurrect someone. And that man looks dead. "Naolin?" I try to pull his hands off the body but it feels like they're glued on. "No, please..." My voice has never been so vulnerable. Never sounded so broken.

"Promise me." He says again. "Promise me, little star." I can tell he's on his last life line and my heart slowly shagged. It doesn't matter how hard I try to keep him alive through my magic, I can just feel him slip away.

"Naolin..." My voice breaks completely. Tears slowly start falling down my cheeks. Theres no point in stopping him, there never was. This is who Naolin is. He'd sacrifice himself for anyone he loves. It's what is both beautiful and sad about him. He doesn't think his life is worth more. He never has. But he means more to me. He always has. He's been my rock, my comfort, even when he was days trip away at Basgiath.

I can feel the life drain out of him, his light. I can hear his heart slow and see the color drain from his face and body.

And then he falls down but I keep holding him. I don't want to let go. Not of him. Not of his soul.

I lay down next to him, his body has never been so cold. He can't be gone, no one can resurrect anyone. That other man isn't breathing either. Why would Naolin give his life for him?

Naolin's dragon, Tairn lets out a mourning roar as he lays around naolin and me, the orange doing the same with the other rider.

☆

I don't know how long i stayed there. All I know is that by night time Tairn leaves. Giving one last sniff at Naolin before flying off. Naolin once mentioned Tairn had a mate, he must be going there. Must be nice. To have someone who will comfort you, hold you in a time of darkness. Naolin was that for me.

The battle ended. Seeing as no one is looking for me I'm pretty confident we lost.

Did I lose everything? The question haunts me as I stay curled up by Naolin, looking for warmth but finding none.

The crying stopped a while ago. My heart feels hollow, empty. My head hurts with a pounding headache. My hands a red from blood. My finger bruised from pulling my bow string too much. My eyes burn from the tears. And my heart... Shattered.

In the morning I wake up, my face burning from the sun, my mouth dehydrated. I slowly sit up, hoping it's all a nightmare. But seeing the mountains and blood says enough.

A few tears escape again. But no sounds come out.

I look over to the man, his chest.... Rising and falling. He's alive... But that's impossible.

His dragon looks at me, it's head tilted as it looks at me. It would take me 2 minutes to get my bag from Riorson house.

Something kicks in, something that alarms me to get out of plain sight. I don't want to leave Naolin, but there's nothing I can do now. I get up and walk the two minutes to Riorson house. Take my bag from underneath a hatch, and walk back.

The orange is still there, curled around the man, most likely keeping his body warm.

I crouch down next to Naolin. He once gave me a simple ring, he had the same one, I put mine on a necklace I haven't taken off since I put it on. I carefully take his off his finger. Trying not to feel the dead cold that is now his body. I pocket it safe for later. I'll come back for him later, that's a promise. I give him one last kiss between his brows. He was always much taller than me, it was the highest spot on his face I could reach.

I begin to walk away when the orange snaps my way. I flinch and look at it, its snout going to the man's head, then back up at me.

"I'm not taking a body with me." My voice is void of emotion. The orange huff looks at me with its lethal eyes.

I sigh, too drained to argue. I look at the steep hill i’m supposed to go down to reach my already selected safe place. There is no way i can drag a body over there, dead or alive.

I look back at the man, his chest rising and falling slowly. Naolin gave his life for him, there’s got to be a reason for that.

I shoulder my pack and secure it, i attach my bow to it and walk over to the man, he looks pale but not like Naolin. I hook my arms under his and lift him up, he’s heavy but i’ll manage. Once i have a secure grip on him, i slowly start dragging him to the selected hiding place. The dragon not far behind, giving him occasional glares.

☆

Eventually we get to the cave, the dragon actually fiting in it, i hoped he wouldnt. He looks like he wants to grill me.

I lay his body down near the center of the cave, drop my pack and bow. Getting here took so much time it’s almost nightfall. I go to light the fire that me and my aunt had secured a week ago when a flash of fire blows past me, scaring me, thinking that he finally decided to use me as food. But i feel… nothing. I open my eyes to find the fire place on fire, i look back at the dragon who is settling behind the man.

“That's a way to do it too i suppose.” I mutter. I open my pack and finally drink the water i’ve been yearning for. It feels so good, my entire mouth has been dry for way too long.

After that i lay myself on the stone part of the cave. Perhaps letting a fire on, here, now, during the night isn’t smart but it sure as hell brings some comfort.

The next day, i stay inside, having packed some food to live on. By night time the man wakes up.

I sit myself next to him, he’s too weak to attack so no use in tying him up. His eyes open slowly, the amber shade are in certain places darker than in the places where the fire reflects.

I give him the space to sit up and collect himself, the orange dragon is now awake it's head tilted in a curious manner.

I start speaking once it looks like he collected himself. "Who are you?"

He looks at me clueless. I'd be confused to if I was in his place.

"Where am I?" He says quiet, his voice hoarse from not having used it in a while, or from being brought back from the dead. "In a cave in the Aretian mountains." I start but I need to know. "Do you remember what happened?" I ask cautiously.

"Someone shot me with an.... Arrow. I fell..." His face is scrunched up like he has a headache. "I don't remember anything after that."

"Do you know... Naolin?" The question is quiet, whispered.

His face twists in a painful expression. It says enough. "He... Sacrificed himself for you." A sob threatens to break through. My throat tightens.

I see the first tear fall down his cheek. And my heart aches even though I don't know him at all. Naolin was a beautiful soul.

I come closer to him. Carefully wrapping my arms around him and pull I him into me as he sobs.

I might not know him but we share grief for the Same person, the same soul we lost.

☆

The days after, we go through the motions. I've come to know his name; Brennan. He sleeps most of the time, when he wakes up he eats a little. When food goes low I start hunting to get fish out of a small pond not that far from here. I can't go far away, it's too dangerous now.

We're almost a week later when I go out at night, needing fresh air. It's been difficult not knowing what's happening out there. Feeling like you constantly have to look over your shoulder.

