5 outrageous recent police killings

The Blog

American police officers kill with impunity, but perhaps more outrageous is how they try to justify getting away with murder.

From Counterpunch's 26 June issue:

1. "On June 9, 2015 an unarmed man, Ryan Bollinger, was shot by police in Des Moines after “walking with a purpose” towards the police car after he exited his vehicle after a low speed chase started when he was observed dancing in the street and behaving erratically. The deceased was shot by the police through the rolled up cruiser window. The murder is under investigation."
2. "An unarmed man, Eric Harris, ran from the police in Tulsa Oklahoma on April 2, 2015. After he was shot in the back by a Taser by one officer and was on the ground, another 73 year old volunteer reserve officer shot and killed him, all captured by video. While dying he was yelling that he was losing his breath, to which one of the officers responded “F*ck your breath.” The police said the officer thought he was shooting his Taser and “inadvertently discharged his service weapon.” The officer has been charged withsecond degree manslaughter. Running away from the police so often provokes police overreaction that the aggressive police response has several names including the “foot tax” and the “running tax.”"
3. "Naked Man Refused to Stop. A naked unarmed mentally ill Air Force Afghanistan veteran, Anthony Hill, was shot and killed March 9, 2015 by DeKalb County Georgia police after police said he refused an order to stop. The killing is under investigation."
4. "On March 6, 2015 Aurora Colorado policeshot and killed unarmed Naeschylus Vinzant while taking him into custody. For the last three months, while the investigation into the killing continues, the police have refused to say what compelled the officer to shoot Vinzant."
5. "Five Police Felt Threatened by One Unarmed Homeless Man. March 1, 2015 Los Angeles police shot and killed an unarmed homeless man Charly Leundeu Keunang after five officers went to his tent and struggled with him. One unarmed homeless man threatened five armed LAPD officers? Los Angeles police have killed about one person a week since 2000. An investigation is ongoing."

After penning a further ten examples, Counterpunch writer Bill Quigly concludes that "These outrages demand massive change in the way lethal force is used, reported, justified and prosecuted."

Violence 'central to US colonial project', not started by Black people in #BaltimoreUprising http://t.co/ryo6dcApmQ pic.twitter.com/2PQhr35CeV

— The clubof.info Blog (@ClubOfInfo) May 10, 2015

The Blog

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner