Ok, so the Devin Brown affair continues to fester. This is the case of a 13-year old African American youth named Devin Brown who was driving a 1990 Toyota Camry owned by one of his relatives without permission late one saturday night (83rd Street and Western Avenue, 4am, February 6 2005) when he was fatally wounded after LAPD officer Steve Garcia dumped ten rounds into the automobile the youngster was driving (although the officer claims he could not see who or if anyone was driving). The officer also claimed he feared for his life because the car was reversing directly towards him at a high rate of speed. However, an LAPD computer re-enactment refuted this claim. Despite this, District Attorney Steve Cooley refused to press charges against Garcia. Last week, LAPD Chief William Bratton ruled that the shooting was "within policy" and within days the Los Angeles Police Commission ruled 4-1 to overturn that decision. This Sunday, Angelenos woke up to the continued rabid ramblings of anonymous, police brutality apologist "Jack Dunphy" appearing again in the Los Angeles Times. In the Current section, "Dunphy" questions the impartiality of Police Commission Chief John Mack, claims that Chief Bratton faces a no-win political dilemma and suggests the Police Commission devalues Garcia's life over Brown's. He then ends with this big fat squirming straw man: "The commission's ruling suggests that it would rather have seen Garcia killed that night than Brown. The city must decide what kind of police officer it wants: the kind who will chase criminals through the streets in the dead of night, or the kind who will avoid perils to life and livelihood and simply watch them get away." Holy False Dichotomy, Batman! Are these our only choices? This was not a situation where either Devin Brown or Steve Garcia had to die. And it is precisely this thinking by too many LAPD officers that situations devolve to either the perpertrator or them that is at the root of such distrust, disgust and, frankly, violence, towards police officers. Excuse me, but there are other ways to stop a car then to shoot blindly into the driver's side window. Ever hear of shooting out the wheels? As I've said before, and I will say again, Jack Dunphy is a big fat idiot.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Devin Brown Affair Continues To Fester One Year Later
Ok, so the Devin Brown affair continues to fester. This is the case of a 13-year old African American youth named Devin Brown who was driving a 1990 Toyota Camry owned by one of his relatives without permission late one saturday night (83rd Street and Western Avenue, 4am, February 6 2005) when he was fatally wounded after LAPD officer Steve Garcia dumped ten rounds into the automobile the youngster was driving (although the officer claims he could not see who or if anyone was driving). The officer also claimed he feared for his life because the car was reversing directly towards him at a high rate of speed. However, an LAPD computer re-enactment refuted this claim. Despite this, District Attorney Steve Cooley refused to press charges against Garcia. Last week, LAPD Chief William Bratton ruled that the shooting was "within policy" and within days the Los Angeles Police Commission ruled 4-1 to overturn that decision. This Sunday, Angelenos woke up to the continued rabid ramblings of anonymous, police brutality apologist "Jack Dunphy" appearing again in the Los Angeles Times. In the Current section, "Dunphy" questions the impartiality of Police Commission Chief John Mack, claims that Chief Bratton faces a no-win political dilemma and suggests the Police Commission devalues Garcia's life over Brown's. He then ends with this big fat squirming straw man: "The commission's ruling suggests that it would rather have seen Garcia killed that night than Brown. The city must decide what kind of police officer it wants: the kind who will chase criminals through the streets in the dead of night, or the kind who will avoid perils to life and livelihood and simply watch them get away." Holy False Dichotomy, Batman! Are these our only choices? This was not a situation where either Devin Brown or Steve Garcia had to die. And it is precisely this thinking by too many LAPD officers that situations devolve to either the perpertrator or them that is at the root of such distrust, disgust and, frankly, violence, towards police officers. Excuse me, but there are other ways to stop a car then to shoot blindly into the driver's side window. Ever hear of shooting out the wheels? As I've said before, and I will say again, Jack Dunphy is a big fat idiot.
I think it is wrong that devin brown was shot but he made that choice, and he had to pay the consequences.
ReplyDeletethats sad. by peter
ReplyDeleteI feel the pain and suffering of the parents of devin brown but why was he out at 4:00 the morning?
ReplyDeleteI am disgusted by the excessive use of force they used on devin brown. but 4 real 10 shots?they didnt need to do that.
ReplyDelete