I look up at the sky letting out a deep breath. My heart aching the be with the ones I love. But I'll see them again. Soon.

"I'll see you soon dad, I love you." I whisper to the moon. I look up at the sky one last time.

To see a dragon fly over by the moon, from the moonlight it seems to be a red one.

☆

#fourth wing #dragon #onyx storm #brennan sorrengail #the empyrean #rebecca yarros #mira sorrengail #xaden riorson #naolin #iron flame #writing #Brennan aisereigh #brennan x star

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whatevergreen · 2 years ago

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The Police...

An overview of an epic horror going back decades, with too little or nothing done: -

Killings by police (USA), and racism:

"US law enforcement killed at least 1,176 people in 2022, making it the deadliest year on record for police violence since 2013 when experts first started tracking the killings nationwide, a new data analysis reveals.

Police across the country killed an average of more than three people a day, or nearly 100 people every month last year according to Mapping Police Violence. The non-profit research group maintains a database of reported deaths at the hands of law enforcement, including people fatally shot, beaten, restrained and Tasered."

"...in 32% of cases last year, the person was fleeing before they were killed, generally running or driving off – cases in which experts say lethal force is unwarranted and also endangers the public. In June, Ohio police officers fired dozens of rounds at Jayland Walker, who was unarmed and fleeing; a month later, an officer in California exited an unmarked car and immediately fired at Robert Adams as he ran in the opposite direction.

The racial disparities have also persisted: Black people were 24% of those killed last year, while making up only 13% of the population. From 2013 to 2022, Black residents were three times more likely to be killed by US police than white people. The inequality is particularly severe in some cities, including Minneapolis where police have killed Black residents at a rate 28 times higher than white residents, and Chicago, where the rate was 25 times higher, Mapping Police Violence reported." -

Worldwide, figures are hard to come by. 10,000s of people are killed by police annually, with the USA, the Philippines and Brazil being among the worst.

Also:

Are there any statistics for the numbers of assaults by police which don't result in fatalities? How many police assaults are going unnoticed because the victim didn't die but is nonetheless seriously injured?

"...The simple truth is law enforcement as a US institution does not treat Black Americans as people worthy of humane treatment. They reserve their “to serve and protect” mottos for white people committing the most inhumane of crimes. It is ingrained, it is institutional, it is personal, and it may be universal. All of this is key to why law enforcement in the US must be defunded and needs to be abolished. A system designed to allow cowardly actions and near sociopathic behaviour in the name of “law and order” is too deadly to remain intact. Unless that is the point – to cower Black Americans into accepting oppression – which it may be for people like Biden.

It’s probably evident: I don’t like cops. I’ve felt threatened by them since I was five.

My first encounter with law enforcement in action was in July 1975. I was half asleep when awakened by a fight between my mom and dad. When my intoxicated father lunged at my mom with a dull kitchen knife, my mom used her arms and legs to deflect the attempt, right into the left side of my father’s stomach. Back then, we lived on the second floor of a duplex six blocks from the Bronx border in Mount Vernon, New York. My father stood in the stairwell outside the door to our flat, bleeding and moaning softly.

A few minutes later, two of Mount Vernon’s finest showed up – one white man and one Black man – along with an ambulance. After peppering my mom with questions, and then checking out my father’s stab wound, the two cops idly stood by and laughed as two EMTs put my father on a stretcher. I will never forget that they found my mother fighting off my dad funny, because he ended up stabbing himself. I have never not remembered the look of stunned hurt in my traumatised mother’s eyes.

It wasn’t a joke to me. Yet, somehow, the two officers found domestic violence humorous. The Black cop patted me on my head like I was some lost cat or dog. This was the first lesson in racism, patriarchy, misogynoir and policing I received, long before I had learned any of these words or what they meant." ...

... "When the moments came when I should have called 911 in the 1980s, whether it was me witnessing domestic violence at home or me being the object of physical abuse, I never picked up the phone. I knew the police were untrustworthy. The killing of the 25-year-old graphic artist, Michael Stewart, in 1983, and of the 66-year-old grandmother Eleanor Bumpurs, in 1984, by New York officers helped reinforce a few things. One, that it’s rare for law enforcement to stop a crime in progress. Two, that police often end up committing a crime for no good reason. And three, that the penalty for Black folks having a mental illness or a bad day is often death.

Since my 17th birthday at the end of 1986, I have been accosted, stopped, frisked and followed by police in different parts of the country – whether for walking while Black in Beverly Hills or driving while Black in Pittsburgh and in Silver Spring, Maryland. I was held at gunpoint by a shaking 60-something white policeman on my own campus at Carnegie Mellon University in 1994.

All these encounters involved either “fitting the description” of someone much shorter than my 190cm (6-foot, 3-inch) frame or for a minor traffic violation. Each interaction brought on anxiety that could have left me vulnerable in the hands of police all too willing to beat me into a hospital bed or shoot me into the afterlife.

Farmington Hills, Michigan, is one example of how easy it is to build a police force that will shoot to kill a Black person for anything. As of this spring (2022), they used pictures of Black men with guns as target practice training for their mostly white police officers. Irrespective of an officer’s race or ethnicity, white supremacy is the default position of law enforcement. ..."

..............................

And then there's the many other "issues" (not in any order of importance) -

Homophobia...

Homophobic actions by police are countless. It is after all what caused the Stonewall riots in 1969, and countless other protests since.

It may be less of an issue in many parts of the world nowadays (though as recent reports have shown, anti-lgbtq prejudice is still common among cops), but that doesn't wipe away the many decades+ of abuse. Arrests for consensual sexual activity in people's own homes, arrests for cruising, the raids on bath houses, bars, and clubs. The instances of sexual assault against LGBTQ by police (for example there have been claims in the past of police detaining then assaulting men caught in the main cruising area of Newcastle (UK). The attacks on LGBTQ rights activists. The police involvement in the assassinations of Harvey Milk and George Moscone. The failure to properly respond to and investigate serious hate crimes.

