Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

Tragedy on August 9th-past and present


photo 03fd5dd2-6c0b-46fd-aed1-d324f97940cc_zpsebcf6923.jpg

A few weeks ago I had planned to write a piece about the upcoming anniversary of a case of police brutality that had a slightly different end to it than we have come to expect from the criminal injustice system in America. The unarmed black man assaulted by police didn’t die. Not only did he not die, he went on to sue the NYC and the NYPD and won “the largest police brutality settlement in New York City history”. His primary police assailants were put on trial, and the officer responsible for the sodomizing, Justin Volpe is still incarcerated. Sadly, the others involved are not.

That man was Abner Louima, and the anniversary of his brutal attack, beating and sodomizing while in NYPD custody was on August the 9th, 1997.

But August the 9th is now the anniversary of yet another attack, this time ending in death, of an unarmed young black teenager, at the hands of police. Michael Brown.  

Some things ain’t changing very much in our landscape. History just keeps on repeating itself when you are black.

My hope is that the murder of Brown won’t have an unsatisfactory ending in the courtroom like it had for Oscar Grant, or Trayvon Martin. Here’s hoping that the entrance into the picture of the the FBI and Justice Department might bring some justice into the equation. It won’t bring back young Micheal Brown for his parents, family and friends. But they and the community are seeking justice.  

Once again we hear the cries of “No Justice No Peace” echoing through the streets. The same voices that were heard when close to 10 thousand angry New Yorkers marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to the courts of lower Manhattan on August the 28th, 1997.

Very little footage from that time is available on the internet. One documentary filmmaker, Seyi did capture many sides of three major tragedies from that time, the beatings of Louima, and the death at the hands of police of Amadou Diallo, and 13 year old Nicholas Naquan Heyward, Jr.

If I Die Tonight Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, Nicolas Heyward Documentary


Seyi’s documentary presents the complex relationships and perspectives on police brutality from family members, community activists and cops.

He has just released a new film which updates material from the first documentary.

91 Bullets in a Minute Official Trailer


Published on Jun 19, 2014

“No Justice!” “No Peace!” This rising chant from the streets escalated in answer to the seemingly endless incidents of police brutality throughout this great nation. Now 7 years have gone bye and has anything really changed? Following the shooting of Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell by members of the NY City Police Department the nation wrestled with this latest incident to rock our nation. Al Sharpton stood outside court demanding action and then Trayvon Martin happened.

We live in a world now, with almost instant communication. Our cell phones take pictures and video.  Twitter, facebook and other non-traditional media sources can help us get the word out about atrocities.  Eyewitnesses have already been interviewed.

I found it interesting that yet another element has entered the picture (hat-tip to Onomastic)

Anonymous has issued a statement:


“Anonymous will not be satisfied this time … with simply obtaining justice for this young man and his family,” the voice says. “Anonymous demands that the Congressional Representatives and Senators from Missouri introduce legislation entitled ‘Mike Brown’s Law,’ that will set strict national standards for police conduct and misbehavior in the USA.”

The Brown family has hired Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Trayvon Martin’s family. Al Sharpton arrived in Missouri today.  People in Ferguson continue to protest.

No one is going to let this drop.

No Justice, No Peace.

Cross-posted from Black Kos


Categories: Uncategorized.

/ 12 Comments

12 comments

  2. DeniseVelez

    This afternoon, President Obama issued a statement on the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was fatally shot on Saturday by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri:

       The death of Michael Brown is heartbreaking, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family and his community at this very difficult time.  As Attorney General Holder has indicated, the Department of Justice is investigating the situation along with local officials, and they will continue to direct resources to the case as needed.  I know the events of the past few days have prompted strong passions, but as details unfold, I urge everyone in Ferguson, Missouri, and across the country, to remember this young man through reflection and understanding.  We should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.  Along with our prayers, that’s what Michael and his family, and our broader American community, deserve.

    Attorney General Eric Holder also released a statement yesterday on the shooting, calling for a federal investigation to supplement the inquiry by local authorities:

       The shooting incident in Ferguson, Missouri this weekend deserves a fulsome review. In addition to the local investigation already underway, FBI agents from the St. Louis field office, working together with attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and US Attorney’s Office, have opened a concurrent, federal inquiry. The federal investigation will supplement, rather than supplant, the inquiry by local authorities. At every step, we will work with the local investigators, who should be prepared to complete a thorough, fair investigation in their own right. I will continue to receive regular updates on this matter in the coming days. Aggressively pursuing investigations such as this is critical for preserving trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog…

  3. Portlaw

    happened to him by those who were paid by my taxes. It’s one of the most brutal stories in a brutal city.

  4. JanF

    Banning the media, bringing in “police” in combat gear, refusing to release the coroner’s report.

    I am not sure how “community trust” can ever be rebuilt.

    This confuses the hell out of me: the city is 65% black and the police department is 90% white. Why can’t those citizens elect city government that represents them, fire the police chief and hire someone who respects them and will hold the police accountable. Like the guy who called the protestors “f-ing animals” and the guy who shot Michael Brown over and over again after he was dead.

  6. Portlaw

    For the past two days, Steve King has been “unbelievably busy” at his gun store, Metro Shooting at 11434 St. Charles Rock Road. King said business spiked 50 percent as local residents respond to the violent events taking place in Ferguson.

    “We’ve sold a variety of handguns, shotguns and AR-15s (a semi-automatic rifle),” King said. “All of the sales are having to do with home defense.”

    http://www.bizjournals.com/stl…

  7. JanF

    #IfTheyGunnedMeDown and What Hashtag Activism Does Right

    The injury, a deadly one, came first. Unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot to death by police in Ferguson, Mo. Then came the insult: many news accounts used a photo of Brown that showed him, unsmiling, gesturing at the camera in a way that led to unsubstantiated claims that he was “flashing gang signs.”

    This portrayal of Brown, who is African American, recalled the quasi-trial-by-photo of Trayvon Martin, another young black man shot to death. It became another racially charged statement in a controversial killing, as outlets illustrated their stories with pictures that – rather than show the dead teen smiling or in a family context – led commenters to call him a “thug” and thus to suggest that he brought his death on himself.

    The media is complicit in this demonization of young black men, giving cover to those people who want to say “see!!! he was a bad guy!!! you should thank us!!!!”.

    The one that really struck me was this one from @Heartbreak_Rell. When you can make the crime about the “guilt” of the victim instead of the guilt of the perpetrator, justice loses.

Comments are closed.