ALL Police 'woefully under trained' on using force, experts sayMARTHA BELLISLE, Associated Press•June 11,2020
BURIEN, Wash. (AP) — Seattle officers hold down a protester, and one repeatedly punches him in the face. In another run-in, officers handcuff a looting suspect on the ground, one pressing a knee into his neck — the same tactic used on George Floyd.
The officers were captured on videos appearing to violate policies on how to use force just days after Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police, setting off nationwide protests.
With calls for police reforms across the U.S., instructors and researchers say officers lack sufficient training on how and when to use force, leaving them unprepared to handle tense situations. Better training can’t fix all the issues facing the nation’s police departments, but experts believe it would have a big impact.
“The skills are not taught well enough to be retained and now the officer is scrambling to find something that works,” said William Lewinski, executive director at Minnesota-based Force Science Institute, which provides research, training and consulting to law enforcement agencies.
Its two-year study of three large U.S. police academies says skills like using a baton or taking down an aggressive offender deteriorate dramatically within two weeks.
A recent Associated Press investigation found that a lack of firearms training has resulted in unintentional shootings by law enforcement. It’s the same problem with use-of-force techniques, Lewinski said.
“Police officers across the country are woefully undertrained,” said Sean Hendrickson, an instructor at Washington state’s police academy in suburban Seattle.
The AP was invited to the facility to see use-of-force training, a component of a 2012 federal agreement to reform the Seattle Police Department after officers were found to routinely use excessive force. The academy is considered one of the more progressive in the country for trying to mirror what officers will face on the streets.
There's classroom work, and cadets learn to combine skills by play-acting scenarios. In an old building decorated to look like an apartment, one officer plays the offender and others try to deescalate tensions, take away his weapon and put him in handcuffs.
In a parking lot, officers pair off. One wears padding on their shins and the other practices swinging a baton, hitting low on the legs.
They also learn to arrest someone who’s fighting back. An instructor plays the suspect, with one officer bear-hugging his legs and another wrapping his arms around him to take him to the ground. That officer presses against him chest to chest until he “wears himself out,” instructor Rich Lee said.
Then they flip him over, still holding his legs, with an officer's knee in the center of his back as they handcuff him.
Police in the Seattle videos didn’t use those techniques. No one held the suspects’ legs and one officer had his knee on a suspect's neck until his partner pushed it off.
In Washington state, cadets must complete 720 hours of training, “but those skills start to degrade immediately,” Hendrickson said. Some states only require 400 to 500 hours of academy training and require 24 hours or less of training once they’re on the job. Often, follow-up training is online, not hands-on.
“There’s no profession that trains so little but expects so much,” Lewinski said.
But not all officers can be taught, he acknowledged. When it came to Derek Chauvin, the officer charged in Floyd’s death, “I’m not sure that training would have made a difference,” Lewinski said. “What he did was definitely criminal.”
Protesters are demanding reforms ranging from cutting funding to banning chokeholds. There's been success in some states, such as California, where the governor ordered the police training program to stop teaching a neck hold that blocks blood flowing to the brain.
A measure introduced this week in Congress would limit legal protections for police, create a national database of excessive-force incidents and address training.
“A profession where you have the power to kill should be a profession where you have highly trained officers that are accountable to the public,” U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, a California Democrat and chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told reporters.
Reforming police use-of-force training was a major issue in 2014 and 2015, following the deaths of several black men at the hands of police, including Eric Garner, Michael Brown and others. In New York City, where Garner died, the nation’s largest police department retrained all patrol officers, dismantled how beat cops did their jobs and moved to a community policing model where officers were encouraged get to know their precincts and focus on deescalation.
It looked like police reform was gaining traction nationwide, but as the 2016 election took the spotlight, the effort faded, especially after the Justice Department shifted its civil rights priorities.
Most academies bombard officers with one subject, like communication, and then move to the next topic, like use of force, without integrating those skills, making them easy to forget, Force Science studies say.
An example of successfully using training can be seen in a video of a security guard who took two stolen AR-15's from some young men during the Seattle protests. The guard with military training hired to protect several journalists secured one gun and then calmly walked up to the second suspect, took the firearm out of his hands and unloaded it.
“His movements were very deliberate, even under those stressful circumstances,” Hendrickson said. “When you've done it enough times, that's going to dictate how smooth you're able to take control. He didn't have to think about those skills."
Lacking skills leads to bad reactions, Hendrickson said.
“I’ve been in situations where I’m frantic and the other officer is cool, calm and collected,” he said. “How did they do that without screaming? It all comes back to training. When we lack confidence, a lot of times we raise our voice, start swearing. It's all about fear.”
Jerrell Wills, manager of the applied-skills division at the Washington academy, said racial tension is a reason he wants to improve how officers are taught.
A black man who's been in law enforcement for 30 years, Wills said he's been racially profiled and had people threaten to call the police for no good reason. Now, he worries about his sons.
“That's why the work we do is so important,” Wills said. “Because I care about this industry, my community and my African American community.”
Saturday, June 13, 2020
Letters to the Editor: Try this: Don't call the police. Use respect to de-escalate dangerous situations
MORE MEDIATORS LESS COPS
MORE MEDIATORS LESS COPS
Los Angeles Times Opinion•June 13, 2020
Dozens of protesters are arrested for curfew violations in downtown Los Angeles on June 2. (Los Angeles Times)
To the editor: When it comes to proposals to defund the police, the word "defund" is misleading. "Redirected" is more apt. Redirected funds would address mental health and substance abuse problems, education needs and resources for impoverished communities. Focusing on these would reduce crime.
In my 30 years as executive director of Friends Outside in Los Angeles County, a 48-year-old nonprofit that serves inmates, ex-inmates and their families, I have contacted the police one time. We serve all who come to us, never screening for the nature of their criminal record or for how long they have been out of prison.