And of course if you live somewhere like Qatar, Saudi Arabia or Iran, then you can be tortured, jailed, or even executed.

How long is it going to be before Florida, Texas, or the Dakotas is added to that list? I'm not joking. Many US states are on a sharp downward spiral in regards to LGBTQ rights, race, misogyny, abortion and sexual health, and so much else. See also the likes of Russia, the UK, and Poland.

Thefts...

"According to their data, local police departments have seized more than $68 billion dollars worth of personal property without due process over the last 20 years. In fact, since 2014, police have been stealing more than actual burglars—and most of that came from people who hadn't been convicted of a crime." 21 Dec 2020

When it comes to actually solving crimes: UK police for example have failed to solve over a million thefts and burglaries in recent years.

Meanwhile in the US only 2% of major crimes are ever solved.

The New York Times reviewed national dispatch data from the FBI in June 2020, and found that just 4% of officers’ time is devoted to violent crime.

"In 2019, 88% of the time L.A. County sheriff’s officers spent on stops was for officer-initiated stops rather than in response to calls. The overwhelming majority of that time – 79% – was spent on traffic violations. By contrast, just 11% of those hours was spent on stops based on reasonable suspicion of a crime.

In Riverside, about 83% of deputies’ time spent on officer-initiated stops went toward traffic violations, and just 7% on stops based on reasonable suspicion.

Moreover, most of the stops are pointless, other than inconveniencing citizens, or worse – “a routine practice of pretextual stops,” researchers wrote. Roughly three out of every four hours that Sacramento sheriff’s officers spent investigating traffic violations were for stops that ended in warnings, or no action, for example."

- When politicians claim more police is going to make everything better: "In 2016, a group of criminologists conducted a systematic review of 62 earlier studies of police force size and crime between 1971 and 2013. They concluded that 40 years of studies consistently show that “the overall effect size for police force size on crime is negative, small, and not statistically significant.” -

Targeted killings (assassinations)

The police were involved in the assassinations of such figures as Fred Hampton of the Black Panthers (and arguably Harvey Milk and George Moscone), among others.

- Sexual assaults...

"Some 2,000 allegations of sexual misconduct including rape have been levelled against serving police officers over the last four years, according to data released under freedom of information rules.

Figures from 39 forces showed nearly two-thirds of complaints were discontinued, but that about 30 per cent of officers, special constables or PCSOs accused of sexual misconduct had previously faced separate claims of wrongdoing.

Among the complaints were more than 370 allegations of sexual assault, almost 100 accusations of rape, and 18 alleged child sex offences. Overall, there were 514 proven allegations across 33 police forces.

However, just one third of guilty workers were sacked in cases where sexual misconduct complaints were upheld, according to numbers uncovered by Channel 4’s Dispatches." ...

... "A separate set of figures released under freedom of information on Monday revealed that, of 750 sexual misconduct claims against police officers from 31 forces between 2016 and 2020, 34 resulted in sackings."

"...we traced the outcomes of 689 reports of sexual assault made to the SIU between 2005 and 2020. We found that the vast majority of allegations of sexual assault do not result in meaningful consequences for the police officers involved." ...

... "For the reports that did receive a full investigation, 86.3 per cent did not result in charges being laid. During the 15-year-period of our study, only 7.4 per cent of investigated complaints of sexual assault led to charges." -

Killing dogs:

Some estimates claim that over 10,000 dogs are shot annually by police in the US. Whatever the actual figure, it is certain from the many documented cases that many dogs are being killed - mostly without justification - by police. There are many horrific videos online showing that no one and nothing is safe from the blatant sadism of out of control cops.

And of course...

(This started as a smallish post and then spiralled. There's much else that could be added to this)

#police #police violence #memphis #minneapolis #1312

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ausetkmt · 1 year ago

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The Kansas City police officer who shot and killed a DoorDash driver behind the wheel of his speeding vehicle as his girlfriend sat in the passenger’s seat will not face criminal charges, prosecutors said.

Amaree’ya Henderson, 25, had just completed his last delivery on April 26 when he and his girlfriend were pulled over for an alleged traffic violation. During the stop, Henderson asked his girlfriend to use FaceTime to contact his mother, who set out for the scene.

At some point before his mother arrived, Henderson started to drive away from the stop. That attempt to leave left one of the officers between the door of the speeding vehicle and Henderson, Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said in a Friday statement explaining the decision not to bring criminal charges.

“At the time the officer discharged his weapon, the suspect was driving the car at a high rate of speed while the officer was stuck between the door and the driver’s compartment,” Dupree said. “While holding on to the moving vehicle, the officer told the suspect to stop.”

After Henderson allegedly “refused commands”, the officer shot and killed him, Dupree said, noting that state law permits police to use deadly force when facing “immediate danger of serious bodily harm or death.”

Henderson’s mother, who was still on a FaceTime call with her son when he was killed, said that police body-camera footage she reviewed shows that the officer was in the wrong.

“[The officer] was in no danger,” mom Pauletta Johnson, girlfriend Shakira Hill, and family attorney Nuru Witherspoon said Friday, according to local outlet KCUR. “He made choices that directly violated the use-of-force policies in place to protect citizens and himself.”

Authorities have not publicly identified the officer by name.

The video tells a different story than that described by prosecutors, they said in a joint statement.

“The body cam shows a disgusting display of excessive force, and the unlawful, unnecessary killing of another young, unarmed Black man,” the statement said.

The footage is yet to be publicly released.

Kay Harper Williams, another attorney representing the Henderson family, called for that to change.

“The police department has the ability to release the footage to the public, now that the investigation is closed,” Williams said, according to local outlet KSHB. “Pauletta Johnson said it best. If there is nothing to hide, then KCKPD should release the full, unredacted video to the public.”

The department said in a statement that it is now reviewing whether the officer followed policy.

