A Sense of Doubt blog post #2018 - ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! End Police Murder! Black Lives Matter! JACOB BLAKE!
“You must be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way…to get in the way.”
– Congressman John Lewis (1940-2020)
It keeps happening.
And it's going to keep happening.
Though you would think that even racist police officers would use better judgement given the BLACK LIVES MATTER protests still going on in cities all over the country following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others.
You would think that even a racist police officer who thinks all black men are criminals would consider other methods of de-escalation or even physical restraint before shooting an unarmed, non-violent person of any color, especially one who identifies as African-American.
Granted I am making assumptions about the police officers, one in particular, Rusten Sheskey, who shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back while holding Blake's t-shirt. And though there had been a scuffle and attempted use of a tazer, the shooting of this man in this way is completely unacceptable, especially as he seemed to be trying to enter his vehicle and his three children were inside.
I say unarmed and non-violent because accounts vary (see story to follow) but most of the accounts of the people on the ground indicate that he did not threaten the police and that he did not have a weapon.
Nevertheless, in the video, it really looks like Blake is trying to flee the scene not escalate any violence. Why the police officers have their weapons drawn, why backup was called for and needed to bring three to the scene, and why the tazer attempt failed are all open questions. However, none of the answers will change what is obvious from the video and that's the disregard for the life of Jacob Blake by shooting him seven times at point blank range without any other attempt to restrain him,
I wrote murder in my headline.
Thankfully, Jacob Blake has lived, so far as of the writing of this post, which will be dated August 27, 2020, though it will contain content from August 28, 2020. The shooting took place on Sunday, August 23, 2020.
I wrote murder because Jacob Blake may as well have been murdered. It's a miracle that he survived that shooting. Surely, the officer should be charged with attempted murder among other crimes and should be removed from the police force pending the outcome of a criminal trial.
No other outcome is acceptable for this action, which is clearly attempted murder.
Watch these videos.
Here's the person responsible.
Rusten Sheskey, 31, is the police officer who authorities say shot Jacob Blake in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Authorities said he fired his weapon 7 times while holding on to Blake’s shirt during an arrest. https://t.co/89D54e1vcw— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 28, 2020
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| https://www.counterfire.org/articles/opinion/21555-jacob-blake-and-kenosha-the-chickens-are-still-coming-home-to-roost |
These acts of violence directed against black people must stop.
White America seems tone deaf, even after the protests inspired by what happened to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and others.
You may be a white person and reading this, and like me, you are not tone deaf. That's true. It's not ALL of white America. There are so many white allies joining with the people of color who are taking to the streets to show the hegemony in power that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
But there's still too many denying the reality of the history of racism in this country: past, present, and future if we do not find a way to make change NOW.
There are too many denying that systemic racism exists.
Too many are dismissing the protests as all the work of "outside agitators" and "anarchists" from the "radical Left" even though the most heinous violence, like the shooting of protestors, has been committed by Right Wing Extremists.
Too many want to tell NBA players who have a platform and can draw attention to the need for change to "shut up and dribble."
It's worse that all of these sentiments or clear insinuations thereof have come out of the mouth of the man who claims to be "president" of the United States and occupies unlawfully and unjustly the People's House, which he calls "our house," meaning him, his family, and the GOP wingnuts who support him.
I will have more content about the near murder of Jacob Blake on Saturday in the WEEKLY HODGE PODGE.
Here's details and other content.
Followed by the year in number, 2018, my first full year in my new home of the Pacific Northwest.
THE DETAILS
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/08/27/questions-police-use-force-after-kenosha-shooting-answered/5645186002/
What we know -- and don't know -- so far about the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake
On Aug. 23, Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back after Blake walked away from officers and was attempting to enter a small SUV with his three children in the backseat. Cellphone video of the shooting exploded across social media and ignited a firestorm of sometimes violent, destructive protests in Kenosha in the days since.
Blake lies in Froedtert Hospital, paralyzed. Sheskey is on administrative leave as state and federal agents investigate.
Some questions have been answered about that interaction between Blake and police on Sunday. Others remain. Here is some of what we know:
Why were officers called to the area Sunday?
At 5:11 p.m., Kenosha police officers are dispatched to 2805 40th St. for a report of “family trouble.” A dispatcher tells officers that a woman called for police and said, "Jacob Blake isn’t supposed to be there and he took the complainant's keys and is refusing to give them back.”
The dispatcher tells officers that there’s an alert at the address for a wanted person. Blake had a warrant stemming from a domestic case in May.
At 5:13 p.m., one of the officers assigned to the call asks dispatchers for a description of Blake. The dispatcher tells officers that the woman who called now says Blake is trying to leave. The dispatcher tries to get a description of Blake’s vehicle but she tells officers that the caller had become uncooperative.
