Police responded to the non-emergency call from their neighbor saying that their front door was left open. When Aaron Dean arrived, he fired shots through a window in their backyard. The officer did not identify himself as police, and more than two-thirds of Fort Worth's police are white. Although not much information and details are out yet, it is clear to everyone, including the police department, that Aaron Dean's actions were unreasonable and inappropriate.
My thoughts:
America needs to confront this issue as soon as possible. Lives are being lost so frequently for no reason. It is sickening to see innocent, everyday people being shot because officers claim to be "threatened".
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-10-14/white-texas-police-officer-kills-black-woman-home
I totally agree with you Kunal. Something needs to be done sooner rather than later about this issue. Every time we hear of a tragedy like this, politicians say they are going to do something, but never follow through with their word, which isn't necessarily a shock, but something that is immoral. Also, I think the excuse of officers saying they are being "threatened" is happening too often. Now I do understand that being a Police officer is a scary and dangerous job, but if you are responding to a call that doesn't pose to be threatening, there is no need to go in guns blazing. I think Police departments need to focus more of their training on responding to situations with communication rather than violence. After all, Police do need to follow their rules as well, and not just enforce ours.
ReplyDeleteAs seen through the Rodney King riots, police brutality has been present in our society for far too long now. Hate crimes and racial bias affect our society constantly, but racial bias in the police force is especially dangerous. Racial bias in the police force leads to systematic oppression of minority people and societal acceptance of these beliefs. The police officers are rarely held accountable and the media creates the perception that the police officers were defending themselves against dangerous minority people. This narrative reinforces the existing racial bias against minority people, most commonly African American and Hispanic people. In the case of Micheal Brown, Darren Wilson was not found guilty of murdering Micheal Brown despite extensive evidence that the shooting was unjust. Wilson shot Brown many times beyond what would be necessary for self defense yet he wasn't charged with murder. Wilson's use of excessive force against Brown and the fact that he felt immediately threatened by Brown indicates a racial bias. However, Wilson was not held accountable for his actions partially because of his privilege as a police officer and a white male. Police brutality and racial bias in the police force are not going to stop unless police officers who commit these injustices are held accountable for their actions. Fear of the consequences will make police officers more hesitant to take innocent lives due to their own racial bias and claim self defense.
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