#police violence

[hussyknee]

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[lectorel]

Got permanently banned from a subreddit for saying law enforcement shooting someone dead in the street was still a bad thing even when the victim was a violent right-wing fanatic.

Gotta say, I did not expect that to be such a controversial statement. So repeating it here: law enforcement shouldn't kill people. Even violent assholes have a right to be taken in alive, and it's a failure of practice and policy when someone is killed in the process of an arrest.

[thoughtportal]

This is a developing news story and may be updated as more information is obtained. If you value such information, please support this Substack.

On Dec. 1, a woman immolated herself with a Palestinian flag outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta.

Now, according to the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department, the woman — referred to in their report as “Jane Doe” — is alive and “in stable condition” at Grady Memorial Hospital, where she has been since the immolation.

After repeated requests for her name, the department stated to this reporter in an email that it “does not disclose the identities of victims”. Repeated inquiries to Grady, which is a public hospital, went unanswered. The hospital houses the Walter L. Ingram Burn Center.

“Jane Doe” is 27.

When asked if they had made any comment to tell the public that she was still alive this entire time, the official at Atlanta Fire Rescue Department said they “shared the last updated with local media via email on 12/21/23. The release stated: ‘The victim remains hospitalized in critical condition. The security guard, who attempted to assist the burn victim, has been released from the hospital.’” Several internet searches on that quote produce no results. This would also indicate that "Jane Doe" went from critical to stable condition without public notice. 

Aaron Bushnell immolated himself at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, explaining “I will no longer be complicit in genocide” and shouting “Free Palestine!” repeatedly as he burned alive. So, his case — unlike many other self-immolations including Gregory Levey, Raymond Moules, Timothy T. Brown, Malachi Ritscher and others — has received some attention. Thus, “Jane Doe” being ignored fits with the usual pattern. Bushnell is the exception — probably because he livestreamed it. See “Ignoring Immolators Lulls the Society to Sleep.”

As Bushnell was burning himself alive, an officer pointed a gun at him, barking orders as if he constituted a threat. A security guard, Michael Harris, sustained injuries working to rescue “Jane Doe” — but there were similarities, where she was actually viewed as a potential threat.

At one point, the police report for “Jane Doe” refers to it as being a case of “arson”.

Much of the media coverage and general discussion of her self-immolation in December focused on if she had done damage. The Atlanta Police Chief said: “We believe this building remains safe, and we do not see any threat here.” The Israeli government released a statement: “It is tragic to see the hate and incitement toward Israel expressed in such a horrific way.”

Police records indicate that they obtained a search warrant and entered an apartment they believed to be associated with “Jane Doe” — initially using a drone:

The drone was able to relay information as to the layout and the belongings inside. After it was deemed "safe" entry was made with bomb technicians. While clearing the apartment no improvised explosive devices were located.

The police report also noted:

During the search a Quran was found in the bedroom along with a [sic] Arabic dictionary and a Hebrew dictionary. The bedroom bookshelf contained books related to fiction and fantasy. A "Drug use for grown ups" book was on the bookshelf as well. Two journals were seized from the bedroom. A thumbdrive was seized from the bedroom as well. A laptop computer was seized from the kitchen counter. A copy of the search warrant was left in the living room of the apartment. The front door [of] the apartment was secured before law enforcement left the premises.

When pressed for more information in compliance with an Open Records Request under Georgia law, Atlanta Fire Rescue Department claimed: ��There is an ongoing and active investigation for the incident in question, which is why the only releasable information has been shared via the incident report. Investigative documentation is not available for release until the investigation is closed.”

[sissa-arrows]

French people raised half a million. Half a fucking million for the family of the cop who murdered Nahel Merzouk, an Algerian boy.

Well we don’t know the value of an Algerian life in France but we sure now know the reward for killing one.

To all the French people who say France is not racist fuck you. To all the Europeans who pretend to be so much better than the US a huge fuck you. To all the people getting a hard on over France fuck you. To all the people who even think about mentioning how destroying public property is bad fuck you. Fuck everyone who is not revolted by what happened.

[wheelie-sick]

2 days ago Albuquerque police murdered a handcuffed man on the sidewalk by shooting him in the head. No one even called the cops there in the first place. APD admitted to murdering this man on television. They have no fucking shame! After the murder they laughed and cracked jokes. At protests they smirked and giggled.

His name was Matthew Freddie "Solo" Garcia

Solo had a wife, Biana, and two children, Matt Jr. and Azul. These children are growing up without a father because APD are violent and uncontrolled.

His name was Matthew Freddie "Solo" Garcia

His family never received any notice from the police about Solo's death. They were informed by community members. When Bianca tried to identify his body she was taken away in handcuffs.

His name was Matthew Freddie "Solo" Garcia

Solo was loved by his family, his friends, and the community. He was valued, and he had worth. Solo should still be here, Solo would still be here if it weren't for the police force that seeks to execute people like him. Solo was a gift to the world and the world will miss him dearly.

Rest in peace Solo, long live Solo

[rebel-girl-queen-of-my-world]

“There are principles and there are human lives that matter more than our careers and our futures. …the commitment to Gaza runs deeper than fears for our safety, fears for our careers, fears for our paychecks. It is a fundamental obligation we have as citizens of a country that is presiding over, arming this genocide, and as students at a university that is invested in those same weapons manufacturers and that has partnered with the same apartheid institutions that train that military and develop its technology. …For me the next step is a simple one… to keep fighting with every breath we have, with everything we have for the people of Gaza, because the blood of those kids is on our hands…”

If we can’t put stopping this brutality before our own fears about career, reputation, fucking profits - we’ve misunderstood the assignment of being a human.

Repost from @mo_hamz

•

‼️EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING NEEDS TO WATCH AND HEAR THIS INTERVIEW‼️

[baldwinheights]

[workersolidarity]

🇺🇸🇵🇸 🚨

VIOLENT SUPPRESSION OF AMERICAN PROTESTS INTENSIFIES

📹 The heavily militarized American police continue to violently suppress student protests against the Israeli occupation's ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Police have assaulted and arrested over 900 demonstrators since April 18th, in service of the Israeli occupation and US defense contractors profiting off the genocide of Palestinians.

#source

#videosource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

[politijohn]

Much more interactive data here

[a-queer-seminarian]

The disabled people most vulnerable to police violence are BIPOC with mental illness, autism, or another disability that causes “erratic” movements, difficulty complying with police orders, or speech / behavior that police deem threatening.

Especially vulnerable are those experiencing a mental health crisis who call the police for help (like Massey), or have the police called for them or on them.

Why do we send armed police with little or no mental health training to such cases?? Disabled people deserve better.

Resources on police violence & mental illness / disability:

treatmentadvocacycenter.org/criminalization

policingequity.org’s handbook “Redesigning Public Safety: Mental Health Emergency Response”

namiillinois.org/half-people-killed-police-disability-report

rudermanfoundation.org’s reports on police & disability

Resources on police & prison abolition:

Angela Davis, Are Prisons Obsolete? & Freedom Is a Constant Struggle

Derecka Purnell, Becoming Abolitionists

abolitionistfutures.com/resources

[sayruq]

[thoughtportal]

[sissa-arrows]

The homeless man who was killed by a cop in France that I mentioned in this post?

Well the updates are making it so much worst.

Like I said he was Algerian. He was 32. His name was Amar and he was killed by a cop cause he was sleeping in the backyard shed of the cop’s grandma. At first we were told he was illegally sleeping there, threatened the cop with a gun then the story changed to a knife then to a weapon and ended up getting shot.

Except the investigation is showing something entirely different. He was actually sleeping in the shed because he had a deal with the grandma… she was old so he helped her around when she had to hold groceries, fix small stuff… and she let him live in the unused shed in exchange. So he wasn’t squatting the shed at all. He had a glue gun in his hands that shit does NOT look like a gun or a knife or any type of weapon especially not if you are a trained cop. The piece of shit show him 7 fucking times. 1 in the head 2 in the back. The one in the head was at point blank range suggesting that the cop started shooting Amar tried to run, the cop shot him twice in the back and then executed him. The piece is shit also proudly took a pic of Amar after killing him before he called anyone.

The police refuse to consider that the motive was racist despite the fact that Amar’s family lawyer say that the words used by the cop to qualify Amar during his testimony clearly show his racism. (I guess he used one of the dozen of anti Arab slurs the French have)

[tieflingkisser]

N.J. woman was holding a water bottle, not a knife, when cops killed her, family says

The family of a Fort Lee woman killed by police during a mental health crisis last month says the 25-year-old was holding a plastic water bottle, not a knife, when cops broke through her apartment door and shot her. As Victoria Lee was bleeding on the floor, receiving chest compressions, her mother stood nearby asking “why the police would shoot someone holding a water bottle instead of a knife,” according to a statement released Thursday by the Lee family. The state Attorney General’s office, which is investigating the incident, previously said police were called to the high-rise apartment building by family members who said Lee was having a mental health crisis and holding a knife. The Attorney General’s office statement about the incident released last month said a knife was found nearby after Lee was shot. But, the statement did not say if police saw her holding the knife when they entered the apartment. The family alleged by the time police forced their way into the apartment, Lee had dropped the pocketknife and picked up a large 5-gallon Poland Spring water bottle.

[...]

The 911 caller was Chris, Lee’s brother, who made the call because their mother was concerned about Lee’s condition, according to the family.

[...]

Lee’s family said they called 911 that day because she was holding the pocketknife and exhibiting other unusual behavior, including rolling on the bed, briefly shouting, and lightly tapping her head against the wall. Lee was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017 and faced other challenges, her family said. She withdrew from college in 2021. Since then, she managed her mental health condition through work, travel and music, her family said. Chris, Lee’s brother, called 911 twice on July 28, according to the family’s statement. At 1:15 a.m., Chris made the first call to 911, “specifically requesting an ambulance to take Victoria to Valley Hospital, where she had received treatment at its sister facility, Ramapo Mental Hospital, in the past,” the family said. He was informed police would also accompany the ambulance because that is standard procedure for mental health calls.

[...]

After hearing both an ambulance and police were coming, Lee became agitated and picked up a pocketknife, refusing to go to the hospital, according to the Lee family. Lee was not holding the knife as a weapon, the family argues. She “was not, and had never been, a violent individual, even during previous episodes,” according to the family.

[...]

To try and de-escalate the situation, Chris met police outside the door of the apartment, while Lee and her mother remained inside the unit. An officer asked Chris for a key to the apartment, which he didn’t have, the family said. The officer then pushed Chris aside and started to kick the door, the family alleged. Inside the apartment, Lee’s mother “noticed with relief” that her daughter had dropped the pocketknife, the family’s statement said. Unnerved by the banging on the door, Lee picked up a 5-gallon Poland Spring plastic water bottle and clutched it. Moments later, the door burst open, “and almost immediately, a gunshot was fired,” the Lee family’s statement said.

[hufflpuffin]

As the police escalate violence, beat and attack students and professors, and conduct mass arrests, student protesters should know their rights.

Here is the link to the National Lawyer's Guild booklet for protesters.

If you plan on going out to support the protests, please take some time to read through this and know your rights.