"As with all officer-involved shootings, now that the independent investigation has taken place and the Wyandotte County District Attorney has conducted his review, KCKPD will now conduct an administrative review to determine that policy was followed; and if any changes to existing policy are warranted," the department said. "Due to potential civil litigation, the Department will make no further statements regarding the incident."

#Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Unarmed DoorDash Driver Dodges Charges #Kansas City #police shooting citizens

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90363462 · 2 years ago

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NEWS

CIVIL RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE

OP-ED

Home › Civil Rights & Social Justice › Race Matters

The Trauma Of Filming A Black Person Being Killed By The Police

Often forgotten in these far too common acts of police violence and fatal police-civilian encounters, involving unarmed Black people, is the dangerous, emotional and traumatic labor of bearing witness.

Written By Constantine Gidaris

Posted April 22, 2022

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Patrick Lyoya is shown on bodycam video shortly before an unidentified police officer shot him in the back of his head in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 4, 2022. | Source: City of Grand Rapids / City of Grand Rapids

On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner’s murder by NYPD officers was captured by Ramsey Orta on his mobile phone camera. Choked, handcuffed and pinned face down to the ground, Garner’s repeated calls for help, encapsulated by the phrase “I can’t breathe,” were ignored by the arresting officers.

Nearly six years later, the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department officers was recorded by Darnella Frazier, a young Black woman who captured the final moments of Floyd’s life on her mobile phone. Her video shows Floyd handcuffed with his head pinned underneath the knee of a police officer, repeatedly yelling, “I can’t breathe.”

Like Orta’s video, the footage that Frazier uploaded to Facebook has since gone viral. Used by many media outlets, Frazier’s video has led to public outrage and ongoing mass protests. It also assisted in the decision to fire the four arresting police officers, and to subsequently charge one with second-degree murder and the other three with aiding and abetting.

Bearing direct and indirect witness to trauma

Following Garner’s death, Orta’s life took a drastic turn for the worse. From 2014 to 2016, Orta was arrested three times for a series of charges, which activists maintain stem from retaliatory set-ups by the NYPD for filming the video. Despite providing the footage that served as the catalyst for the “I can’t breathe” slogan and movement, Orta remains incarcerated to this day.

The day after Floyd’s death, Frazier returned to the scene of the killing, crying and emotionally distraught. In a video that has been viewed nearly 2.5 million times, Frazier pleads, “They killed this man. And I was right there! I was like five feet away! It is so traumatizing.”

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If the emotional and traumatic consequences of bearing witness to Floyd’s killing were not enough, Frazier has also encountered online harassment for recording and posting the video. In the comments section of the video Frazier uploaded to Facebook, some have chastised her for recording the footage without intervening. Frazier comes to her own defence, writing:

“I don’t expect anyone who wasn’t placed in my position to understand why and how I feel the way that I do. MIND YOU I am a minor! 17 years old, of course I’m not about to fight off a cop.”

Attempts to diminish the profound effects of bearing witness to traumatic events aim to dismiss the notion of shared trauma. As literary critic Shoshana Felman and psychoanalyst Dori Laub argue, the listener or, in this case, the viewer, becomes “a participant and co-owner of the traumatic event.” In this sense, viewing the deaths of Garner and Floyd behind a screen can be different but equally traumatic experiences for both the person recording and for the viewer.

The effects of bearing witness

Viewing race-based trauma can be particularly traumatic for Black people for whom police violence is a leading cause of death. This realization is intensified by the danger that the mere occupation of public space poses for Black lives.

In part, this stems from a refusal on behalf of white folks to recognize the extensive history of race-based policing in both the United States and in Canada. There is also a pressing need for white people to understand that policing itself is a form of harm, especially for people of colour. As writer and activist Desmond Cole reminds us, police violence committed against Black people is too often treated as a “one off.”

Some suggest that using mobile phone cameras to watch the police is a means of “prevent[ing] police violence from being used against other community members or oneself.” But given that Black men are far more likely to be killed by police than white men, bearing witness on camera as a form of cop-watching has not prevented further police violence from occurring. Instead, bearing witness involves race-based trauma that attempts to hold police accountable for the pain they have long inflicted against Black people and communities.

As writer Kia Gregory says, acts of police violence and deadly police-civilian encounters “are so pervasive, they inflict a unique harm on viewers, particularly African Americans, who see themselves and those they love in these fatal encounters.”

Patrick Lyoya’s parents Peter Lyoya (L) and Dorcas Lyoya pose for a portrait as they hold a photo of their son at their home on April 15, 2022, in Lansing, Michigan. | Source: The Washington Post / Getty

The trauma of bearing witness extends from the person experiencing, recording or witnessing violent or fatal police encounters, to those who subsequently view and witness the recording through a digital medium, and most often through social media platforms. Viewing such videos can induce stress, fear, frustration, anger and anxiety. There is medical evidence to suggest that viewing footage of race-based trauma can lead to a physical ailments, including eating and sleeping disorders, high blood pressure and heart problems.

Bearing witness to these acts of deadly police violence can be traumatizing for anyone. Keenly aware of the mental health toll that police violence and race-based trauma can take, a GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly US$500,000 for Darnella Frazier’s “peace and healing.”

For Black folks, in particular, the terrifying and everyday reality that they encounter at the hands of police is a trauma that endures long after the initial act of witnessing has occurred. It is a trauma that is relived and re-experienced not only in person but behind the screen.

Constantine Gidaris, PhD Candidate, English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University

This article is republished from The Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

SEE ALSO:

In ‘Bittersweet’ Moment, Darnella Frazier Wins Pulitzer Prize Citation For Recording George Floyd’s Murder

Former Cop Turned Arizona Legislator Wants People To Get Permission Before Filming Police

136 Black Men And Boys Killed By Police

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BLACK PEOPLE , NEWSLETTER , OP-ED , POLICE KILLING BLACK MEN , POLICE VIDEO , RECORDING POLICE

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sataniccapitalist · 2 years ago

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dankusner · 1 month ago

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BOTHAM JEAN MURDER Parole eligibility brings stress

Case now slated for review; Family: it would be ‘traumatic’ if killer’s sentence is cut short

On New Year’s Day, Allisa Charles-Findley thought to herself, this is the year .

