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Mistrial Verdict in Walter Scott Killing by Police Sparks Anger, Outrage

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‘A Legal Lynching’

Black Community and Supporters of Justice Outraged After Former Police Officer Who Shot and Killed Walter Scott Handed Mistrial Verdict by South Carolina Jury – Despite Video Evidence

After hours of deliberation, shocking video of the incident recorded by a bystander, and testimony that at times was contradictory from the former police officer’s charged with the murder who fired the fatal shots, a South Carolina jury deadlocked. Eleven were ready to convict, but one juror, identified only as a 50 year-old male, who has been quoted as saying he “cannot in good conscience consider a guilty verdict.” 

For Black Americans the declared mistrial is yet in another of a long line of missteps by the American justice system which disenfranchises them. It reinforces the principle that Black people’s daily encounters with police more often than not end in harassment, violence or death: Their lives don’t seem to matter, even when they’re being taken in front of millions of viewers.

It was a routine traffic stop in April of 2015 which quickly spiraled out of control. The white, North Charleston, SC police officer, 33-year old Michael Slager, had pulled 50-year old Walter Scott, a Black father of four, over for a broken ‘third brake light’ on the Mercedes Benz he was driving. The interaction between the two men escalated after Scott got out of his car and fled. Then in the version initially supplied to the public and media by North Charleston authorities, it was stated that Slager gave chase on foot, a physical altercation broke out, and Slager used lethal force to defend himself.

However, within three days an eyewitness came forward. A piece published by The Post & Courier newspaper on April 12, 2015, described what happened next: 

“On foot, Slager followed Scott down Craig Road, past a window-tinting shop and a lot behind a pawnshop. To their right was a chain-link fence with barbed wire. At an opening in the fence, Scott turned right, and so did Slager. At least one witness saw the pursuit.

Feidin Santana was on the alley-like road that paralleled the vacant lot. He took that route every day he went to work at a nearby barbershop. When he saw the pursuit, he decided to follow them. He heard the zapping sound of the Taser. He would later tell reporters that Scott seemed to be trying to get away from the Taser.

He pressed record on his cellphone. He twisted it sideways, and then steadied it as Michael Slager, a few yards away, pulled his Glock 21 from his holster.”

Santana, who initially was too frightened to release the video eventually went to a local media outlet which then broadcast it, and posted it online causing it to go viral.

The evidence revealed on Santana’s cellphone video was crystal clear: It graphically showed that Slager opened fire on Scott at a distance, striking him repeatedly in the back. Scott was unarmed and contrary to Slager’s statements given to investigators afterwards, Scott did not have possession of the officer’s Taser. In fact, Slager appeared to toss the device on the ground next to Scott moments after shooting him.

Within hours of the video’s release, Slager was fired, arrested and charged with murder.

One prominent member of the Black North Charleston, South Carolina community where the Scott killing took place, speaking confidentially to NCRM, referred to the mistrial as yet another miscarriage of justice, “a legal lynching.” 

He pointed out the December 3, Editorial Board of The New York Times editorial in the paper’s Sunday Review section to further illustrate his point.

The Times‘ board, writing about a supplement to the study, “Lynching in America,” released by the Equal Justice Initiative, had stated:

“The time when African-Americans were publicly hanged, burned and dismembered for insisting on their rights or for merely talking back to whites is nearer in history than many Americans understand. The horror of these crimes still weighs heavily on black communities in the South, where lynching memories are often vivid. The anguish is made worse by the realization that some of the killers are still alive and may never be prosecuted.”  

“This is no different.” he told NCRM. “The mentality that fostered the environment in American society which allowed for the Black community to be terrorized by lynching back then continues today by allowing for the police to be able to shoot black men with impunity.” 

While he acknowledged that although the jurors, eleven white and one Black, were considering both murder and manslaughter charges against Slager, the problem was that one juror. Even though his eleven other peers decided that the actions were unlawful, the holdout obviously didn’t view Slager’s actions as criminal.

“That is the attitude – right there, it’s in front of him and he still does not see the crime – it’s because it’s just another Black criminal and a cop trying to do his job. There’s no real change. This is the same mindset that there’s always been. What about next time? Maybe it will be two or three jurors.”

Prosecutors have stated that they will retry the case, an announcement that has been met with skepticism in the Black community in North Charleston and elsewhere.

Lecia Brooks, director of outreach for the Southern Poverty Law Center responded, telling NCRM:

“This is a case where an unarmed black man pulled over for a faulty brake light was fatally shot while running away. It is obvious to anyone who sees the video that Walter Scott posed no threat to the officer involved. We don’t believe that justice has yet been done and we are glad that the state of South Carolina isn’t giving up.”