Our staff, 45% of whom have a criminal record, is trained to de-escalate situations. Our holiday parties in Watts attracted 550 clients, and we never had one problem in 10 years. Young men who appeared to be gang members would arrive to see what was happening and say something like, "Cool, as long as it is for the community." No police or security companies were ever used or needed. Respect goes a long way when dealing with people.
This is not to say the police have no role to play. But for the vast majority of situations, police intervention should be the last resort, not the first.
Mary Weaver, Studio City
To the editor: Columnist Doyle McManus believes that "defund the police" might be the worst campaign slogan ever. How is it any worse than "make America great again"? It's a matter of perspective.
Recent events of police brutality have made it abundantly clear that the system is unjust. As a taxpayer, I do not approve of my hard-earned dollars being allocated toward a system that prioritizes incarceration over care.
If we divest from police, then we will be able to invest in communities. Allocating funds toward healthcare, mental health services, programs for homeless people, education and nutrition will undoubtedly result in less crime and therefore reduce the need for police.
Whether or not one likes the slogan, I encourage people to become educated about the movement to defund the police rather than dismiss it as a poorly constructed catchphrase.
Lisa Lynch, Los Angeles
..
To the editor: Today's police officers have to walk a very fine line. They must be friends to their communities, de-escalate difficult situations and refrain from abusing their power.
Many officers do well with that. However, as soon as there is an active shooter, we all want that Rambo cop who has no fear and is ready to run into harm's way.
Matthew D. Kerster, Gardena
..
To the editor: We must remember that the Obama administration and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, during his tenure, initiated pattern-or-practice investigations into local police departments nationwide.
The Justice Department, through the legal processes, put pressure on local police departments that had a pattern or practice of violating the constitutional rights of their citizens to clean up their act. Systemic racism, abuses of power, excessive force, unconstitutional searches and the like were targeted.
This made for better police practices and safer communities.
In September 2017, then-Atty. Gen. Jeff Session's Department of Justice, under President Trump, brought these investigations to a virtual halt. Police reform became "voluntary," which is just another term for nonexistent.
It is long past time to bring back these investigations. Justice demands it.
Christopher T. Armen, Woodland Hills
The writer is a criminal defense attorney.
To the editor: When it comes to proposals to defund the police, the word "defund" is misleading. "Redirected" is more apt. Redirected funds would address mental health and substance abuse problems, education needs and resources for impoverished communities. Focusing on these would reduce crime.
In my 30 years as executive director of Friends Outside in Los Angeles County, a 48-year-old nonprofit that serves inmates, ex-inmates and their families, I have contacted the police one time. We serve all who come to us, never screening for the nature of their criminal record or for how long they have been out of prison.
Our staff, 45% of whom have a criminal record, is trained to de-escalate situations. Our holiday parties in Watts attracted 550 clients, and we never had one problem in 10 years. Young men who appeared to be gang members would arrive to see what was happening and say something like, "Cool, as long as it is for the community." No police or security companies were ever used or needed. Respect goes a long way when dealing with people.
This is not to say the police have no role to play. But for the vast majority of situations, police intervention should be the last resort, not the first.
Mary Weaver, Studio City
To the editor: Columnist Doyle McManus believes that "defund the police" might be the worst campaign slogan ever. How is it any worse than "make America great again"? It's a matter of perspective.
Recent events of police brutality have made it abundantly clear that the system is unjust. As a taxpayer, I do not approve of my hard-earned dollars being allocated toward a system that prioritizes incarceration over care.
If we divest from police, then we will be able to invest in communities. Allocating funds toward healthcare, mental health services, programs for homeless people, education and nutrition will undoubtedly result in less crime and therefore reduce the need for police.
Whether or not one likes the slogan, I encourage people to become educated about the movement to defund the police rather than dismiss it as a poorly constructed catchphrase.
Lisa Lynch, Los Angeles
..
To the editor: Today's police officers have to walk a very fine line. They must be friends to their communities, de-escalate difficult situations and refrain from abusing their power.
Many officers do well with that. However, as soon as there is an active shooter, we all want that Rambo cop who has no fear and is ready to run into harm's way.
Matthew D. Kerster, Gardena
..
To the editor: We must remember that the Obama administration and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, during his tenure, initiated pattern-or-practice investigations into local police departments nationwide.
The Justice Department, through the legal processes, put pressure on local police departments that had a pattern or practice of violating the constitutional rights of their citizens to clean up their act. Systemic racism, abuses of power, excessive force, unconstitutional searches and the like were targeted.
This made for better police practices and safer communities.
In September 2017, then-Atty. Gen. Jeff Session's Department of Justice, under President Trump, brought these investigations to a virtual halt. Police reform became "voluntary," which is just another term for nonexistent.
It is long past time to bring back these investigations. Justice demands it.
Christopher T. Armen, Woodland Hills
The writer is a criminal defense attorney.
Chicago's police union president says officers who kneel with Black Lives Matter protesters could be kicked out of the organization
SO CALLED POLICE UNIONS ARE NOT LABOR UNIONS THEY ARE FRATERNAL ORDERS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF WHITE COPS
Kelly McLaughlin INSIDER•June 12, 2020
Police force at the Chicago protests for George Floyd , on May 30, 2020 during a protest against the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while while being arrested and pinned to the ground by the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.More
Jim Vondruska/NurPhoto via Getty Images
John Catanzara, the new president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police criticized officers' decisions to kneel with protesters at Black Lives Matter demonstrations in an interview with Fox32 Chicago.
He said now is not the "time or place" to be kneeling with protestors, and said officers would be "risking being brought up on charges and thrown out of the lodge" if they did so.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called his comments "really unfortunate."
The president of Chicago's police union said that any officer who kneels with Black Lives Matter protestors could be kicked out of the organization.
