Is Racism the Real Issue?
On August 5, John Crawford III was shot dead at a Walmart in Ohio. The 911 caller told officials that Crawford was waving a rifle in the air, and officers put him down on sight. Further evidence has confirmed that Crawford was wielding a pellet gun that he picked up off the shelf, unloaded. He also was on the phone with his girlfriend when he shot.
Crawford was a black male, 22 years of age. Shopper Ronald Ritchie, the individual who called the 911 dispatch, originally said that he was pointing the gun at other shoppers and children. But after the surveillance footage was released, his story did not match up with that account, and Ritchie has now changed his story.
He now suggests that, “At no point did he shoulder the rifle and point it at somebody.”
In the video that officials have released to the public, Crawford is clearly seen walking around the store with an air rifle at his side, while he is on the phone. Had the description of him not been exaggerated to the degree that it was, there is a very strong possibility that Crawford would still be alive today.
Many are suggesting that had Crawford been white that he would still be alive.
The final two minutes of footage shows Crawford being seemingly unaware that police were there, as he chats on his phone. And police in turn gave him no time at all to drop the rifle before shooting. Crawford’s last words –
“It’s not real!” Crawford said.
A special grand jury in the racially charged case decided last week that the Beavercreek police officers’ actions August 5 were justified. Police responded to a 911 call that a man was waving what appeared to be a rifle, and officers have said Crawford was shot after he didn’t respond to repeated commands to drop his weapon.
Racial injustice has been a plague in our society for centuries now. It seems like we hear about police offers accused of abusing their powers nearly every month or so. And most the time, they are found not guilty because they had “just rights to do so.” It is interesting to note that often officers involved in situations like this are white males, and the suspects are male minorities.
Besides Crawford, we have recently heard of the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown cases that are almost too similar to each other that it’s scary. So this brings up the question: Does race have a factor in officers’ actions?
“I guess the hype on this one was, if it was justifiable, and what is the question? Was it because he was black,” Officer Jennifer Torres said.
“Fifteen (previous) instances since May of last year (nationally) where a police officer had shot and killed a person with a bb gun or a pellet gun, thinking that it was a real gun. And guess what? None of them were black.”
Torres noted that the officers had bigger concerns than race.
“If you put yourself in the shoes of that officers, he’s not worried about what race this person is. He wants to go home to his family. We’re looking at the threat. I don’t care, and I can probably speak for 99.9% of all officers, race is not an issue when it involves our lives and the lives of others.”
So, is it really fair to say that all cases involving a white officer are involved with killing an individual that is a minority, is it racist?
The answer to that question is rarely yes or no. Before making up your mind, take a moment to put yourself in the officer’s shoes.
