Cops kill yet another black guy for probably no reason

[Schrodinger's Cat]

http://www.patriotledger.com/topsto...d-high-hopes-for-Danroy-DJ-Henry-Jr-of-Easton

This story has been pretty big news here in Boston for the last couple of days. In New York, police were responding to a brawl at a pub and ended up shooting and killing college student Danroy "DJ" Henry Jr. According to the police accounts, the kid was terrorizing cops with the car, hitting several officers and then trying to mow down another before the officer was forced to shoot him.

According to the other passengers of the car, a cop knocked on the window of the car, which was illegally parked. The driver interpreted this as an order to move the vehicle. When he started to drive away, an officer jumped in front of the car and then shot into the vehicle several times before the driver even had a chance to stop the car.

There is no indication that Henry was involved in the brawl police were responding to.

Of course the police initially tried to portray this as defending themselves against some cop killing hood rats. However, according to everyone who was familiar with the passengers - teachers, community memebers, coaches, etc, Henry and the passengers were hard working students, upstanding citizens, and had never been in any trouble, not even so much a school suspension. Henry himself has been cited as an exceptional, well behaved, well liked, and highly respected student by faculty who were familiar with him.

 

[Cainkane1]

Oh brother. Glad I'm not a cop.

 

[Weak Kitten]

If they say he hit several cops with a car there should be physical evidence. I know being a cop is a hard job and they can often become mean, bitter and easily angered because of all the stuff they put up with. However I find it hard to believe that a cop would kill someone for no reason whatsoever. It may be a stupid reason or a misunderstanding but there is a reason here somewhere.

 

[Architect]

I'm very glad our police aren't armed.


Not that this stops them contributing to the death of a G8 bystander, of course, but it does make it less likely. Unless you're Brazillian and fairly swarthy. Then you can be shot in the head with impunity.

 

[Schrodinger's Cat]

If they say he hit several cops with a car there should be physical evidence. I know being a cop is a hard job and they can often become mean, bitter and easily angered because of all the stuff they put up with. However I find it hard to believe that a cop would kill someone for no reason whatsoever. It may be a stupid reason or a misunderstanding but there is a reason here somewhere.

True that the cops probably did have a reason, that reason likely being panic at the sight of a black guy in a moving vehicle at a scene of heightened activity (the brawl). I suppose perhaps I should have said "no VALID reason."

Cops have the power of life and death over us. Blind panic is not reason enough to justify a homicide.

I think the cops made a big mistake it initially trying to portray this kid as some homicidal maniac gunning for them. If they had from the start portrayed this as a horrible misunderstanding, that would probably work better for them as far as public opinion goes. But the fact that they tried to brand these kids as manaical thugs trying to kill them has really hurt them in turns of public relations now that it's been established that these were good kids from good families who'd never gotten into any kind of trouble.

 

[Weak Kitten]

I'm very glad our police aren't armed.


Not that this stops them contributing to the death of a G8 bystander, of course, but it does make it less likely. Unless you're Brazillian and fairly swarthy. Then you can be shot in the head with impunity.

I wish that was an option here but there are too many crazies out there with weapons. If someone is waving around a shotgun and won't listen to reason sometime there is only one option to insure the safety of both bystanders and yourself.

In this case though, it could very well be a cause of stupid panic on the part of some cop who had just gotten out of a nasty bar fight. I'm glad that cop cars now have cameras to help out with many similar instances. Now we just need to find a way to provide all individual officers with cameras. It would be a great thing for both the safety of the public, and their own safety from false accusations.

 

[ShadowSot]

While this is a horrible incident... I do think you're inserting race where it may not apply.

As far as the character witness' go, I reserve judgment, people tend to say very good things about people when they've passed on.

Regardless, I'm not trying to excuse the cop, far from it.

 

[patchbunny]

If they say he hit several cops with a car there should be physical evidence. I know being a cop is a hard job and they can often become mean, bitter and easily angered because of all the stuff they put up with. However I find it hard to believe that a cop would kill someone for no reason whatsoever. It may be a stupid reason or a misunderstanding but there is a reason here somewhere.