John Catanzara, the new president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police told Fox32 Chicago that he didn't believe the current Black Lives Matter protests that broke out after the death of George Floyd were the "time or place" to be kneeling.
https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=FOP
"If you kneel, you'll be risking being brought up on charges and thrown out of the lodge," Catanzara, who has been in office for a month, told Fox32. "This was about defunding and abolishing the police officers. And you're going to take a knee for that? It's ridiculous."
Police have been photographed kneeling with protesters at demonstrations across the US in recent weeks, as tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets daily calling for police reform and the end of police violence. There have also been reports of police officers driving squad cars into crowds, attacking people with pepper spray and batons, and shooting rubber bullets at journalists and demonstrators.
In New York, one NYPD lieutenant apologized for taking a knee with protesters and fellow police department members.
"The conditions prior to the decision to take a knee were very difficult as we were put center stage with the entire crowd chanting," he wrote in his apology, seen by the New York Post. "I know I made the wrong decision. We didn't know how the protesters would have reacted if we didn't and were attempting to reduce any extra violence."
When asked about Catanzara's comments, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said they didn't "dignify" a response.
"I don't really think that we should credit those kinds of really unfortunate comments, and I'm not going to dignify them with any further response," she said.
SO CALLED POLICE UNIONS ARE NOT LABOR UNIONS THEY ARE FRATERNAL ORDERS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF WHITE COPS
Kelly McLaughlin INSIDER•June 12, 2020
Police force at the Chicago protests for George Floyd , on May 30, 2020 during a protest against the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while while being arrested and pinned to the ground by the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.MoreJim Vondruska/NurPhoto via Getty Images
John Catanzara, the new president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police criticized officers' decisions to kneel with protesters at Black Lives Matter demonstrations in an interview with Fox32 Chicago.
He said now is not the "time or place" to be kneeling with protestors, and said officers would be "risking being brought up on charges and thrown out of the lodge" if they did so.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot called his comments "really unfortunate."
The president of Chicago's police union said that any officer who kneels with Black Lives Matter protestors could be kicked out of the organization.
John Catanzara, the new president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police told Fox32 Chicago that he didn't believe the current Black Lives Matter protests that broke out after the death of George Floyd were the "time or place" to be kneeling.
https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/search?q=FOP
"If you kneel, you'll be risking being brought up on charges and thrown out of the lodge," Catanzara, who has been in office for a month, told Fox32. "This was about defunding and abolishing the police officers. And you're going to take a knee for that? It's ridiculous."
Police have been photographed kneeling with protesters at demonstrations across the US in recent weeks, as tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets daily calling for police reform and the end of police violence. There have also been reports of police officers driving squad cars into crowds, attacking people with pepper spray and batons, and shooting rubber bullets at journalists and demonstrators.
In New York, one NYPD lieutenant apologized for taking a knee with protesters and fellow police department members.
"The conditions prior to the decision to take a knee were very difficult as we were put center stage with the entire crowd chanting," he wrote in his apology, seen by the New York Post. "I know I made the wrong decision. We didn't know how the protesters would have reacted if we didn't and were attempting to reduce any extra violence."
When asked about Catanzara's comments, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said they didn't "dignify" a response.
"I don't really think that we should credit those kinds of really unfortunate comments, and I'm not going to dignify them with any further response," she said.
Floyd’s death hastens shift in police pop culture portrayals
HILLEL ITALIE, Associated Press•June 13, 2020
1 / 6
America Protests-Fictional Cops
In this image released by NBC, Jason Beghe portrays Hank Voight, left, in a scene from the crime series "Chicago PD." The May 25 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has set off protests worldwide and transmitted images of law enforcement that long remained far outside the narratives of crime stories. (Matt Dinerstein/NBC via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Phillips, a prize-winning crime novelist from Los Angeles, grew up on TV shows that showed a world nothing like the one he lived in.
"I watched them all, ‘Dragnet,’ ‘Adam 12,’ ‘The Wild, Wild West,’ ‘Mannix,’ ‘Cannon,’ ‘Peter Gunn’ reruns and on and on. Now these were white guys and they were tough but fair and even-handed,” he told The Associated Press in a recent email, referring to popular programs mostly from the 1960s and 1970s.
“I remember a ‘Dragnet’ episode where tight-ass Joe Friday solved racism among black and white officers in a weekend retreat. But I was a kid growing up in South Central and even then some part of me knew a lot of this was jive. We knew the cops out of Newton and 77th Division policed the ’hood a lot different than shown on TV.”
The May 25 killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck, has set off protests worldwide and transmitted images of law enforcement that long remained far outside the narratives of crime stories — beatings and lethal chokeholds of handcuffed suspects, firing mace and rubber bullets at peaceful protesters, harassing and cursing at journalists.
Police stories have evolved far from the prime of Sgt. Friday. But the idealized crime fighter remains a cultural touchstone even when countered by such recent narratives as Ava DuVernay's Netflix series “When They See Us,” about the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five, and Angie Thomas' “The Hate U Give,” a best-selling novel about a black teen murdered by police that was adapted into a feature film of the same name.
“Hopefully what we're seeing on TV now, and on social media, is that bubble being popped,” Thomas told the AP.
Protests have already changed television. “Cops,” which for 33 seasons helped shape an authorized narrative that allowed viewers to sympathize and identify with real police on patrol, was dropped this week by the Paramount Network. A&E did the same with a similar show, “Live PD,” one of its mostly highly rated programs. Earlier this year, five police procedurals were consistently in the Nielsen company's top 20 ratings, including NBC’s “Chicago PD” and CBS’s “FBI.” Now, even those portraying law enforcement officials are pulling back: Griffin Newman, who appeared as a detective on the CBS series “Blue Bloods,” announced he was donating his earnings from the show to help raise bail for arrested protesters.