The officer replies that he has arrived at the address.
At 5:14:28 p.m., a second officer arrives at the scene.
One minute and nine seconds later, a third officer radios dispatchers urgently asking for more officers. The dispatcher sends three more squads to "Two-eight and four-oh street" or, 28th Avenue and 40th Street in Kenosha.
What do the videos show?
On the scene, a bystander shoots a video that shows Blake and two officers scuffling on the ground on the passenger side of a gray SUV.
Less than two minutes have passed since the first officer arrived.
A different video, this one shot by a neighbor from a second-story apartment across the street, shows the scene from the driver's side: Three officers, two male and one female, have their guns drawn and are behind Blake as he walks from the sidewalk around the front of the SUV.
The two male officers follow Blake closely, aiming their guns at Blake as he opens the SUV driver's side door, and begins to go inside.
As Blake tries to get in the SUV, one of the armed officer grabs his shirt, then shoots him in the back at close range. Seven gunshots can be heard, followed by the car’s horn as Blake slumps forward. A woman who followed them to the SUV screams.
At 5:15 p.m., an officer reports "shots fired."
Other video shot by bystanders shows police officers working to save Blake’s life as he lies on the ground in a pool of blood. He is loaded into an ambulance, which is driven about eight blocks to Bradford High School. There, a Flight for Life helicopter awaits to fly him to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.
Was Jacob Blake armed?
This question is key to understanding police officers' actions in the case and whether Sheskey's use of potentially deadly force may be found to be justified in this case.
To date, authorities have released little information on the matter but what has been put out is not entirely clear.
From the Wisconsin Department of Justice, one thing is clear: there was no gun found at the scene. A knife was found on the floorboard of Blake's SUV, officials said Wednesday.
According to a DOJ statement, "Blake admitted that he had a knife in his possession." But it is not clear whether Blake held that knife during the Sunday confrontation with police, was reaching for it, dropped it in the car or was doing something else. Attorney General Josh Kaul and his spokeswoman would not elaborate on the statement.
Kenosha police officers are not equipped with body cameras. Officers have dashboard cameras in their squad cars but it is unclear whether any part of the shooting had been captured on those cameras.
Many would-be-sleuths online have pointed to video of the shooting as proof Blake was armed. But the grainy object visible in Blake's left hand could be a knife or something else. Some have speculated sunglasses.
The man who said he made the widely shared cellphone video from across the street, 22-year-old Raysean White, told the Associated Press he heard officers yell, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” as they scuffled with Blake before the shooting. The audio captured by White is inconclusive — obscured by the shouts of onlookers — though there is a phrase or two that could be interpreted as, “Drop the knife.”
White said he didn’t see a knife in Blake’s hands.
Blake’s lawyers said he was unarmed. His father told the Chicago Sun-Times, “My son didn’t have a weapon. He didn’t have a gun.” And Blake’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, said in a statement Thursday, “Jacob did nothing to provoke police. … Witnesses confirm that he was not in possession of a knife and didn’t threaten officers in any way.”
But another attorney representing the Blake family, Patrick Salvi Jr., had told CNN the day before that Blake didn’t have a weapon in the vehicle. That has now been contradicted by investigators. Blake's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request Thursday to explain the discrepancy.
When can an officer shoot someone? Is it ever allowable to shoot a suspect in the back?
Officers are trained on what is called a "use of force continuum," a standard that provides law enforcement with guidelines as to how much force may be used against a resisting subject in a given situation.
Use of deadly force is at the end of that continuum. Officers are justified in using that force or jump right to it if they reasonably believe that they or bystanders are in imminent danger of death or serious injury, according to use of force experts.
When it comes to a situation justifying drawing his or her gun and actually pulling the trigger, circumstances are limited, according to Kirk Burkhalter, a retired New York Police Department detective and New York Law School professor.
In the video of Blake being shot, Burkhalter said it was especially alarming to see Sheskey first grab Blake's shirt, and then immediately start shooting, a quick escalation in tactics, skipping over other means of subduing Blake.
"Grabbing someone by the shirt is a far lesser use of force," Burkhalter said. "You know, that's like going from zero to 60."
Thaddeus Johnson, a senior fellow for the Council on Criminal Justice and former police officer, agreed. He said in classes that he teaches at Georgia State University, he uses the example of a bank robbery, where the suspect shoots several tellers, a security guard and a police officer.
"It has to be an imminent threat to the community," he said.
Jon Loevy, Chicago-based civil rights lawyer, said he could not speak specifically about the Blake shooting, but in general he said he has seen departments do a better job training officers to ramp up force as needed.