This is the year her brother’s killer could walk free.

After serving half of her 10-year sentence for murder, Amber Guyger becomes eligible for parole Sunday.

Guyger, a former Dallas police officer, fatally shot Botham Jean in his Cedars apartment in 2018.

Guyger’s case is up for review by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.

It’s unclear when the board will hand down its ruling.

If granted parole, Guyger would be released from a Gatesville prison as soon as Sunday, according to an ombudsman for the board.

That date is yet another cruel twist for Charles-Findley.

Jean’s birthday is Sept. 29.

He would have turned 33.

“I’m praying that she is not granted her parole because I kind of feel it would be like losing Botham all over again, and losing Botham was the worst day of my life and it still is,” Charles-Findley said.

“If she is granted parole, it would be very traumatic to myself and my family.”

The Dallas County district attorney’s office penned a letter to the parole board protesting Guyger’s parole, according to spokeswoman Claire Crouch.

Crouch declined to comment further.

Guyger’s appellate attorney did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

Guyger and Darrell L. Cain, who killed 12-year-old Santos Rodriguez in 1973, are the only Dallas officers convicted of murder.

In an attempt to force a confession in a theft case, Cain played Russian roulette with the child, killing him in the back of a squad car.

Cain was sentenced to five years in prison but served only 2.5 years.

A former Wichita Falls officer, Teddie Whitefield, was convicted of three counts of manslaughter and served a fourth of his eight-year sentence.

If Guyger were granted parole, it would buck the most recent statistical trend:

Less than 35% of the nearly 64,800 cases reviewed by the board last year were approved for parole, according to a 2023 report.

A Change.org petition asking the parole board to deny Guyger’s request collected nearly 80 signatures as of Saturday afternoon.

The petition advocates for Guyger to serve her full sentence in prison.

“This sentence was intended to serve as a measure of justice for Botham Jean and his family, and as a statement that such actions will not be tolerated,” the petition reads.

“Granting parole at this time would undermine the severity of the crime and the justice that was sought through the legal process.

“We believe that Amber Guyger should serve her full sentence as a reflection of the gravity of her actions and to uphold the integrity of our justice system.”

Night of murder

Guyger mistook Jean’s apartment for her own the night of Sept. 6, 2018.

Guyger lived on the third floor of the South Side Flats building; Jean lived on the fourth.

She was fired from the Dallas Police Department a few weeks after the killing and initially jailed on a manslaughter charge.

A grand jury later indicted her for murder.

Jean was a native of St. Lucia and dreamed of returning to run for prime minister.

He was devout and had a deep interest in social justice.

His murder prompted protests and outrage as another example of a white officer killing an unarmed Black man.

At her 2019 trial, Guyger testified she believed Jean was a burglar and shot twice with her service weapon.

Guyger was off-duty but still wearing her police uniform.

In later appeals, Guyger argued that her mistaken belief she was in her apartment negated her culpability for murder and that she had the right to use deadly force in self-defense.

Whether Guyger pulled the trigger wasn’t in dispute at her trial; rather jurors were tasked with deciding if the killing was a crime.

Defense attorneys contended Guyger “firmly and reasonably” believed she was in her own apartment and that her life was in danger.

Prosecutors asked the jury to sentence Guyger to no less than 28 years in prison, a reminder that Jean would have celebrated his 28th birthday about the time of the trial.

She faced between five and 99 years or life in prison.

District Attorney John Creuzot remarked at the time that he expected the jury to hand down a longer sentence.

“Guyger deserves to spend her entire sentence — short sentence — in prison,” Charles-Findley said.

“She was sentenced to 10 years, which to me is a very light sentence for murder.

“So the decent thing to do is to serve every single day.”

During victim impact statements, Jean’s younger brother, Brandt Jean, stunned the courtroom by offering Guyger his forgiveness and then embracing the ex-officer.

‘Time is almost up’

Allison Jean, Botham Jean’s mother, said her family tried to lean on one another in the six years since the murder, but still struggles with anxiety and depression.

She didn’t want to think about Guyger’s parole but knew she’d need to confront it, thinking to herself: “The time is almost up.”

She also believes Guyger should serve her entire sentence.

She doesn’t sense remorse from the former officer.

Charles-Findley doesn’t feel her family got the full story of what happened when Guyger entered Jean’s apartment.

Guyger was too rehearsed during the trial, she said.

“She made four appeals, which really showed that she didn’t accept responsibility for what she did,” Allison Jean said.

Texas’ highest criminal court upheld her conviction and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case in 2022.

“And so that doesn’t soften my own feelings about it.”

Charles-Findley is trying to brace herself for what could happen, but said Sunday will feel “excruciating.”

“There is no prize at the end of this,” Charles-Findley said. “Botham is still not here. So, even [if] Amber Guyger’s parole is denied — and I’m still praying for that — there’s never going to be a good feeling coming from this.”

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rebeleden · 5 months ago

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Amber Guyger Given 10 Years In Prison For Killing Man In His Dallas Apartment : NPR

CC BRO CODES

CC FATAL SWIRLING

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urbtnews · 1 year ago

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Police Violence is Gun Violence

