No Epiphany

Photo 1: Protestors marching on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York carrying coffins in memory of those killed by excessive police force and discrimination including Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice.

Photo 2: Protestors angry over decision not to indict police officers who killed Eric Garner and Michael Brown walk down the street with arms interlocked as they approach police barricade on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

Richard Haste, an NYPD officer, killed an unarmed black teen (Ramarley Graham) in front of his grandmother and 6-year-old brother at point blank range over marijuana. The landlady, Paulet Minzie, 55, ran out the shower with only a towel after hearing the gunshots. Officers then put a gun to her head and told her to put her hands up. It wasn’t until she told them that there were cameras surveilling them, that they put their guns down.

Court papers say “[He\] immediately lowered his weapon. His demeanor completely changed, and he alerted his colleague that they may be on camera,”. The footage later revealed that Graham walked calmly to his apartment followed by police barging in without a warrant, contradicting the officers original claim that the teenager was running away from him. (Source)

Officers who shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice holding a toy gun refused to give him first aid November 28, 2014

The Cleveland officers who shot a 12-year-old boy holding a toy gun then failed to give him first aid for nearly four minutes. The boy was finally administered first aid when a detective and FBI agent arrived at the scene.

But it was too late. The boy, Tamir Rice, died after being transported to the hospital.

According to newly surveillance video, Rice was shot by the officers within two seconds of their arrival at the scene.

A department spokesman told a local ABC station he “was unsure of the policy related to how and when officers are required to provide medical assistance.” The officers’ conduct is “under investigation.”

The officers believed that the 12-year-old Rice was a “black male” who appeared “about 20.”

The family is outspoken in their belief that their son’s death was avoidable, had the police officers acted appropriately. The U.S. Justice Department has an ongoing investigation into the Cleveland Police “over allegations of excessive and unreasonable deadly force.”