In statement released Monday, South Carolina’s Republican Governor Nikki Haley expressed her faith in the system and applauded the prosecutor’s decision. 

“It is my understanding that there will be, as quickly as possible, a new trial where the Scott family and all of South Carolina will hopefully receive the closure that a verdict brings,” Haley wrote. “Justice is not always immediate, but we must all have faith that it will be served – I certainly do. I urge South Carolinians – in Charleston and across our state – to continue along the path we have walked these last two years: a path of grace, faith, love and understanding. That is who we are, and who I know we will continue to be.”

 

Brody Levesque is the Chief Political Correspondent for The New Civil Rights Movement.
You may contact Brody at Brody.Levesque@thenewcivilrightsmovement.com 

Image: Screenshot via ABC News/Twitter 

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HATE CRIMES

Leaders of White Supremacist Group Terrorgram Charged, Face Up to 220 Years in Prison

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September 9, 2024

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Dallas Humber and Matthew Allison, the leaders of the white supremacist terrorist group Terrorgram Collective are facing up to 220 years in prison on charges of soliciting hate crimes, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and soliciting the murder of federal officials.

The Justice Department announced Monday that Humber, 34, and Allison, 37, were arrested Friday. The pair were indicted on 15 charges. The charges include one count of conspiracy, four counts of soliciting hate crimes, three more of soliciting the murder of federal officials, three counts of doxxing federal officials, two counts of distributing information on making bombs, one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and a count of making threatening communications.

“Today’s indictment charges the defendants with leading a transnational terrorist group dedicated to attacking America’s critical infrastructure, targeting a hit list of our country’s public officials, and carrying out deadly hate crimes—all in the name of violent white supremacist ideology,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Today’s arrests are a warning that committing hate-fueled crimes in the darkest corners of the internet will not hide you, and soliciting terrorist attacks from behind a screen will not protect you.”

READ MORE: CNN Host Debunks Mike Johnson’s False Hundreds of ‘Known Terrorists’ Claim in Real Time

The Terrorgram Collective is based around the messaging app Telegram, and promotes the idea of white supremacist accelerationism, the Justice Department said. Accelerationism is an ideology that uses terrorism and political violence in hopes of speeding up a collapse of the government, which can then be replaced with a new system. In Terrorgram’s case, that new system would be a white ethnostate. In order to cause this destruction, Humber and Allison allegedly provided advice for committing crimes and disseminated a list of “high-value targets” of government officials and business leaders to be assassinated.

The Justice Department says it has linked Terrorgram with a shooting outside of an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia, a mass stabbing in Turkey near a mosque and a person who planned to attack New Jersey’s power grid. Terrorgram called those who had made attacks “Saints,” and the indictment includes a graphic explaining a five point criteria for “sainthood.” First is to “be White… obviously”; the incident must be deliberate; the motive must align with the white supremacist cause; there must be a body count, or “score,” of one or more; and the attacker must share a similar worldview to the group. Another graphic depicted the “Path to Sainthood”: Starting at “Grievance,” moving to “Violent Ideation,” to “Research and Planning”, to “Preparation,” to “Probing and breaching”, ending in “Attack.”

“Hate crimes fueled by bigotry and white supremacy, and amplified by the weaponization of digital messaging platforms, are on the rise and have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Make no mistake, as hate groups turn to online platforms, the federal government is adapting and responding to protect vulnerable communities.”

The case will be heard in federal court, in the Eastern District of California.

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politics

Trump Calls for ‘Biden Comeback’ Day Before Debate With Kamala Harris

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September 9, 2024

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Former President Donald Trump suggested Democrats put President Joe Biden back in play as the nominee a day before the scheduled debate with Vice President Kamala Harris by claiming Harris was doing poorly in the polls, asking “How about a Biden comeback?”

On Monday, Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social, calling out Harris’ Saturday afternoon campaign stop at Penzeys Spices in Pittsburgh.

“Comrade Kamala Harris goes to an ultra Left Wing, Trump Hating, spice shop, which I hear has terrible, overpriced product, and calls for ‘unity.’ As people begin to realize that she is a Marxist, FAR MORE LIBERAL than Crazy Bernie Sanders, or even Elizabeth ‘Pocahontas’ Warren, her poll numbers are beginning to crash. Who are they going to put in next? How about a Biden comeback?” Trump wrote.