Hardly the first time. All you need is a police officer to feel that the use of force is acceptable, and anything goes. "He's driving away! I'll show him!" *blam*

 

[Loss Leader]

This happened very close to me. It was the first time a police officer has shot his weapon in the municipality in 20 years and the first time ever that the police have killed someone. Everybody here is very upset and a thorough investigation has been promised.

 

[patchbunny]

I'm glad that cop cars now have cameras to help out with many similar instances.

Except for when the cameras aren't functioning for that particular incident. Odd how that happens. Work fine all day long, except for that one time during the day when someone claims you used excessive force.

Now we just need to find a way to provide all individual officers with cameras. It would be a great thing for both the safety of the public, and their own safety from false accusations.

They're experimenting with that in San Jose, California. It's a little camera that hangs on the center of the officer's chest. The recording unit hangs on the belt.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

While this is a horrible incident... I do think you're inserting race where it may not apply.

The statistics support the conclusion race does apply. It could always turn out to be the exception, but the default position based on statistics is race and age of the suspect will have played a part.

As far as the character witness' go, I reserve judgment, people tend to say very good things about people when they've passed on.

Kind of hard to fake "college student" "football star", and parents putting an ad in the kid's high school year book saying what great hopes they had for their son, "love Mom and Dad".

Regardless, I'm not trying to excuse the cop, far from it.

Trigger happy seems to apply here, regardless of the perception the cops may or may not have had about the situation. Trying to stop a car by getting in front of it? What's wrong with the usual yelling, "stop"?

I just don't see the justification here, even given the cops version of events. Is life that cheap to them that parking in a fire lane, and even leaving the scene when told to stop is a reason to kill? It's been my experience cops have issues with their power trips. Obey me or I'll shoot you is all too often the justification of a shooting. Claiming one feared for their life is all too often added after the fact.

I can understand when cops are indeed defending themselves. How does a person driving off when cop raps on the window amount to defending oneself? No, it amounts to getting even for someone not obeying a cop on a power trip.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

I'm very glad our police aren't armed.


Not that this stops them contributing to the death of a G8 bystander, of course, but it does make it less likely. Unless you're Brazillian and fairly swarthy. Then you can be shot in the head with impunity.

Or carrying a table leg.

 

[Architect]

Indeed. "Irish" accent and all that.

 

[NoZed Avenger]

Can the mods re-label this thread "Rorshack Test for Attitudes on Police" until we have more definitive information?

 

[Rolfe]

Or carrying a table leg.

Or leaping out of bed in the middle of the night stark naked....

Rolfe.

 

[ShadowSot]

The statistics support the conclusion race does apply. It could always turn out to be the exception, but the default position based on statistics is race and age of the suspect will have played a part.

I understand that, believe me.
However, statistically I believe that minorities have a high presence in jails, however should a crime be committed in m area my first though is not that they must must have been of some specific race.

Kind of hard to fake "college student" "football star", and parents putting an ad in the kid's high school year book saying what great hopes they had for their son, "love Mom and Dad".

And I've known plenty of students who were college students, football stars, and loving parents who were complete trashbags.
I'm not stating he was, mind, and he likely wasn't.

Trigger happy seems to apply here, regardless of the perception the cops may or may not have had about the situation. Trying to stop a car by getting in front of it? What's wrong with the usual yelling, "stop"?

I have to agree with trigger happy, maybe saw to many of those action movies.

 

[marplots]

What race was the car?

 

[Marquis de Carabas]

Dear JREF Forums,

Wasn't us.

Love,

The South

 

[KateHL]

Dear JREF Forums,

Wasn't us.

Love,

The South

P.S. There should be a 'this time' or 'yet' in that thar sentence.

Sweet Potato Pie and I Shut My Mouth,

The Deep South

 

[Uncayimmy]

A more thorough description of events can be found here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/19/new.york.police.shooting/

Some 50 police officers responded to the brawl, which continued after the shooting incident, the statement said.

Officers were breaking up fights, police said, when "a vehicle parked in the fire lane" accelerated. A police officer tried to stop the vehicle, which Henry was driving, but its mirror struck the officer and the officer "ended up on the hood," said police.

Another officer tried to pull the first one down from the hood when the car struck him as well. The officer on the hood shot at the driver, but the vehicle continued in the fire lane in the direction of a third Mount Pleasant officer. That officer also fired at the vehicle, according to the police press release.

Of course, there's some dispute. There always is.