The divide between crime fiction and real life dates back to the genre's origins, more than 200 years ago. Law enforcement violence and corruption were extreme in the mid-19th century and some police forces were rooted in the patrols that used to chase down runaway slaves. Meanwhile, “The police in early crime fiction were depicted as good, courageous, and brilliant,” says Otto Penzler, the crime fiction publisher and bookseller.
In the 20th century, shows such as “Dragnet” and “Highway Patrol” were collaborations between law enforcement and the entertainment business, to the point where J. Edgar Hoover was permitted to vet the politics of the actors appearing in “The FBI,” the long-running series starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Otherwise, police and other officials were portrayed as jaded and self-contained in the fiction of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, comical and bumbling like the Keystone Kops or the misfits of “Police Academy,” rumpled and savvy like Peter Falk's Columbo, or witty and indomitable like Bruce Willis' New York City detective John McClane in the “Die Hard” movies.
Walter Mosley, known for his “Easy Rawlins” novels about a black detective in Los Angeles, noted that even if the plot included a bad cop “it wouldn't be instituonalized. It would be that cop is bad because he or she is a bad person.”
For Gary Phillips and many others, it took years to find stories in which they could see themselves. Naomi Hirahara, the Edgar Award winning author of the Mas Arai detective novels, remembered the “fantasy” or watching the white male protagonists in “Columbo,” “The Rockford Files” and other shows. As an adult, she was drawn to African American crime writers such as Mosley and Chester Himes, and now admires Rachel Howzel Hall’s novels about the African American LAPD homicide detective Elouise “Lou” Norton, books “revealing the complexity of a black woman in a system that has traditionally disempowered minorities.”
Penzler and others cite Joseph Wambaugh's 1971 novel “The New Centurions” as a turning point in showing a more realistic portrait of police, although no single trend has prevailed. Over the past 50 years, the image of law enforcement has sometimes mirrored debates between liberals and conservatives. Sidney Lumet's 1973 film “Serpico” dramatized the corruption of New York City police and the heroism of the real-life title character's willingness to speak out. Around the same time, Clint Eastwood's “Dirty Harry” movies positioned Eastwood's San Francisco lawman as a needed rule-breaker in a system too permissive of crime. Spike Lee's landmark 1989 release “Do the Right Thing,” in which a black man is choked to death by police, was released two weeks after the premiere of “Lethal Weapon 2” and the crowd pleasing defiance of Mel Gibson's Sgt. Martin Riggs.
“Cops,” which allowed the departments it covered significant control over its content, has been contrasted by the tougher perspective of Lena Waithe’s Showtime series “The Chi." But even shows like “The Wire,” and “The Shield” that take frank looks at police abuses can end up making the audience identify with officers.
“At first it’s ‘police are dirty bums’ and it’s ‘look at the awful thing they did,’” says Miki Turner, a professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in diversity and controversial topics in the entertainment industry and television. “And th
HILLEL ITALIE, Associated Press•June 13, 2020
FINALLY THE BORING REPETITIVE LAW & ORDER SUV IS BOOTED OFF AIR
1 / 6
America Protests-Fictional Cops
In this image released by NBC, Jason Beghe portrays Hank Voight, left, in a scene from the crime series "Chicago PD." The May 25 killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has set off protests worldwide and transmitted images of law enforcement that long remained far outside the narratives of crime stories. (Matt Dinerstein/NBC via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Gary Phillips, a prize-winning crime novelist from Los Angeles, grew up on TV shows that showed a world nothing like the one he lived in.
"I watched them all, ‘Dragnet,’ ‘Adam 12,’ ‘The Wild, Wild West,’ ‘Mannix,’ ‘Cannon,’ ‘Peter Gunn’ reruns and on and on. Now these were white guys and they were tough but fair and even-handed,” he told The Associated Press in a recent email, referring to popular programs mostly from the 1960s and 1970s.
“I remember a ‘Dragnet’ episode where tight-ass Joe Friday solved racism among black and white officers in a weekend retreat. But I was a kid growing up in South Central and even then some part of me knew a lot of this was jive. We knew the cops out of Newton and 77th Division policed the ’hood a lot different than shown on TV.”
The May 25 killing of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee to his neck, has set off protests worldwide and transmitted images of law enforcement that long remained far outside the narratives of crime stories — beatings and lethal chokeholds of handcuffed suspects, firing mace and rubber bullets at peaceful protesters, harassing and cursing at journalists.
Police stories have evolved far from the prime of Sgt. Friday. But the idealized crime fighter remains a cultural touchstone even when countered by such recent narratives as Ava DuVernay's Netflix series “When They See Us,” about the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five, and Angie Thomas' “The Hate U Give,” a best-selling novel about a black teen murdered by police that was adapted into a feature film of the same name.
“Hopefully what we're seeing on TV now, and on social media, is that bubble being popped,” Thomas told the AP.
Protests have already changed television. “Cops,” which for 33 seasons helped shape an authorized narrative that allowed viewers to sympathize and identify with real police on patrol, was dropped this week by the Paramount Network. A&E did the same with a similar show, “Live PD,” one of its mostly highly rated programs. Earlier this year, five police procedurals were consistently in the Nielsen company's top 20 ratings, including NBC’s “Chicago PD” and CBS’s “FBI.” Now, even those portraying law enforcement officials are pulling back: Griffin Newman, who appeared as a detective on the CBS series “Blue Bloods,” announced he was donating his earnings from the show to help raise bail for arrested protesters.
The divide between crime fiction and real life dates back to the genre's origins, more than 200 years ago. Law enforcement violence and corruption were extreme in the mid-19th century and some police forces were rooted in the patrols that used to chase down runaway slaves. Meanwhile, “The police in early crime fiction were depicted as good, courageous, and brilliant,” says Otto Penzler, the crime fiction publisher and bookseller.