Police Violence is Gun Violence. Law enforcement’s use of excessive force garners renewed scrutiny following today's verdict, in which a jury found Aurora, Colorado. Police officer Nathan Woodyard not guilty of reckless manslaughter and a lesser-included charge of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Elijah McClain. McClain an unarmed 23-year-old Black man who died in 2019 after being subdued by police. Later he was injected with ketamine by paramedics. Unsurprisingly, police shootings and incidents of police brutality contribute significantly to cycles of distrust and community violence. Every instance of police brutality reinforces this mistrust. Although no national or standard definition exists, an officer-involved shooting (OIS) is the discharge of a firearm. Have "We the People" Become Desensitized? Research on the impact of violence has consistently found that the more exposure people have to violence in television, video games, and real life, the more they become desensitized or habituated to future violence. With the desensitization of violence, people's natural negative responses to such stimuli are reduced, along with the amount of empathy and sympathy they have for victims of violence. As access to creative media continues to expand, issues related to the desensitization towards police violence necessitate highlighting the harmful relationships between the criminal justice system and American civilians. The introduction of police body cameras has heightened public debate on the use of force by police officers. With a particular view of officer-involved shootings (OIS). For example, somebody videotaped the critical piece of evidence in the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) police officers. The video-recorded beating of Rodney King exposed the use of police violence to communities that would otherwise not witness such acts. Similar to the Rodney King incident, videos of violence in Black communities continue to be shown on a rapid loop on various media platforms to showcase the improprieties of the police, the victims, or both. DOWNLOAD THE URBT NEWS APP Duty to Protect and Serve In one year, more than 50 million persons in the U.S. have contact with police during a traffic stops, street stops, arrest, traffic accident, or resident-initiated contact. Law enforcement officers have the authority to use deadly force to protect their own lives and the lives of others and, under certain circumstances, stop the flight of felons. It is a tremendous authority, and its use generates intense public interest and scrutiny. Particularly in a world where camera footage can be made immediately available or even live-streamed as it is taking place. Incidents in which police officers use deadly force have led to protests and civil unrest in many communities. That said, brutality and dehumanization are deeply embedded in many departments. PICTURE: Police car with red and blue lights flashing. PHOTO: COURTESY OF: Wikipedia (Creative Commons) Deadly Use of Force On average, police in the United States shoot and kill more than 1,000 people every year, according to an ongoing analysis by The Washington Post. While police fatally shot a similar number of unarmed White non-Hispanic Americans, the racial disparities are apparent, given that there are five times as many white Americans as Black or African Americans. According to an UIC School of Public Health study, legal intervention injuries had more severe outcomes. Additionally, they disproportionately impacted marginalized communities -- Black and Brown Americans (BIPOC), as well as people suffering from mental health conditions. Many police officers see their use of deadly force as morally justified, obligatory, and even virtuous. However, the use of deadly force is something that we, as citizens and police departments nationwide, should not take lightly. Officer-Involved Shootings Statistics Although half of the people fatally shot by police are White, Black Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, both Black/African-Americans and Hispanics/Latinos are twice as likely to experience the threat of or use of force during police-initiated contact despite maintaining a population roughly one-fifth the number of White non-Hispanics. While White non-Hispanics account for roughly 76 percent (75.5%) of the U.S. population, Black or African Americans account for approximately 14 percent (13.6%). Blacks are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White non-Hispanic Americans. Hispanic or Latino Americans, who comprise roughly 19 percent (19.1%) of the U.S. population, are also killed by police at a disproportionate rate. To put this into perspective, in comparison to the 2.3 per million White, non-Hispanic Americans who are fatally shot by police per year, 5.7 Black or African Americans per million, and 2.4 Hispanic or Latino Americans are fatally shot by police each year, according to The Washington Post Fatal Force Database. PICTURE: Legal Intervention Deaths Distribution by Race (2020). PHOTO: COURTESY OF: The Washington Post Fatal Force Database. DOWNLOAD THE URBT NEWS APP Police Violence is Gun Violence The Washington Post Fatal Force Database Findings Since January 1, 2015, 8,811 victims have been fatally shot by an on-duty police officer. Of these, 3,811 of the victims were White non-Hispanic, 2,027 victims were Black or African American, and 1,388 were Hispanic or Latino. Startlingly, of the 8,811 victims, 517 were unarmed, and 4,714 were not fleeing at the time police killed them. Combined, unarmed, non-fleeing victims accounted for 236 of the victims fatally shot during police-initiated contact. Even more appalling is the fact that of the 236 unarmed, non-fleeing victims, 70 were Black or African American, and 43 were Hispanic or Latino. Combined, these underserved, marginalized communities account for 113 of the unarmed, non-fleeing victims fatally shot by law enforcement, while 104 were White non-Hispanics. Researchers have estimated that, on average, a Black unarmed person is at least as likely to be shot by police as someone who is white and armed. The number of fatal police shootings has risen slightly in recent years. Police killed the highest number of people on record in 2022. Officer-Involved Shootings Involving BIPOC Victims The history of policing and its relationship to Black and Brown communities in this country is complex and fraught. Brandon Cole On August 5, 2023, Brandon Cole, an unarmed 36-year-old Black man, was fatally when two Denver Police Department officers responded to a "violent" domestic violence call in the southwestern part of the city and found a Cole, who had reportedly "thrown" his wife from her wheelchair and was beating his 14-year-old son. Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said at the scene, Cole "became agitated and aggressive" and advanced toward the officers after stopping the assault. When he disobeyed their several commands, one of the officers deployed a Taser, which was ineffective, Thomas said. That's when the other officer fired his duty weapon. Officers suspected he had a knife, but he did not possess one. As it turned out, Cole only had a black marker in his hand. Based on how Cole is acting in the video, including seeming to conceal one of his hands behind his back, two experts in police use of force said the officer seemed to act reasonably in response to someone she believed to have a knife and intended to hurt her. https://youtu.be/C9KFRF9dE40?si=NTJvtlBQz5pmBVCX VIDEO: Officer-Involved Shooting: 2300 Cedar Ave - Body Camera 2, VIDEO: COURTESY OF: Denver Police VIA YOUTUBE. (DATED: AugUSt 10, 2023) Isidra Clara Castillo On July 9, 2023, Isidra Clara Castillo, an unarmed 38-year-old Hispanic woman, was fatally shot in an officer-involved shooting while a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop in Amarillo, Texas. Police said the license plate on the suspect vehicle did not match the vehicle that it was on. According to the Amarillo Police Department, Andrew Scott Norton, 32, pointed a gun at officers after exiting the vehicle. Seated in the front seat during the incident, Castillo was, also, struck by gunfire. He died at the scene, and she later died from her injuries. It did not result in any injuries to officers. DOWNLOAD THE URBT NEWS APP Police Violence is Gun Violence Officer-Involved Shootings Involving Victims In Mental Crisis Lamoris Dejuan Speight Jr. On September 10, 2023, Lamoris Dejuan Speight Jr., a 22-year-old, unarmed Black Army reservist who was "in mental crisis," was shot and killed by a Wilson County deputy in Saratoga, N.C., after he choked another deputy almost to the point of unconsciousness, according to the sheriff's department. James Lanier On February 24, 2023, James Lanier, a 34-year-old, unarmed and naked Black man, who had a history of and had been dealing with mental health issues was fatally shot by a Wallace police officer in the parking lot of a Wallace, N.C. convenience store. According to Wallace Police Chief James "Jimmy" Crayton, Lanier attacked the officer and continued attacking even after being tased. According to Chief Crayton, Lanier's behavior was more indicative of someone under the influence of controlled substances than of someone experiencing a mental health crisis, or perhaps both. Lanier was naked and disturbing customers at the time, the store owner said at the time of the incident. According to District Attorney Ernie Lee, Wallace Police Department officers responded. Video surveillance shows Lanier pushing the officer and refusing to back off despite repeated requests. The officer tased Lanier, but it appeared to have no impact on him. A way to engage with persons with a history of mental illness, which does not result in death, must exist. DOWNLOAD THE URBT NEWS APP Police Violence is Gun Violence Combatting Dehumanizing Language Law enforcement refers to victims as "subjects" involved in the incidents. Language like this dehumanizes the victim because it denies their humanness and portrays them as unthinking brutes or unfeeling machines. Good intentions don't blunt the impact of dehumanizing words or or make the language any less damaging. There needs to be an intentional re-training of police officers to model the use of people-first language to combat dehumanization. After all, we are all human beings human beings capable of deserving, suffering, and understanding the harm done to us. Call for Transformation to Policing One of the most dangerous things is for a police force is to lose the trust of its community. Police shootings, as well as other forms of police brutality, do untold damage to these already fragile relationships. The public must demand a transformation to policing. One that holds officers in the highest regard for the sanctity of human life, dignity, and people's liberty. Only in extreme circumstances and when all less-lethal means have failed, should officers apply deadly force. Communities torn apart by distrust, gun violence, overpolicing, and underprotection have a clear path forward. When police departments focus on building trust and concentrating their efforts around violence prevention, both law enforcement officers and community members are safer. We must rebuild community trust and refocus law enforcement efforts around just, effective, and proactive responses to community violence. DOWNLOAD THE URBT NEWS APP Police Violence is Gun Violence. Read the full article

