A common misconception about the movement against systemic racism in policing is that the only thing being addressed is Black death. I think this is in part because white people have found their “what about Black-on-Black crime?” strawman to throw out there in response to our complaints about the extrajudicial executions of Black people, but police racism has always been much more than that. It’s also about racial profiling, harassment, a lack of regard for the respect and dignity of Black bodies, the fact that cops are generally more aggressive when dealing with Black suspects and, of course, a cop’s favorite go-to justification for stopping us in the first place: “You fit the description.”
On Friday, a federal court judge sentenced former St. Paul, Minn., police officer Brett Palkowitsch to six years in prison for violating the civil rights of 57-year-old Frank Amal Baker, The Washington Post reports.
Illinois Man Suing Police: They Mistook His Daughters Ashes for Drugs During Traffic Stop / VIDEO
On June 24, 2016, Palkowitsch and other police officers responded to a call about a large street fight taking place. 911 dispatchers described a man reportedly seen carrying a gun as an “unidentified Black male with dreadlocks and a white t-shirt.” The cops arrived at the scene and found no evidence that a large fight had taken place, but they did find themselves a “Black male with dreadlocks and a white t-shirt,” and, because it never occurred to them that locs represent a popular hairstyle among Black men and white t-shirts are worn by literally every-fucking-body, they decided to proceed as if they definitely had the right armed negro.
Source: Ex-Minnesota Cop Sentenced to 6 Years for Beating Unarmed Black Man While Police Dog Mauled Him