In the 20th century, shows such as “Dragnet” and “Highway Patrol” were collaborations between law enforcement and the entertainment business, to the point where J. Edgar Hoover was permitted to vet the politics of the actors appearing in “The FBI,” the long-running series starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Otherwise, police and other officials were portrayed as jaded and self-contained in the fiction of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, comical and bumbling like the Keystone Kops or the misfits of “Police Academy,” rumpled and savvy like Peter Falk's Columbo, or witty and indomitable like Bruce Willis' New York City detective John McClane in the “Die Hard” movies.
Walter Mosley, known for his “Easy Rawlins” novels about a black detective in Los Angeles, noted that even if the plot included a bad cop “it wouldn't be instituonalized. It would be that cop is bad because he or she is a bad person.”
For Gary Phillips and many others, it took years to find stories in which they could see themselves. Naomi Hirahara, the Edgar Award winning author of the Mas Arai detective novels, remembered the “fantasy” or watching the white male protagonists in “Columbo,” “The Rockford Files” and other shows. As an adult, she was drawn to African American crime writers such as Mosley and Chester Himes, and now admires Rachel Howzel Hall’s novels about the African American LAPD homicide detective Elouise “Lou” Norton, books “revealing the complexity of a black woman in a system that has traditionally disempowered minorities.”
Penzler and others cite Joseph Wambaugh's 1971 novel “The New Centurions” as a turning point in showing a more realistic portrait of police, although no single trend has prevailed. Over the past 50 years, the image of law enforcement has sometimes mirrored debates between liberals and conservatives. Sidney Lumet's 1973 film “Serpico” dramatized the corruption of New York City police and the heroism of the real-life title character's willingness to speak out. Around the same time, Clint Eastwood's “Dirty Harry” movies positioned Eastwood's San Francisco lawman as a needed rule-breaker in a system too permissive of crime. Spike Lee's landmark 1989 release “Do the Right Thing,” in which a black man is choked to death by police, was released two weeks after the premiere of “Lethal Weapon 2” and the crowd pleasing defiance of Mel Gibson's Sgt. Martin Riggs.
“Cops,” which allowed the departments it covered significant control over its content, has been contrasted by the tougher perspective of Lena Waithe’s Showtime series “The Chi." But even shows like “The Wire,” and “The Shield” that take frank looks at police abuses can end up making the audience identify with officers.
“At first it’s ‘police are dirty bums’ and it’s ‘look at the awful thing they did,’” says Miki Turner, a professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in diversity and controversial topics in the entertainment industry and television. “And th
Africa's most famous silverback gorilla Rafiki has been killed by poachers and people are heartbroken
#BUSHMEAT
Posted 10 hours ago by Louis Staples in discover
iStock
One of Africa’s most famous mountain gorillas, Rafiki, has been killed.
Four men have been arrested in Uganda and face a life sentence if found guilty of killing an endangered gorilla.
Rafiki was killed by a sharp object that penetrated his internal organs, an investigation found. There are only 1,000 of his species left in Uganda and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) described Rafiki's death as a "very big blow".
The silverback gorilla was the leader of a group of 17 mountain gorillas.
Bashir Hangi from the UWA told the BBC:
The death of Rafiki leaves the group unstable and there is the possibility that it could disintegrate.
It has no leadership at this time and it could be taken over by a wild silverback.
To find the poachers, a UWA team tracked a suspect to a nearby village, where he was found with hunting equipment. He admitted that he, and three others, had been hunting smaller animals in the park and that he killed Rafiki in self-defence when he was attacked.
The mountain gorilla species is restricted to protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. They are classified as endangered.
On social media, people were devastated about the gorilla’s death.
After his sudden death, it's not clear who the next leader of his tribe will be, or if it will continue.
Posted 10 hours ago by Louis Staples in discover
iStock
One of Africa’s most famous mountain gorillas, Rafiki, has been killed.
Four men have been arrested in Uganda and face a life sentence if found guilty of killing an endangered gorilla.
Rafiki was killed by a sharp object that penetrated his internal organs, an investigation found. There are only 1,000 of his species left in Uganda and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) described Rafiki's death as a "very big blow".
The silverback gorilla was the leader of a group of 17 mountain gorillas.
Bashir Hangi from the UWA told the BBC:
The death of Rafiki leaves the group unstable and there is the possibility that it could disintegrate.
It has no leadership at this time and it could be taken over by a wild silverback.
To find the poachers, a UWA team tracked a suspect to a nearby village, where he was found with hunting equipment. He admitted that he, and three others, had been hunting smaller animals in the park and that he killed Rafiki in self-defence when he was attacked.
The mountain gorilla species is restricted to protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. They are classified as endangered.
On social media, people were devastated about the gorilla’s death.
After his sudden death, it's not clear who the next leader of his tribe will be, or if it will continue.
UK Far-right protesters filmed doing 'Nazi salutes' in front of the cenotaph war memorial in London
WHILE CLAIMING TO BE PROTECTING IT
Posted 5 hours ago by Louis Staples in news
Screengrab: Twitter
In London, a shocking video has emerged which appears to show protesters doing Nazi salutes standing just metres away from the cenotaph war memorial.
The disturbing video emerges as far-right protesters take to the streets of London, supposedly in opposition to statues of slave traders being forcibly removed and against London’s Winston Churchill statue being defaced last weekend.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan had warned Black Lives Matter protesters, who were planning a second weekend of protests, that the far-right were planning to “hijack” the occasion by staging counter protests. Shortly after this warning, official Black Lives Matter protests were called off as "All Lives Matter" protesters confirmed plans to stage large counter-protests against them.
Despite the fact that BLM protests were called off, the far-right counter-protests have gone ahead anyway under the guise of "protecting" statues (which are now boarded up anyway, for protection) from the now non-existent anti-racist protesters.
Onlookers have said that the far-right protesters – who are overwhelmingly white and male – have become increasingly loud and belligerent, with many appearing to have consumed large amounts of alcohol. There have been reports of violence against police, members of the public and even each other. A photographer was allegedly assaulted and there are videos of bottles being thrown at police as well as xenophobic chanting.
