Opinion: Guns, poverty killing more Black Americans than police
Timothy Taylor
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The Enquirer devoted four pages to the ongoing struggle with race and policing on April 11 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2001 unrest and Timothy Thomas death. The following words (and many others) were mentioned by some of the guest columnists to describe the actions and behavior of white police officers and white people in general:
Systemic racism, dehumanizing, historic inequalities, perpetual cycle of violence against Black bodies, racist policies, white supremacy, racist housing, officers who disrespect the humanity of African Americans, racial injustice, income inequality, two nations – unequal and separate, slave patrols, institutional racism, racial discrimination, Jim Crow and white racism.
Former FOP President Keith Fangman Says He s Finally Ready To Talk About 2001
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On April 7, 2001, according to testimony in Hamilton County Municipal Court:
Two off-duty Cincinnati Police officers working late-night security at the Warehouse bar, 1313 Vine St., spotted 19-year-old Timothy Thomas on the street. They knew he was wanted on 14 outstanding warrants, most were traffic offenses. Thomas recognized one of the officers and ran.
“I’m chasing a Black man, about 6 feet tall, wearing a red bandana and an Indy 500 jacket, Officer David Damico radioed a dispatcher.
A dozen officers joined the chase down streets and alleys. Officer Stephen Roach, driving south on Republic Street, saw Thomas jumping a fence. He ran from his squad car and confronted Thomas in an alley behind 1224 Republic.
and last updated 2021-04-07 23:30:30-04
CINCINNATI â April 7, 2021 marks the 20-year anniversary of the death of Timothy Thomas. His fatal shooting by a Cincinnati Police officer led to civil unrest in the city and â ultimately â the Collaborative Agreement, designed to improve relations between police and the public they serve.
A crowd gathered in Washington Park Wednesday night to mark the solemn occasion and ask the question: âWhatâs changed in the two decades since he died?â
âI want to get this story right because history cannot be told by other people,â activist Iris Roley said. âIt has to be told by the people who were here.â
Why does this keep happening? The answer to this question is simple but must be thorough.
There are law enforcement officers and elements of the criminal justice system that see Black people as inherently criminal and allow skin color alone to be evidence of the proclivity to commit crime.
There are law enforcement officers who disrespect the humanity of African Americans. Case in point, Eric Garner in New York City, a grown man accused of selling loose cigarettes in Staten Island who asked officers to leave him alone! He becomes the first for us to hear, I can t breath.
There are citizens who don t comply and not complying can put you in grave danger, especially if you are dealing with the types of officers I just mentioned.
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