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Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

“We called for Help and They Killed Our Son” Out-of-control Police Overreach Meets Extreme Secrecy

Author:     DAVID MIZNER
Source:     Salon
Publication Date:     Tuesday, Jan 28, 2014 07:37 AM PST
 Link: “We called for Help and They Killed Our Son” Out-of-control Police Overreach Meets Extreme Secrecy
Stephan:   Over the last year I have noticed a significant increase in police shooting innocent people, often deaf, or mentally ill. I could run a story on this almost every day. Part of it, I think, arises from the militarization of law enforcement, and the rise of the surveillance state. Let's be candid, many police are honorable individuals genuinely interested in serving their communities. I have known a number of these people. But walking around with a gun on your hip, or under your arm, able to tell everyone what to do, also appeals to bullies. These people I think were held in check when policing was seen as a neighborhood service, and the good cop on the beat was an iconic figure in American society. But, when you are wearing armor, and people can barely see your face, and it is all very confrontational well, the bullies come to the fore. It doesn't surprise me that an increasing number of people would never call the police for fear they, or a family member, might end up getting shot. Based on the stories I see almost every day that may not be an unreasonable fear.

On January 4 in Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina, Mark Wilsey called 911 because his stepson Keith Vidal, 18, was threatening his mother with a small screwdriver. Vidal, a schizophrenic, had no history of violence, but in this case his family needed help. Two police officers used a taser to subdue Vidal, who weighed 90 pounds. The situation, says Wilsey, was under control. But a third officer, Bryon Vassey, showed up and quickly-within 70 seconds-shot him. ‘We called for help and they killed our son,” said Wilsey.

The killing recalls last month’s killing of Dixon Rodriguez, a mentally ill man whose mother had called 911 in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. In recent months, the police have injured or killed a notable number of people. Some were suspects; others posed an alleged threat to police. Some were armed; others weren’t. Only a few hours into 2014, Chicago police had shot four in two different incidents. On January 7th in Philadelphia, Darrin Manning, a 16-year old black boy, had emergency surgery for a ruptured testicle after a stop-and-frisk by two white officers: Thomas Purcell and a woman the department hasn’t identified.

If it seems to you that the police are becoming more […]

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