The emergence of a video of people appearing to do Nazi salutes on the streets of London, standing just feet away from a war memorial, takes things to a new level. In the clip, a group of men can be seen walking forwards doing what looks very like a Nazi salute.
Posted 5 hours ago by Louis Staples in news
Screengrab: Twitter
In London, a shocking video has emerged which appears to show protesters doing Nazi salutes standing just metres away from the cenotaph war memorial.
The disturbing video emerges as far-right protesters take to the streets of London, supposedly in opposition to statues of slave traders being forcibly removed and against London’s Winston Churchill statue being defaced last weekend.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan had warned Black Lives Matter protesters, who were planning a second weekend of protests, that the far-right were planning to “hijack” the occasion by staging counter protests. Shortly after this warning, official Black Lives Matter protests were called off as "All Lives Matter" protesters confirmed plans to stage large counter-protests against them.
Despite the fact that BLM protests were called off, the far-right counter-protests have gone ahead anyway under the guise of "protecting" statues (which are now boarded up anyway, for protection) from the now non-existent anti-racist protesters.
Onlookers have said that the far-right protesters – who are overwhelmingly white and male – have become increasingly loud and belligerent, with many appearing to have consumed large amounts of alcohol. There have been reports of violence against police, members of the public and even each other. A photographer was allegedly assaulted and there are videos of bottles being thrown at police as well as xenophobic chanting.
The emergence of a video of people appearing to do Nazi salutes on the streets of London, standing just feet away from a war memorial, takes things to a new level. In the clip, a group of men can be seen walking forwards doing what looks very like a Nazi salute.
On social media, people immediately recognised the gesture and were shocked and disgusted.
On Twitter, some people defended the protesters by saying they simply had their hands up singing. But others felt that the gesture was unmistakable and truly shocking.
On Twitter, some people defended the protesters by saying they simply had their hands up singing. But others felt that the gesture was unmistakable and truly shocking.
Family demands investigation after black man found hanging from tree
Crowd chants 'speak the truth' at official during press conference on Friday Rory Sullivan
The family of a black man who was found hanging from a tree in California has called for an urgent investigation into his death.
Early on Wednesday morning, a passerby noticed the body of 24-year-old Robert L Fuller in the city of Palmdale in northern Los Angeles County.
Members of a nearby fire crew arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and determined that the victim was deceased.
In a statement, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said Fuller’s death was being treated as an alleged suicide and that a full autopsy would soon be carried out.
However, the victim’s family said it did not agree with the department’s verdict and is seeking a full investigation into his death.
One of the victim’s cousins told a local TV station: “We are not going to stop until we get answers.”
On Friday, a crowd of people attending a news conference on the incident in Palmdale expressed their outrage that Fuller was thought to have died by suicide.
In response to the comment, audience members chanted “speak the truth” and demanded to know why the LASD called it suicide when the coroner had deferred making comments on the death “pending additional investigation”.
An online petition calling for a “thorough and transparent investigation” has been signed by more than 91,000 signatories. Kim Kardashian is among those who has shared it on Twitter under the hashtag #JusticeforRobertFuller.
The change.org petition also asks for video surveillance from the surrounding area to be made available. However, a city official said on Friday that there was no footage of the incident.
A GoFundMe page set up by Fuller’s family to cover funeral costs had raised more than $140,000 (£112,000) by Saturday morning.
Protesters demand investigation after young Black man is found hanging from tree in Palmdale
Luke Money, Matt Hamilton, Kiera Feldman,
LA Times•June 12, 2020
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating after the body of 24-year-old Robert Fuller was found hanging from a tree in Palmdale. (Los Angeles Times)
The discovery of a 24-year-old Black man hanging from a tree near Palmdale City Hall this week has sparked alarm in the Antelope Valley as investigators try to determine whether his death was caused by suicide or if foul play was involved.
A passerby spotted the man's body at 3:39 a.m. Wednesday in the 38300 block of 9th Street East, according to authorities. Emergency personnel responded and determined that the man — identified as Robert Fuller — was dead, authorities said.
Lt. Kelly Yagerlener of the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner's office said the death was initially reported as an apparent suicide, but a decision on the cause of death is deferred pending an investigation. A full autopsy is planned.
"Investigators have been in contact with Mr. Fuller’s family and are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Fuller’s death," Palmdale officials wrote in a statement.
Fuller's death has generated intense attention, especially after weeks of protests over the police killing of George Floyd. Kim Kardashian West tweeted about the case, urging people to sign a petition demanding a full investigation.
Community members confronted city officials at a news briefing Friday, questioning why they were quick to label Fuller's death a suicide and asking whether he might have been the victim of homicide.
The residents asked whether there were cameras around the park. The city said there were no outdoor cameras, and video recorders on a nearby traffic signal could not have captured what happened.
Some of the community members detailed examples of racism in the high desert city, including confederate flags, and said officials should not be quick to dismiss it as playing a role in Fuller's death.
"We have a history with nooses. We don’t like ropes around our necks," said one man. "It was a message for the protest we had in Palmdale and Lancaster."
City Manager J.J. Murphy acknowledged, "Maybe we should have said it was 'an alleged suicide.'" Then he added: “Can I also ask that we stop talking about lynchings?”
The audience erupted with cries of “Hell no!”
Capt. Ron Shaffer of the L.A. County Sheriff's Palmdale station said homicide detectives are investigating and urged members of the public to contact the homicide bureau with any information.
"I have doubts about what happened," said Marisela Barajas, who lives in Palmdale. After the press conference, Barajas walked over and joined a crowd gathering at the tree where Fuller died. An American flag flew nearby.
"All alone, in front of the City Hall — it's more like a statement," she said. "Even if it was a suicide, that in itself is kind of a statement."
Fuller's family has launched a GoFundMe page seeking help covering funeral expenses.
"Words can’t describe how my family is feeling. We grew up there in the Antelope Valley, we have so many friends, families that loved Robert," one wrote.
Crowd chants 'speak the truth' at official during press conference on Friday Rory Sullivan
The family of a black man who was found hanging from a tree in California has called for an urgent investigation into his death.
Early on Wednesday morning, a passerby noticed the body of 24-year-old Robert L Fuller in the city of Palmdale in northern Los Angeles County.
Members of a nearby fire crew arrived on the scene shortly afterwards and determined that the victim was deceased.
In a statement, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said Fuller’s death was being treated as an alleged suicide and that a full autopsy would soon be carried out.
However, the victim’s family said it did not agree with the department’s verdict and is seeking a full investigation into his death.
One of the victim’s cousins told a local TV station: “We are not going to stop until we get answers.”
On Friday, a crowd of people attending a news conference on the incident in Palmdale expressed their outrage that Fuller was thought to have died by suicide.
In response to the comment, audience members chanted “speak the truth” and demanded to know why the LASD called it suicide when the coroner had deferred making comments on the death “pending additional investigation”.
An online petition calling for a “thorough and transparent investigation” has been signed by more than 91,000 signatories. Kim Kardashian is among those who has shared it on Twitter under the hashtag #JusticeforRobertFuller.
The change.org petition also asks for video surveillance from the surrounding area to be made available. However, a city official said on Friday that there was no footage of the incident.
A GoFundMe page set up by Fuller’s family to cover funeral costs had raised more than $140,000 (£112,000) by Saturday morning.
Protesters demand investigation after young Black man is found hanging from tree in Palmdale
Luke Money, Matt Hamilton, Kiera Feldman,
LA Times•June 12, 2020
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating after the body of 24-year-old Robert Fuller was found hanging from a tree in Palmdale. (Los Angeles Times)The discovery of a 24-year-old Black man hanging from a tree near Palmdale City Hall this week has sparked alarm in the Antelope Valley as investigators try to determine whether his death was caused by suicide or if foul play was involved.
A passerby spotted the man's body at 3:39 a.m. Wednesday in the 38300 block of 9th Street East, according to authorities. Emergency personnel responded and determined that the man — identified as Robert Fuller — was dead, authorities said.
Lt. Kelly Yagerlener of the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner's office said the death was initially reported as an apparent suicide, but a decision on the cause of death is deferred pending an investigation. A full autopsy is planned.
"Investigators have been in contact with Mr. Fuller’s family and are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Fuller’s death," Palmdale officials wrote in a statement.
Fuller's death has generated intense attention, especially after weeks of protests over the police killing of George Floyd. Kim Kardashian West tweeted about the case, urging people to sign a petition demanding a full investigation.
Community members confronted city officials at a news briefing Friday, questioning why they were quick to label Fuller's death a suicide and asking whether he might have been the victim of homicide.
The residents asked whether there were cameras around the park. The city said there were no outdoor cameras, and video recorders on a nearby traffic signal could not have captured what happened.
Some of the community members detailed examples of racism in the high desert city, including confederate flags, and said officials should not be quick to dismiss it as playing a role in Fuller's death.
"We have a history with nooses. We don’t like ropes around our necks," said one man. "It was a message for the protest we had in Palmdale and Lancaster."
City Manager J.J. Murphy acknowledged, "Maybe we should have said it was 'an alleged suicide.'" Then he added: “Can I also ask that we stop talking about lynchings?”
The audience erupted with cries of “Hell no!”
Capt. Ron Shaffer of the L.A. County Sheriff's Palmdale station said homicide detectives are investigating and urged members of the public to contact the homicide bureau with any information.
"I have doubts about what happened," said Marisela Barajas, who lives in Palmdale. After the press conference, Barajas walked over and joined a crowd gathering at the tree where Fuller died. An American flag flew nearby.
"All alone, in front of the City Hall — it's more like a statement," she said. "Even if it was a suicide, that in itself is kind of a statement."
Fuller's family has launched a GoFundMe page seeking help covering funeral expenses.
"Words can’t describe how my family is feeling. We grew up there in the Antelope Valley, we have so many friends, families that loved Robert," one wrote.
Facebook fires worker who protested Mark Zuckerberg’s inaction over Trump’s inflammatory posts
Employee backlash was sparked by the president's infamous "looting" remark
Katie Paul
Facebook fired an employee who had criticised Mark Zuckerberg's decision not to take action against inflammatory posts by Donald Trump this month, citing his tweet challenging a colleague's silence on the issue.
Brandon Dail, a user interface engineer in Seattle, wrote on Twitter that he was dismissed for publicly scolding a colleague who had refused to include a statement of support for the Black Lives Matter movement on developer documents he was publishing.
Mr Dail sent the tweet a day after joining dozens of employees, including the six other engineers on his team, in abandoning their desks and tweeting objections to Mr Zuckerberg's handling of Mr Trump's posts in a rare protest at the social media company.
“Intentionally not making a statement is already political,” Mr Dail wrote in the tweet, sent on 2 June. He said on Friday that he stood by what he wrote.
Facebook confirmed Mr Dail's characterisation of his dismissal, but declined to provide additional information. The company said during the walkout that participating employees would not face retaliation.
Read more
Facebook relaxes rules about coronavirus advertising
Mr Dail did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr Trump's posts which prompted the staff outcry included the racially charged phrase “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” in reference to demonstrations against racism and police brutality held after the 25 May killing of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis.
Twitter affixed a warning label to the same post, saying it glorified violence. Facebook opted to leave the post untouched.
Mr Zuckerberg defended his decision at a tense all-hands meeting with employees that week. During the meeting, Mr Dail tweeted that it was “crystal clear today that leadership refuses to stand with us”.
Mr Dail again voiced objections this week after both Facebook and Twitter declined to take action against a Trump post that contained an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory about Martin Gugino, a 75-year-old protester who was critically injured by police in Buffalo, New York.
