AN EPIDEMIC THAT RANDOMLY COULD AFFECT US ALL!

AN EPIDEMIC THAT RANDOMLY COULD AFFECT US ALL!

(CNN Staff, Tom Carter, Fox News, Associated Press)

(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Frazer Chronicle)

Is there an epidemic in the United States with regards to police shooting to death hundreds of probable perpetrators; is there an epidemic world-wide with this problem? The research it would take to answer this question, for me, would be problematic, I’m only one guy, I don’t have a staff…..unless you count my wife because she edits and proofs every blog that I publish. No matter, the effort would be herculean, and I’m not taking the time, suffice it to say that I’ll be generalist in today’s subject matter.

All I know is that through November 15, 2013 there has been 235 reported police killings that appear on Wikipedia. I was kind of surprised by the number, and then saw an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel talking about a shooting at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin last Thursday, November 14, 2013.

I kind of think that it’s unusual to serve a felony warrant at a hospital…..but hey, who the hell am I…..except an innocent by-stander. Thankfully no hospital staff, patients, or others were injured, according to Milwaukee County sheriff’s officials reported.

Did you ever see a cop with his service revolver drawn, like on television, kind of like Dirty Harry, ready to make somebody’s day!  Now I completely understand that police officers have a job to do, and people to answer to, but gee, a children’s hospital…..and I guess the perp. was holding his newborn baby during the initial confrontation…..wow!

And now there’s some sort of turf war between the county cops, Milwaukee city, and Wauwatosa city cops have been directed to make official reports within 60 days regarding protocol, answer jurisdiction rules, and an uncooperative attitude seemingly by each force.

There also seems to be a break-down in the private security forces that are stationed throughout the hospital 24 hours a day to provide initial protection to hospital staff, patients and visitors. These people were also directed to direct answers to the county sheriff, David A. Clarke Jr. within the 60 day time frame.  

SHARING INFORMATION IS ALWAYS BETTER

Here’s the scenario that unfolded at the Children’s Hospital, these are facts and can’t be denied; a black man was visiting his girl-friend and new-born baby on neonatal intensive care floor, he was wanted on a felony charge and the cops were tipped that the man would be at the Children’s Hospital. There wasn’t any back-up requested, nor were other policing agencies forewarned.

When the man was approached by the two officers, he put the babe down…..and acted as if he was going to surrender peacefully, but somehow wheeled around with either a pistol or a shotgun…..I guess you could pick-um, and one of the officers shot the man in the wrist.

Even after being shot the man, 22 year old Ashanti Hendricks, according to police, continued to struggle…..also according to police, the two on scene officers did not know whether Hendricks was armed or not……however he was wanted on a weapons charge, which to me would seem to indicate that the man just might be armed and ready for almost anything.

“These things rapidly evolve and you’re going to do in your best judgment what you think is necessary to get these violent individuals in custody,” according to County Sheriff Clarke. Gee, sheriff, maybe a better place to attempt to cuff a wanted felon might be let’s say in church, or a grade school, or maybe at a day care center.

Come on…..to protect and to serve exactly what happened to that phrase that used to be plastered all over squad cars. Seems to me as if the only thing being protected here is the collective butts of law enforcement, as well as serving some sort of cop shop agendas.

The other thing that’s chaffing my butt is the fact that nobody else in the law enforcement community was informed about the impending arrest attempt…..at a hospital. What is this, a hippity hop to the barber shop effort? This guy was wanted on a weapons felony warrant, wait…..this isn’t another unfolding chapter in how inept Milwaukee area police are…..is it?

I was under the impression that all law enforcement was supposed to be involved, through a sharing of what would seem like important information like making a bust at a kid’s hospital on the upper floors of the facility. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t well informed, united policing agencies work more efficiently in their quest to capture the bad guys…..and keep the good people safe?

THERE IS AN EPIDEMIC ON THE HORIZON

As we seem to be moving closer to what can only be described as a police state, we need to take several steps that will muzzle what is a dangerous trend towards unlawfulness by the very people that are supposed to uphold the laws of the land that govern us all…..or is supposed to.

Shootings of defenseless citizens…..and don’t kid yourself, some of these people are defenseless, needs to be first, examined, and then rigorous prosecution activity needs to be followed up by civilian courts, people without vested interests like fellow cops, and the prosecutor’s office. Does this sound unique, like some kind of ground-breaking activity…..if you think that, you’d be right…..you don’t really think that these people are going to give up their authority and control…..do you?

Across the country, certain sections of the working class confront mounting state violence and repression from increasingly mobilized and militarized police forces, or units. We might as well call them what they really are and actually what they want to be referred to…..battalions, departments, or cop companies. The behavior of the police whether city, county or state seem to mirror in various ways, murder and mayhem that our military does to populations in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa.

Ask yourself this, of the shootings by police that kill a potential criminal, how many of these cops get prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law…..pretty much zero, zip and butkus. Oh sure there is an occasional conviction, but by and large these people who hide behind a badge operate with almost total impunity.

Come on I watch the cop shows on television, I know there’s at least a percentage of police that are dirty, corrupt, and get away with as much as they figure they can…..safely, without getting caught. It’s the mean season out there, some of these guys would just as soon do target practice as actually do their jobs.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!