HOUSTON — A grand jury in Texas has decided no felony was committed by the sheriff’s office or jailers in connection with the death last summer of Sandra Bland, in effect ruling it a suicide, prosecutors said Monday. Bland, 28, was found hanged by a plastic bag in her jail cell three days after she was… Read More
Ex-police officer Daniel Holtzclaw sobbed while a judge read him the guilty verdict handed down by a Oklahoma City jury on 18 of the 36 charges for assaulting at least 13 black women.
He was found guilty Thursday of six counts of sexual battery, three counts of lewd exhibition, four counts of forcible oral sodomy, four counts of rape in the first degree, and one count of rape in the second degree. He will be sentenced next month.
The verdict came after four days of deliberation by an all white jury. Their task was not only to decide on a verdict, but in case of a guilty verdict, they were also to recommend a sentence. They’ve recommended 263 years.
Some survivors and their attorneys held an emotional press conference today in response to the verdict.
One of the survivors, Jannie Lygons said she was pulled over for no reason, and Holtzclaw forced her to give him oral sex.
“I was violated in June by a police officer,” Lygons said. “He did things to me I didn’t think a police officer would do.” She said she thought he was going to kill her.
Sade Hill, another survivor added her voice, “I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I was in survivor mode, so I had to do what he was making me do.”
It’s evident that Holtzclaw used his status as a police officer to coerce and intimidate his victims.
He targeted women he didn’t think the system would believe or protect. By focusing on poor black women with criminal records who didn’t trust the police, Holtzclaw avoided getting caught.
Black women carry the added fear of sexual violence from law enforcement. This is something that is seldom included in police misconduct narratives.
“Not only is this individual stopping women who fit a profile of members of our society who are confronted rightly or wrongly by police officers all the time,” said the Oklahoma County prosecutor, Gayland Gieger. “He identifies a vulnerable society that without exception except one have an attitude for ‘What good is it gonna do? He’s a police officer. Who’s going to believe me?’”
Watch: Daniel Holtzclaw verdict reading
The make up of the jury was criticized by the Oklahoma City National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) during the trial. African Americans make up 16 percent of Oklahoma County’s population, but were no black people among the eight men and four women on the jury.
There is an undeniable element of race in the crimes themselves. The fear of being targeted by police is legitimate and prevalent in the black community. However discussions of police brutality are often based on abuse likely to happen to both sexes. Black women carry the added fear of sexual violence from law enforcement. This is something that is seldom included in police misconduct narratives.
Moreover, while there is certainly the reality of offending officers often not facing justice, research shows that sexual assault convictions are rare. In the cases of white men against black women, convictions are essentially non-existent.
The Black Lives Matter movement focuses on police misconduct. They’ve managed to bring race and police brutality to the national stage. But there is an aspect missing to that conversation.
Rape culture is a theory that is still often scoffed at, but it is a valid one.
Discussion on certain environments that may normalize or facilitate rape is needed, especially within the Black Lives Matter movement and conversations on police violence.
Cover Photo Credit: US Uncut/ Youtube (Screengrab)
A video posted online by the conservative Campus Reform organization shows student supporters of the #BlackLivesMatter movement storming into a Dartmouth College library and disrupting students studying as a form of protest.
The event was organized by the campus chapter of the NAACP after a week of tensions on the campus after a pro #BlackLivesMatter display case was vandalized in the aftermath of mass protests on the University of Missouri.
The video shows a student protest that took place last Thursday and allegedly turned ugly with some claiming that the protestors used racist language to attack white students in the library who did not show visible support for the movement. “Fuck you, you filthy white fucks!,” one protestor allegedly said, although it was not recorded on the video.
The mainstream student newspaper at Dartmouth looked into the claims of racially charged language used by the protestors and could not confirm the rumors.
From The Dartmouth:
“None of the police officers who monitored the demonstration on Thursday night witnessed any acts of violence, Hanover Police Lieutenant Brad Sargent said. As of Monday, only one incident of violence in the library has been reported, and this was by a third party, Sargent said.”
Despite this, a student who claims he was part of the demonstration wrote a piece for the Tab that claims that he witnessed a protestor make a student cry and then said, “fuck your white tears.”
As you can see, there were a whole lot bunch of “claims” in that previous sentence. And some are taking the “claims” with a big ole grain of salt.
WATCH: Dartmouth #BlackLivesMatter Protesters Storm Into Campus Library
Cover Photo Credit: Screengrab/ Youtube
A Florida based company is under fire (no pun intended) for Tweeting out an insensitive message about Muslims and 9/11- all to sell firearms.
Florida Gun Supply sent out the following message on Wednesday, announcing a sale for “9/11 week.”
It’s 9/11 week. Use coupon code “muslim” at our site for $25 off any gun. Come in Fri for a free car wash and beer! pic.twitter.com/x1sTZPFk0V
— Florida Gun Supply (@FLGunSupply) September 9, 2015
That’s right. Use the coupon code “Muslim” and get $25 off any gun in the store. Wow. But this isn’t the first time the store has pulled a racially charged stunt in order to promote their brand. Just watch this video they posted back in July about how the store is a “Muslim free zone”.
And oh yeah, they don’t really like Black Lives Matter too:
America is under attack by Black Lives Matter: Unite Against BLM!: http://t.co/Pmsb7SvV5t via @YouTube — Florida Gun Supply (@FLGunSupply) September 4, 2015
So much for 9/11 being about unity in America.
H/T: Observer.com
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In a controversial Reddit post, Breitbart columnist Milo Yiannopoulos responded to criticism of his publication’s crusade against the woman who Tweeted criticism of a Texas police officer that was murdered last week.