Mr Dail did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr Trump's posts which prompted the staff outcry included the racially charged phrase “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” in reference to demonstrations against racism and police brutality held after the 25 May killing of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis.
Twitter affixed a warning label to the same post, saying it glorified violence. Facebook opted to leave the post untouched.
Mr Zuckerberg defended his decision at a tense all-hands meeting with employees that week. During the meeting, Mr Dail tweeted that it was “crystal clear today that leadership refuses to stand with us”.
Mr Dail again voiced objections this week after both Facebook and Twitter declined to take action against a Trump post that contained an unsubstantiated conspiracy theory about Martin Gugino, a 75-year-old protester who was critically injured by police in Buffalo, New York.
“Trump's attack on Martin Gugino is despicable and a clear violation of Facebook's anti-harassment rules. It's again extremely disappointing that we (and Twitter) haven't removed it,” he said.
e advice and analysis you need
Internal dissent is often encouraged at Silicon Valley tech giants, but the companies have been accused of penalising workers who organise and air complaints publicly.
Alphabet's Google fired at least five workplace activists late last year, while Amazon dismissed critics of its warehouse conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Both companies denied firing employees for speaking out.
Reuters
SNL star Jay Pharoah says police officer knelt on his neck during LA incident: ‘I literally could have been George Floyd’
Comedian posted an Instagram video where he recounted his experience of being stopped and held at gunpoint by police
Roisin O'Connor @Roisin_OConnor
Comedian Jay Pharoah has shared an Instagram video in which he reveals he was recently stopped and handcuffed by police in Los Angeles while out exercising.
The former Saturday Night Live actor said the incident took place around a week before Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by two white men in Georgia. He also said that one of the officers knelt on his neck in a similar way to the office charged in the killing of George Floyd.
Security footage included in Pharoah’s video shows him walking down a street when an officer runs up pointing his gun at him.
That officer is joined by another on foot, and two more officers who exit from a police cruiser that arrives on the scene. Three of the officers have their guns drawn and pointed at Pharoah.
“They tell me to get on the ground, spread my arms out,” Pharoah said in the video. “They put me in cuffs. The officer takes his knee, puts it on my neck. It wasn’t as long as George Floyd, but I know how it feels.”
Comedian posted an Instagram video where he recounted his experience of being stopped and held at gunpoint by police
Roisin O'Connor @Roisin_OConnor
Comedian Jay Pharoah has shared an Instagram video in which he reveals he was recently stopped and handcuffed by police in Los Angeles while out exercising.
The former Saturday Night Live actor said the incident took place around a week before Ahmaud Arbery was shot and killed by two white men in Georgia. He also said that one of the officers knelt on his neck in a similar way to the office charged in the killing of George Floyd.
Security footage included in Pharoah’s video shows him walking down a street when an officer runs up pointing his gun at him.
That officer is joined by another on foot, and two more officers who exit from a police cruiser that arrives on the scene. Three of the officers have their guns drawn and pointed at Pharoah.
“They tell me to get on the ground, spread my arms out,” Pharoah said in the video. “They put me in cuffs. The officer takes his knee, puts it on my neck. It wasn’t as long as George Floyd, but I know how it feels.”
Pharoah said he told the officers to look him up on Google: “You will see that you made a big mistake.” The officers released him “a minute later”.
The 32-year-old said the officers told him he fit the description of “a black man in this area, with grey sweatpants and a grey shirt”.
He later went on CBS show The Talk to discuss his experience, where he described the moment the officer knelt on his neck as “totally gratuitous”
“I was just trying to exercise,” he said. “It could have easily turned into another situation if I wasn’t who I am. And the point is that being black in America is just that, being black in America.
“Other people can’t level with the same fears I have. Leaving the house, we should not have to fear going to the grocery store, going to get some gas, running down the street. It’s called human civility. That’s what it is. It’s called being a human. That’s why everyone is out protesting. Corona put us in the house, and George Floyd took us out of it.”
Pharoah ended his video by urging all black men to educate themselves on the law in case they were ever stopped by police.
“Be in the know,” he said. “I’m Jay Pharoah, and I’m a black man in America. And my life matters. Black lives always matter.”
An LAPD spokesman said: “The person in the Instagram post was detained as a possible suspect of a crime. It was determined to be the wrong suspect and he was let go. The incident is being investigated.”
The 32-year-old said the officers told him he fit the description of “a black man in this area, with grey sweatpants and a grey shirt”.
He later went on CBS show The Talk to discuss his experience, where he described the moment the officer knelt on his neck as “totally gratuitous”
“I was just trying to exercise,” he said. “It could have easily turned into another situation if I wasn’t who I am. And the point is that being black in America is just that, being black in America.
“Other people can’t level with the same fears I have. Leaving the house, we should not have to fear going to the grocery store, going to get some gas, running down the street. It’s called human civility. That’s what it is. It’s called being a human. That’s why everyone is out protesting. Corona put us in the house, and George Floyd took us out of it.”
Pharoah ended his video by urging all black men to educate themselves on the law in case they were ever stopped by police.
“Be in the know,” he said. “I’m Jay Pharoah, and I’m a black man in America. And my life matters. Black lives always matter.”
An LAPD spokesman said: “The person in the Instagram post was detained as a possible suspect of a crime. It was determined to be the wrong suspect and he was let go. The incident is being investigated.”
KOO-KOO FOR CO-CO PUFFS
Donald Trump has claimed police chokeholds sound “so innocent and so perfect” during a bizarre Fox News interview in which he compared his administration's achievements to the work of Abraham Lincoln.
Mr Trump said he did not like chokeholds and would “generally speaking” support ending the practice, although he suggested there were scenarios where he would back their use.
Trump offers mixed message on police chokeholds
Trump offers mixed message on police chokeholds
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