READ MORE: Trump Late Night Rant Signals Plan to Evade Harris Debate as Rules Come Back Into Play

Penzeys Spices is a Wisconsin-based chain of spice stores that has gone viral in the past for making anti-Trump statements, according to the Tufts Daily. The store has sold a “January 6 Box” of spices which included blends named “Justice” and “Outrage.” Penzeys has also posted signs in its windows, including a “Welcome Future Fake Electors” sign at its Milwaukee location during the Republican National Convention in the city. Its website even has a page titled “About Republicans” slamming the party.

Though Trump is likely accurate in calling Penzey’s Spices “Trump Hating,” his other claims are more suspect. Harris is much closer to the center than Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Both Sanders and Warren are regarded as progressive, while Harris has been labeled a “reliable ally of the Democratic establishment” by the New York Times.

While Harris’ political momentum has stalled in the most recent polling, according to Politico, it hasn’t reversed, and the outlet reports that she’s still gaining popularity. NPR has also pointed to Harris’ previous debate performances and her past as a prosecutor as boons in Tuesday’s debate that could put her above Trump.

But regardless of whether she wins or loses the debate, it would be difficult for her to do as poorly as Biden did during his June 27 debate with Trump. Less than a month after that disastrous debate, Biden exited the race. Though Trump ultimately agreed to tomorrow’s debate with Harris, Trump made an attempt to change the venue to Fox News from ABC, and even initially pulled out before changing his mind.

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RIGHT WING IDIOCY

No, Haitian Immigrants Aren’t Eating Cats in Ohio

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September 9, 2024

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cats

The latest conspiracy theory to make it out of MAGA world is that Haitian immigrants moved to Ohio to eat people’s beloved pets—from geese and ducks to even cats. It should go without saying that this is false, but considering it’s been shared by pundits like Charlie Kirk and even vice presidential candidate Senator JD Vance (R-OH), it apparently needs to be said.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Vance accused Vice President Kamala Harris of being derelict in her duties as Border Czar, citing the conspiracy theory on Monday.

“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio. Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?” Vance wrote.

READ MORE: ‘I’m Not Suicidal’: Kari Lake Pushes Hillary Clinton Murder Conspiracy Theory

Charlie Kirk made a similar tweet on Sunday, including a screenshot of an anonymized Facebook post.

“Residents of Springfield, OH are reporting that Haitians are eating their family pets, another gift of the Biden-Harris mass immigration replacement plan. Liberals will soon be lecturing Americans on why they need to be sensitive to Haitian culture and accept this as the new normal. Those idiots deserve to be condemned and mocked mercilessly. Save our pets. Secure our borders,” Kirk wrote.

X owner Elon Musk replied, taking Kirk’s post at face value, writing, “Apparently, people’s pet cats are being eaten”.

Haitians have been explicitly singled out in this case because of an influx of Haitian immigrants to Springfield, Ohio. Approximately 20,000 people have come from Haiti to Springfield, according to the New York Times. The Times reports that the new immigrants have helped the city bounce back from a decline both of businesses and population.

In 2014, Springfield launched a plan to bring businesses back to the city—leading to 8,000 new jobs by 2020. There were many new jobs, but there weren’t enough people to fill all the positions. Enter the Haitian community, who filled the positions, made new lives for themselves, and have even started opening their own businesses.

“There was a time, not too long ago, when we were a dying city, hemorrhaging people and jobs to other places. And the good Lord heard our prayers, and brought us the gift of the Haitian immigrant community,” Korge Mori, a Springfield resident, told the Times.

As for the specific claims by Vance and Kirk, the Springfield police have no reports of pet cats being taken and eaten, according to the Springfield News-Sun. While there was a recent case of a woman being accused of killing and eating a cat, that took place in Canton, Ohio. There is no evidence the woman, Allexis Telia Ferrell, is Haitian, and she has been a registered voter in Ohio for six years, according to The Daily Dot. And, as the Daily Dot points out, Canton is nowhere near Springfield.

Though it’s been a common urban legend that Haitian people eat cats, it does not appear to be based in any fact. A Google Books search of books with the subject “haiti” prints up nothing about eating cats being a part of Haitian culture. In fact, the only references are similar to ones like in the book Tropics of Haiti: Race and the Literary History of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World, 1789-1865 by Marlene Daut. In this book, Daut refers to a claim of cat-eating by Edward Long, a historian who died in 1813—a claim Daut calls “bizarre.”

The idea of Haitians eating people’s pet cats is just another ugly urban legend with no basis in reality—much like similar claims against other immigrants to America. While it’s generally safest to keep your cats inside, it’s not to protect them from hungry people, but from being hit by cars.

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