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smoothserg · 1 year ago

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uvmagazine · 2 years ago

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Former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter Released From Prison After Serving 16 Months For Daunte Wright shooting

Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, has been released after spending 16 months in prison.

Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, has been released after spending 16 months in prison. Her conviction and sentence Potter was convicted of two counts of manslaughter for the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Wright, an unarmed Black man killed during a April 2021 traffic stop near Minneapolis. Wright was pulled over for having…

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#Daunte Wright #Kim Potter #Minnesota #police #police shootings

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ausetkmt · 1 year ago

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A shocking case of an Ohio police officer who released a police dog on an unarmed Black man who had his hands raised has thrown the use of canines by law enforcement back into the national spotlight in the US.

On Wednesday, the Circleville police department announced that the officer, who has been identified as Ryan Speakman, had been terminated “effective immediately”, New 5 Cleveland reported.

“Circleville police officer Ryan Speakman’s actions during the review of his canine apprehension of suspect Jadarrius Rose on July 4 show that Officer Speakman did not meet the standards and expectations we hold for our police officers,” the police department said.

Numerous reports in recent years have pointed to the ways in which police dogs have been used as weapons across the US by police and prison staff, often involving victims who were people of color.

Last year, video footage appeared to show California police officers using a police dog to severely maul an Uber driver who missed his car payments. In 2016, the family of an unarmed Black man in Mississippi who was severely attacked by a police dog and then fatally shot by a white police officer filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

A study released by the Marshall Project in 2020 found that many people attacked by police dogs did not have a weapon, were not accused of violent crimes or were not suspects at all.

A separate 2021 report by the organization found that between 2017 and 2019, Baton Rouge police dogs in Louisiana bit at least 146 people, with the majority of them being Black.

Earlier this year, a report published by the US justice department after the botched police raid that killed Breonna Taylor in Kentucky found that police dogs used by Louisville’s metro police department were found to sometimes not release a person even after being ordered by their handlers to do so.

Similarly, a recent Insider report found that from 2017 to 2022, patrol dogs used by state prisons were ordered to attack incarcerated people at least 295 times. It also reported at least 13 incidents during which the dogs went rogue and attacked correction officers or other prison staff.

But the Ohio case is seen as especially shocking, not least because the incident was caught on film and showed that other police officers ordered the canine officer not to release the dog on Rose.

The incident unfolded on 4 July, when dashcam video captured by the Ohio state highway patrol shows a trooper trying to stop a semi-truck driven by 23-year-old Jadarrius Rose for allegedly missing a mudflap.

Video footage appears to show Rose pulling over at one point before continuing to drive again. According to a recording of a call that Rose placed to 911, he told the dispatcher, “They’re trying to kill me,” News 5 Cleveland reports.

Following a chase through three counties, troopers eventually used spike strips to destroy the truck’s tires, which then forced Rose to come to a stop.

Video footage shows Rose exiting the truck as officers urge him to approach them with his hands raised or to get on the ground. Speakman can be seen holding back a police dog as a trooper repeatedly yells: “Do not release the dog with his hands up! “Do not. Do not. Do not.”