In the post, Yiannopoulos launched into a racially tinged tirade against African-Americans and Monica Foy, the woman who Tweeted a distasteful message about the murder of Texas Deputy Darren Goforth.
“I can’t believe so many people care about a dead cop and NO ONE has thought to ask what he did to deserve it. He had creepy perv eyes …,” Foy tweeted on September 1.
The Tweet quickly went viral after it was published on Breitbart.com, the right wing news website.
Two days ago, a Reddit user that goes by the name of tracker2208 posted a message on a pro GamerGate subReddit questioning Breitbart’s decision to report on the Tweet. (Foy only had 20 followers at the time and was not a public figure.):
“To me when I read that she is commenting about how society reacts to black shooting victims, not anything about the cop. But that doesn’t matter. What does is that she had 20 followers, she was a nobody,” tracker2208 posted. “Yet Breitbart journalist Brandon Darby decided she was relevant enough to do a hit piece on her. What follows is pretty much what you would expect when Gawker pulls this s**t. Why would he think so? Because they were investigating the BLM movement, and she retweeted #BlackLivesMatter 3 times. Are you eff’n kidding me.”
Yiannopoulos responded in the comments, referencing his GamerGate (GGers) audience.
“Alright, I’ll respond. I know that GGers are too gentle a species to engage in the sort of cruel and vindictive social media witch-hunt so often staged by progressives, so instead allow me as a distinguished member of the press to share a few thoughts.”
“Does she have a blackcent? Is this all a ruse to pick up dark-skinned men, now she’s grown too gigantic to get a white date? Perhaps I’ll write to her in prison.”- Milo Yiannopoulos
Here are some of the more pointed remarks by Yiannopoulos (you can read the whole post here):
“Enter stupid fat cracker Monica Foy, a large-and-in-charge supporter of Black Lives Matter who called one of the slain officers “creepy,” tweeting: “I can’t believe so many people care about a dead cop and NO ONE has thought what he did to deserve it. He had creepy perv eyes.” Foy is the latest and greatest example of moronic white lard-asses who might mean well but have bought into the lies and conspiracy theories peddled by BLM organizers…
“Monica Foy is a student, by the way, at Sam Houston State University, which is rightly proud of its strong criminal justice program. Talk about the wrong place to talk smack about a cop. If it’s right to kick frat boys off campus for saying they don’t want blacks in their club (and I’m sure it is), I can’t help but wonder: has Sam Houston already put an order in for the crane?…
“Racist? Me? I’ve had more black dick in me than the entire Kardashian family,” Yiannopoulos Told Rise News.
“All of which leaves the looming question of why a woman like Foy was so enamoured with Black Lives Matter in the first place – her penchant for violence excepted, of course. Now, forgive me for being crude, but I happen to know there’s quite the interracial chubby chaser scene in Texas, and black men are notorious for lusting after a well-rounded caucasian butt cheek. I speak from experience. Does she have a blackcent? Is this all a ruse to pick up dark-skinned men, now she’s grown too gigantic to get a white date? Perhaps I’ll write to her in prison. (For some tips, you understand.)”
Yiannopoulos responded to an email with multiple questions from Rise News. One of the questions we sent him asked if his remarks were racist.
“Racist? Me? I’ve had more black dick in me than the entire Kardashian family,” Yiannopoulos wrote. “Yes, that’s on the record.”
Cover Photo Credit: NEXTConf/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
Hearings began today in Baltimore for the six police officers charged for the arrest and death of Freddie Gray.
Gray, a 25-year-old black man, was arrested on April 12, and died one week later in police custody after suffering a fatal spinal injury.
The hearing will be the first verbal argument for a case that has spanned over five months in written motions.
Today’s arguments will focus on three motions: a call for the case to be dismissed, the state’s attorney to be recused, and whether the six officers charged will face trial together or separately.
Protesters arrive at #Baltimore courthouse for 1st hearing in case of six officers charged in death of #FreddieGray pic.twitter.com/F8XlrFvthh
— Sheryl Gay Stolberg (@SherylNYT) September 2, 2015
Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr., who drove the police van that Gray suffered injuries in, is charged with second-degree murder. Three other officers are charged with manslaughter: Officer William G. Porter, Sgt. Alicia D. White and Lt. Brian W. Rice. Facing lesser charges are Officers Garrett E. Miller and Edward M. Nero. All officers involved pleaded not guilty and waived their right to attend the hearing.
Attorneys representing the officers called for the dismissal of the case or the recusal of Moseby because they allege that Moseby’s office issued orders to crack down on law enforcement in the location Gray was arrested. “Mrs. Mosby herself is now an integral part of the story and as such is a central witness,” the motion reads. “In the charges relating to the initial arrest and/or detention of Mr. Gray, Mrs. Mosby herself has become essential exculpatory evidence.”
In the weeks following Gray’s death, nationwide protests occurred against police brutality and treatment of black people at the hands of the state. Protestors gathered at the steps of the courthouse in Baltimore at around 8 a.m., along with protests happening throughout cities across the country.
Twitter user @kwamerose was apparently arrested today at a Freddie Gray protest in Baltimore.
DEVELOPING: @kwamerose awaiting ambulance, still cuffed at #Baltimore #FreddieGray protest http://t.co/RueVUbWl2o pic.twitter.com/FS9AWh9U7S — RT America (@RT_America) September 2, 2015
Today’s hearing will also see a call to move the hearing to a different location.
Stay with Rise News as we continue to cover this developing story. Send tips to [email protected].
Cover Photo Credit: POLICEDIVER2/Flickr (CC BY 2.0).