"Before there was no continuum, police could use as much force as they wanted," he said.
There are circumstances where police can justifiably shoot a suspect in the back, Loevy said.
"There is no rule on where you can or can’t shoot someone," he said. "You can imagine it could be harder to reasonably feel in danger when the person is not facing you but there could be a situation like that."
Were there other steps that the officer could have taken to subdue Blake before shooting?
Johnson said under the force continuum, officers should start with verbal commands, empty-handed combat techniques, and then a progression of available tools, such as a baton or pepper spray. Officers did use a Taser on Blake, but it was "not successful," investigators said.
Even going through all of those steps doesn't mean that deadly use of force is justified.
"I think the problem that happens is when you've gone through that whole continuum. And the use of deadly force is not necessarily justifiable at that point," he said. "The person walking away and being non-compliant didn't give the officer a reason to shoot them in the back."
Burkhalter said that while it might be easy to view the escalation of the situation as too fast from the video, it's impossible to know what went into Sheskey's split-second decision. But there are steps that could have been taken first.
"One of the best practices is to take cover, conceal yourself, you know, behind a car, fire hydrant to protect yourself and then use the amount of force," he said. "This is not the Wild West, you just don't stand toe to toe and shoot it out with someone unless you have a reason to."
Contact John Diedrich at (414) 224-2408 or jdiedrich@journalsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @john_diedrich, Instagram at @john_diedrich, LinkedIn or Facebook.
| https://www.insider.com/jacob-blake-kenosha-shooting-black-lives-matter-cop-punished-activists-2020-8 |
A local Black
Lives Matter organizer says Kenosha, Wisconsin, will keep being destroyed until
the city announces the firing of the police officer who shot Jacob Blake. Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY via REUTERS
·
At least one
police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, shot Jacob Blake, 29, in the back at least seven
times on Sunday.
·
Blake's
shooting — in the middle of nationwide protests against police brutality —
prompted protests and riots in the city on Sunday night.
·
A Kenosha
Black Lives Matter organizer said she had been encouraging investigators to be
transparent with the public about actions against the cops involved — and she
fears that if they aren't, the city will continue to burn.
WASHINGTON POST - JACOB BLAKE PROTESTS
the following from - https://www.wonkette.com/tabs-fri-aug-28-2020
How about an Old Handsome Joe statement on Mike Pence somehow blaming Joe Biden for violence in Donald Trump's America? Sure, here you go.
[Two nights ago], Vice President Mike Pence stood before America and with a straight face said, "You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America."
His proof?
The violence you're seeing in Donald Trump's America.
Did Mike Pence forget Donald Trump is president? Is Donald Trump even aware he's president? These are not images from some imagined "Joe Biden's America" in the future. These are images from Donald Trump's America today. The violence we're witnessing is happening under Donald Trump. Not me. It's getting worse, and we know why.
Donald Trump refuses to even acknowledge there is a racial justice problem in America. To solve this problem, first we have to honestly admit the problem. But he won't do it. Instead of looking to calm the waters, he adds fuel to every fire. Violence isn't a problem in his eyes – it's a political strategy. And the more of it, the better for him.
One of his top White House advisors said it flat out earlier today. "The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who's best on public safety and law and order." The better it is.
And he does not stop there! — Joe Biden
Oh Joe, you forgot the video, you're welcome.
Kenosha sheriff had some thoughts two years ago. If you get too many ladies pregnant, he will warehouse you in some sort of camp where you can concentrate better.
And here's their police chief this week.
They wouldn't have been conflict-resolved with a firearm if they hadn't been out after curfew!
Meanwhile, according to his father, Jacob Blake is currently handcuffed to his hospital bed, where he lies paralyzed. — Business Insider
THIS PODCAST!!! Heart breaking......
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-ground-in-kenosha/id1200361736?i=1000489295082
On the Ground in KenoshaThe Daily
- Daily News
This episode contains strong language.
The shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black father from Kenosha, Wis., by a white police officer has reverberated through the city, fueling protests and unrest. There have been marches and demonstrations, as well as instances of destruction: businesses and property set alight, fireworks launched at the police.
On Tuesday night, a group of armed men, who claimed to be there to protect the community, arrived. Three protesters were shot, two of whom died. Kyle Rittenhouse, a white 17-year-old from Illinois, is suspected of being the gunman.
We speak with Julie Bosman, a national correspondent for The Times, about what is happening in her hometown.
Guest: Julie Bosman, a national correspondent for The New York Times.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily
Background reading: Kenosha has become the latest flash point in a season of unrest that began with the killing of George Floyd.Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, is facing a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. The Times’s visual investigation team tracked his movements on Tuesday night.The turmoil in Wisconsin has led some residents to feel that Democratic leaders are failing to keep control of the situation.
