Posts from the Crime And Courts Category at Black Voices Blogs

Tasered While Black - 21st Century Whips

Posted Jul 15th 2008 10:00AM by Carmen Dixon
Filed under: BlackSpin, Crime and Courts

Did you know that Tasers have been involved in more than three hundred deaths?

Dozens of others have suffered Taser-related injuries. I respect that sometimes force is needed to subdue a non-compliant suspect. And I'm not suggesting that police shouldn't defend themselves against violent attacks.

However, because Tasers are classified as "non-lethal" they are not routinely used to protect cops from deadly force – guns do that.

So how is it that increasingly cops with Tasers are becoming judge, jury and executioner of people who, by laws of the Constitution, are innocent until proven guilty?

You shouldn't have to die because you're being unruly. We are a better country than that...

Continue reading Tasered While Black - 21st Century Whips

Comments [21]

Texas 'Self Defense' Shooting - Was It Worth Two Lives?

Posted Jul 2nd 2008 9:00AM by Madison J. Gray
Filed under: BlackSpin, Crime and Courts

Not even a week after the Supreme Court decided that gun bans are unconstitutional, a man accused of shooting to death two burglars who were robbing his neighbor's home has been set free despite the viciousness of his act.

If you'll remember the story, Joe Horn, a 61-year-old Pasadena, Tex., resident spotted two burglars breaking into his neighbor's home in Nov. 2007. He dialed 911, but despite being warned to stay in his home, he declared that he has a right to use deadly force to defend his neighbor's property and that he was going to confront the robbers.

He does just that and then shoots them in their backs, killing them. A huge controversy ensued over whether he should stand trial in the deaths of do RiascosDiego Ortiz, 30, and Hernan Torres, 38, both Columbian immigrants.

Yesterday, a grand jury cleared him of all wrongdoing. Score another one for the gun nuts.

On Tuesday, family and activists called the killing "premeditated murder." ...

Continue reading Texas 'Self Defense' Shooting - Was It Worth Two Lives?

Comments [91]

D.C. Gun Ban - You Strapped? Everyone Else Will Be

Posted Jun 27th 2008 11:00AM by Carmen Dixon
Filed under: BlackSpin, Crime and Courts

Given the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Washington D.C.'s 32 year old ban on handguns, I'm wondering if it's now open season on urban America.

I'm telling you that no where, no where will this decision have a more disastrous impact than in the black and brown urban neighborhoods that will be flooded with even more guns.

Sadly, I expect to see more violent, angry and hopeless black and brown people kill more hopeless black and brown people.

D.C. Police Stops

D.C. police stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington. Recent violence in the neighborhood prompted police to create a Neighborhood Safety Zone to make sure people have legitimate reasons to be there.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Washington D.C. City Mayor Adrian M. Fenty speaks during a news conference about the checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington. Recent violence in the neighborhood prompted police to create a Neighborhood Safety Zone to make sure people have legitimate reasons to be there.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Washington D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier speaks during a news conference about the police checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood as DC City Mayor Adrian M. Fenty looks on Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Residents watch a police checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood of Washington on Saturday, June 7, 2008. Recent violence in the neighborhood prompted police to create a Neighborhood Safety Zone to make sure people have legitimate reasons to be there.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

D.C. police stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Residents Daniel and Ludwin Rubio play soccer on the sidewalk as D.C. police stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Residents walk past a police checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood of Washington on Saturday, June 7, 2008.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

The McAnnar family watches D.C. police stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in front of their home in the Trinidad neighborhood Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

D.C. police stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

D.C. police stop a vehicle at a checkpoint in the Trinidad neighborhood Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Washington.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

Continue reading D.C. Gun Ban - You Strapped? Everyone Else Will Be

Comments [18]

Reducing America's Embarrassing Incarceration Rate

Posted Apr 3rd 2008 1:00PM by Madison J. Gray
Filed under: BlackSpin, Crime and Courts

Tsk, tsk, tsk, America.

Did you know that 1 of every 100 of you is locked up? The stat is 1 in 15 if you're a black adult.

What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you keep your hands out of the cookie jar, your finger off the trigger, your fists off your woman, the dope out of your nose?

This Pew Center Report points out what this phenomenon really is and what it is costing you.

As far as I'm concerned, idiots will break laws for as long as we keep drafting them. But here are 10 ways we can reduce this 1-in-100 statistic, which, frankly, is the highest in the world and makes us look like freakin' international-grade criminal idiots.

Comments [82]

In Court Brother, You Lookin' Sharpe

Posted Apr 1st 2008 1:00PM by Madison J. Gray
Filed under: BlackSpin, Sharpe James, Crime and Courts

In our world of freaky governors and mayors, we've lost sight of the real reason most politicians get in trouble: graft.

Fortunately, we've got former Mayor Sharpe James, who is accused of spending 20 years fleecing the city of Newark, washing the hands of his cronies and friends, strong-arming the political establishment and generally being a badboy black politician who got anyone over age 50 to vote for him because that's all he needed to win.

Continue reading In Court Brother, You Lookin' Sharpe

Comments [22]

Brown-on-Black Crime in L.A. - Time to Push Back

Posted Feb 18th 2008 12:19AM by Madison J. Gray
Filed under: BlackSpin, Crime and Courts

There's something that has failed to enter the filibustering of the presidential debates, and all that "we want change" dialog over the last year.

For some reason, urban violence has been OFF the radar. Now, the violence I'm talking about has graduated to hate crimes in some areas, making it that much more significant.

Point is, we've got issues with a Los Angeles-based gang called Florencia 13 that's been terrorizing and killing blacks to claim turf for themselves.

Continue reading Brown-on-Black Crime in L.A. - Time to Push Back

Comments [49]

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Tasered While Black - 21st Century Whips

Texas 'Self Defense' Shooting - Was It Worth Two Lives?

D.C. Gun Ban - You Strapped? Everyone Else Will Be

D.C. Police Stops

Reducing America's Embarrassing Incarceration Rate

In Court Brother, You Lookin' Sharpe

Brown-on-Black Crime in L.A. - Time to Push Back

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