Phrase of the Week: TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE [Part 1 of 7]

Today, I begin a seven-part series commenting on events in Ferguson, MO, Cleveland, OH, and New York City, N.Y.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The title of this series is "To Protect and to Serve", which is recognized as the de facto motto of police departments across the country.  The phrase first came into use in 1955 by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), following a contest in Beat Magazine, an LAPD newsletter which is still produced today.  The winning entry was "To protect and to serve", which became the motto of the police academy.  You may have seen it on the side of police cars, which began in Los Angeles in 1963.

The motto appears as above or in reverse ("to serve and to protect") on police cars in various municipalities across the country.

Three recent events will be highlighted here, but I wish to make it clear that this is not an exhaustive list.  These are three of the most current and most notable examples of senseless murder by police.

THE INCIDENTS

FERGUSON, MISSOURI

On Saturday, August 9, Michael Brown allegedly stole some Cigarellos from a local convenience store, minutes before his fateful encounter with Officer Darren Wilson.  The surveillance video is claimed by police to show Michael Brown committing the crime.

While walking with his friend Dorian Johnson (who was standing behind the man in the video) in the street, Office Darren Wilson pulls up to them. How events then unfolded are recounted differently between witnesses and police.

Some said that Officer Wilson used profanity to tell Brown and Johnson out of the middle of the street; others said Brown was the one who used profanity in response to Officer Wilson.  Whether or not Officer Wilson saw the Cigarellos in Brown's hand and whether or not he knew about the robbery is unclear.  (By "unclear", I mean testimony that is unverifiable.)  Whether the tussle in the police car between Brown and Wilson was Wilson pulling Brown into the car or Brown going for Officer Wilson's gun is unclear.  Brown's final move (after running away from Wilson and then turning around to face Wilson again) was either a walking back toward Wilson with his hands up or running "full charge" toward Wilson; that, too, is unclear.  (CNN posted a synopsis of events early last month.)  At no point was Brown armed ... unless you consider Cigarellos to be lethal weapons.

The result was eighteen-year-old Michael Brown shot dead in the street from multiple gunshots.  His body was left in the street, uncovered, for approximately four-and-a-half hours.  The police claimed it was because they didn't want to disturb the body and crime scene.

Following an initial investigation, a grand jury was formed.  The grand jury proceedings began on August 20, eleven days after the shooting.

CLEVELAND, OHIO

In a public playground, twelve-year-old Tamir Rice was taking in and out of his pocket an Airsoft brand pellet gun, one that resembled a real handgun.  It was later revealed that a ring on the end of the gun's nozzle (pictured below) which marks the gun as not real had been removed, rendering it, indistinguishable from a real weapon.

A local resident, seeing this, called 911.  It was an adult male stating that he was scared at the sight, but that he (a citizen, not an officer) believed the gun was probably fake.  He stated twice in the call that he believed the gun was likely fake, as well as the individual was "likely a juvenile".  Howevere, the dispatcher makes no mention to police of the likelihood of the gun being fake or of the individual's age.  Within eight minutes of the initial dispatch call, the first police car is calling for EMF assistance. 

In under two seconds after pulling up to Rice, Officer Timothy Loehmann fatally shoots Rice.  UNDER TWO SECONDS.


An investigation is under way, including one by the U.S. Justice Department.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

On July 17, Eric Garner was approached by police regarding his allegedly selling "loosies", individual cigarettes taken out of cigarette packs without tax stamps on them.  It is unclear whether or not Garner was, or had been, selling them.  Witnesses, however, said that Garner had just broken up a fight between two people.  The two people who were fighting had left the area when the police approached Garner.

As another NYPD officer is explaining to Garner why he's going to be arrested, Officer Daniel Pantaleo comes up on Garner from behind and puts him, and keeps him, in a blatant chokehold. 
[** Note: These videos may be difficult to watch.]


Eric Garner, 43, was murdered by police.  His final, haunting words were "I can't breathe" repeated over and over -- anywhere from nine to eleven times -- until he could say them no more.

After an initial investigation, a grand jury was convened and began hearing evidence in September.


These are the events that unfolded in Ferguson, Cleveland, and New York City that led to the senseless murder of three individuals.  Tomorrow, I will look at some of the mechanics behind these events as well as the grand jury trials (in two of the cases) that followed.

Terry

TOMORROW
PROCEDURAL AND LEGAL