I am sharing all of this story linked below in two days, on Saturday.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29735483/lebron-james-says-black-community-terrified-result-police-conduct
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29752844/mike-pence-chief-calls-nba-protests-absurd-jared-kushner-says-reach-lebron-james
WASHINGTON -- Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, said Thursday that NBA protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, are "absurd and silly," while White House senior adviser Jared Kushner told CNBC that the players were "very fortunate" to be in a financial position to "take a night off from work."
"If they want to protest, I don't think we care," Short told CNN's "New Day."
The comments came the day after the NBA postponed three scheduled playoff games, prompted by the Milwaukee Bucks' decision not to take the floor for a game against the Orlando Magic. The players are demanding that lawmakers act to address police brutality and racial injustice.
In a separate appearance before an event hosted by Politico, Kushner said that he planned to reach out to Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, an outspoken advocate for policing changes.
"Look, I do think that peaceful protest has a place and it has importance," Kushner said. "But I do think that what we need to do right now is make sure that we take the anger that people have and we have to move from slogans to constructive solutions."
https://www.wonkette.com/jared-kushner-is-here-to-tell-black-america-how-to-protest-good-so-listen-up-lebronTHE YEAR IN NUMBER: 2018
2018 was my first full year in my new home of the PAC-NW and as my home sickness faded, I fell in love with it all.
I started work at two new schools -- Concordia University of Portland and Lower Columbia College (LCC) of Longview -- which is probably the top highlight.
I attended the tribute to Ursula K Le Guin, the Portland Comic Con, a start up weekend for entrepreneurs, my favorite ever Baseball player Alan Trammell was elected to the Hall of Fame, I fell in love with Portland, I cried at Black Panther, I spent a few glorious days in San Diego, I explored the beauty of Mt. St. Helens and other wonders of PDX nature, the Fantastic Four re-started, I went to Seattle and saw the Marvel exhibit at MOPOP, and I attended the Portland Book Festival with my new and amazing colleagues from LCC.
It was a pretty great year.
Oh and I volunteered at the Portland Ultimate League's Spring tournament and played as a free agent in its summer league.
All of that amazing stuff has been chronicled on my blog at all the links below.
https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/2018-events
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018/12/specials/year-in-pictures/
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #923 - Alan Trammel - HOF - Nicest Guy in Sports
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #928 - It's My Birthday, (and Again and Again - (2018))
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #932 - Ursula K. Le Guin dies at age 88 - 1801.22
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #943 - PORTLANDIA - Cool Things About my New Home part one
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #951 - Sunday Out - Columbia River Gorge - Portland
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #953 - Black Panther soundtrack and trailer
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #992 - National Puppy Day Blog 2018 - Two Dog Trips
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #998 - Tillamook Trip
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1004 - Lan Su Chinese Garden - Portland - 1803.25
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1006 - Off to Start Up Weekend - Vancouver, WA
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1017 - The Fantastic Four RETURN!
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1020 - Saturday to Ikea and Tequila Recovery
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1021 - First Ultimate in the Northwest
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1033 - Mount St. Helens trip 1805.03
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1041 - San Diego 1805.09-11
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1044 - Bill Finger to get credit for Batman
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1070 - Portland Ultimate Spring Tournament
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1084 - Portland and the Gorge - Recent Adventures - and PUPPIES
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1094 - Three years ago...and this year: Coldwater Lake
It was so therapeutic to hike part way around COLDWATER LAKE on the anniversary of my Mom's death.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1096 - The Last Daily, Consecutive Hey Mom Post
On July 6th, 2018, I ceased daily broadcast of my HEY MOM feature. I pledged to keep conversations with my Mom going at a rate of one-two per week, which slowly fell to maybe once a week, and eventually longer than a week might transpire between HEY MOM posts.
This was a significant step in letting go of all of my coping with grief practices, including my phone alarm every day at 10:10 a.m. to remember and reflect on Mom's death and kissing her favorite t-shirt each day.
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1276 - ARETHA
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1285 - Ursula K Le Guin Tribute
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1339 - Ellory Queen turns TWO and is kicked out of Paradise
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1358 - Portland Book Festival and a Problem with Time
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1362 - Lower Columbia College - ENG 101 - Tower Winter 2019 semester
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1363 - Stan Lee Has Died - RIP Stan Lee
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1380 - Please Help! Donate to Our Whiskey GoFundMe
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1384 - Concordia University - next semester
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #1140 - It's A Wonderful Trump Cold Open - SNL
A Sense of Doubt blog post #1408 - Gone Fishin' : Going Back to Michigan
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2008.27 - 10:10
- Days ago = 1882 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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