Nevertheless, Speakman appears to release the dog, which can then be seen running towards Rose before attacking him on the ground. Rose can be heard screaming in agony, at one point yelling, “Please! Please!” Meanwhile, a trooper repeatedly yells, “Get the dog off of him! Get the dog!” as multiple officers try to separate the dog from Rose.

At one point, video footage appears to show a trooper walking away from the scene in shock as they cover their face with their hands. Officers are then shown placing Rose, who is still on the ground writhing in pain, in handcuffs.

Speaking to ABC on Monday, Circleville’s mayor, Donald McIlroy, said that Speakman was put on paid administrative leave last Thursday and that the dog was put in a kennel.

Following the announcement of Speakman’s termination, the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association released a statement saying that Speakman was fired “without just cause”. It also released an official grievance form which it filed on behalf of Speakman.

Meanwhile, the national civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the attorney Kenneth Abbarno hailed the termination of Speakman, saying:

“It was the right decision to fire Ryan Speakman for releasing the police canine on Jadarrius … The excessive force Speakman used was not a baton or taser like we often see in these incidents, it was a live animal that repeatedly sunk its teeth into an already terrified Jadarrius, conjuring disturbing images from the past.”

In a joint statement last Friday, McIlroy and the police chief, G Shawn Baer, said that the incident would be evaluated by a use-of-force review board with the findings expected to be released next week, CNN reported.

According to the Circleville police department, the dog was trained by Shallow Creek Kennels, a Pennsylvania-based police dog training facility, with protocols that are standard for service dogs used by the US military, as well as various agencies including Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Following the incident, Ohio’s governor, Mike DeWine, said: “This incident in Circleville should be a lesson, a wake-up call to everyone that police training in Ohio is not equal. It needs to be equal.”

“While we certainly respect Governor DeWine’s views and are always ready to discuss how to improve police training, Circleville’s canine teams of dogs and officers are trained and certified to meet current Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission-recognized standards,” the Circleville police department said, New 5 Cleveland reported.

#Police dog use scrutinized after violent attack on unarmed Black man in Ohio #circleville ohio #ohio #weaponized k9s #k9 units #dogs weaponized against people #k9 cops #k9 officers attacking #unwarranted k9 attacks #Black Lives Matter

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rnewspost · 2 years ago

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Donovan Lewis' family files suit against Columbus cop who shot him

More than five months after a Columbus police officer fatally shot Donovan Lewis, a 20-year-old unarmed Black man, his family is taking legal action. Lawyers for Lewis’ mother, Rebecca Duran, filed a civil lawsuit Thursday against Columbus K-9 officer Ricky Anderson, who killed Lewis with a single shot to the abdomen while executing a warrant at night. Four other officers who were…

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theladysteffi · 2 years ago

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THIS IS WHY WE'LL NEVER TRUST THE SYSTEM!! Reposted from @black2theblock A Bell County jury on Tuesday found former Temple Police Department officer Carmen DeCruz not guilty in the death of Michael Dean. DeCruz was on trial for second degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of the 28-year-old Dean, an unarmed Black man, during a traffic stop on Dec. 2, 2019. Earlier in the day, the prosecution asked jurors to consider the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. In the end, the jury found DeCruz not guilty on all charges. After the verdict was announced, a relative of Dean shouted, “this is why we don’t trust the system! An innocent man was murdered!” Dean’s entire family then walked out of the courtroom and told local reporters they were not ready to speak to the media. #MichaelDean was shot in the face with his hands up by former Temple Texas officer Carmen Decruz. He was unarmed and complying during a traffic stop when Decruz's claims his gun accidentally fired. 🌹LadySteffi (at Warrendale, Detroit, Michigan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoaNdwIJ4f6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#michaeldean

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90363462 · 2 years ago

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We have got to be tired!! The rap community can step forward and change the narrative around killing be cool. Im not saying that’s the crux of the problem. I’m saying that something has to change NOW!

Migos Rapper Takeoff Shot And Killed In Houston Over Dice Game

Please keep the friends and family of Kirshnik Khari Ball a.k.a Takeoff in your prayers

Source: Getty / General

Rapper Takeoff from the famed rap group Migos was shot and killed at 810 Billiards & Bowling in Houston, Tuesday morning after reports of a dice game gone wrong.

According to the Houston Police Department, three people were shot, one fatally, at a downtown Houston bowling alley during a private party to celebrate the holiday. There were 40 to 50 people who attended the event

Police said they wouldn’t release the identity of the deceased victim until his family is notified and ID is verified by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

MORE: After Takeoff Is Killed, Celebrity Blogger Jason Lee Says He’s ‘Sad’ He Never Got To Interview Migos

A video of the alleged shooting hit Twitter early Tuesday morning, which put fans into a frenzy trying to confirm if the person they saw in the video lying dead on the ground was Takeoff.

The video, which is flipped on its side, shows people standing around a man whom Twitter identified as Takeoff shot dead on the floor. At the 15-second mark, another man who Twitter identified as Quavo can be heard grieving over the man who was shot.

(Click here to watch the video, but viewer discretion is advised. This video is very graphic.)

Folks who attended the party began to share their experiences from the night, reassuring Twitter that Takeoff had been shot and killed.

His death was finally confirmed by TMZ Hip Hop early Tuesday morning.

Takeoff, whose real name is Kirshnik Khari Ball, was born on June 18, 1994, in Lawrenceville, Georgia. In 2008 Ball’s uncle Quavo and first cousin Offset started the rap group Migos. The group would go on to be one of the biggest Hip-Hop groups of all time. Takeoff was known as the laid-back member of the group who rarely got involved in drama. He rarely posted about his personal life on social and was a pretty private person. His chill persona made him the favorite Migos for many fans.

Sadly, his solo music career was just beginning. Takeoff released his first studio album “The Last Rocket” Nov 2. 2018. The EP, “Culture III (Takeoff’s Way)” was released on June 12, 2021.

Please keep the friends and family of Kirshnik Khari Ball aka Takeoff in your prayers. We will be updating this post as this story continues to develop.

Source: Paras Griffin / Getty