#DCFerguson will hold a rally, 6pm, February 22 at the Congress Heights Metro Station in Washington DC and March to the 7th District Police Station. The purpose of the rally is to bring more awareness to the “Jump Outs” a military style tactical unit within the Metropolitan Police Department.
Justice for Raphael Briscoe Rally & March
Congress Heights Metro Station
February 22, 6:00 PM
#DCFerguson continues to stand in solidarity with the Ralphael Briscoe family and the sisters and brothers that are continuing to protest and resist the police murders of Black and Latino people every 28 hours in America.
ANSWER Coalition organizer Eugene Puryear says,”The murder of Rafael Briscoe should be a turning point. Where we finally come to terms with the root causes of these issues and address social deprivation and oppression and the police brutality that comes with it.”
The initial sponsors of #DCFerguson include the National Black United Front, the ANSWER Coalition, We Act Radio, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the American Muslim Alliance, as well as independent organizing networks that have sprung up in the wake of Michael Brown’s killing.
If you haven’t heard of Raphael Briscoe, here’s some background information.
Rafael Briscoe Third Person to be Killed by Officers in D.C. this Year
Cross-posted from Homicide Watch DC
April 27, 2011Rafael Briscoe of Southeast, DC, who was killed Tuesday afternoon by D.C.Metropolitan Police officers, is the third person to die in a D.C. officer involved shooting this year. On Feb 13, Davon Sealy, 19, of Gaithersburg, and Akeem Jamaal Cayo, 21, were fatally shot in a shoot-out with officers after a botched home invasion robbery.
MPD’s protocol for deadly use of force is here. A good discussion of the use of deadly force, it’s impacts and how communities respond is on the FBI’s website, here. That document describes the general tension surrounding officer-involved fatal shootings as follows:
Some members of the public seem to automatically assume that the officer did something wrong before any investigation into the incident begins. Conversely, others believe that if the police shot somebody, the individual must not have given the officer any choice.
This is the most ridiculous article and website I have ever seen/read. The police did their job which is to protect and serve. This website is defending criminals. This website continue to make Blacks useless and try to keep us down by telling us to fight for public housing, fight for poor neighborhoods, fight of everything that will keep us down and not better us. This website as well as this organization need to shut down.
Now back to this stupid ass article. Why don’t we write and fight about Black on Black crime? Why wasn’t we fighting for the Black Brother who lost his life and the young girl that got shot off MLK Ave. a couple of weeks ago? This Grassroots/Empower DC is one organization that fight for Blacks to use the system and not educate us to better our lives for the future as well as future generations.
What is the point of protesting when this young man was shooting at the police? What is the point of protesting when these young men committed crimes? Are we protesting because the police did their jobs? Now he did not deserve to die, but he had a gun and was willing to use it but the table turned on him.
We complain when the police don’t do their jobs… We complain when the police are doing their jobs. WTF!!!!! I will not help this cause because this is a bunch of ignorance teaching our people to continue ignorance.
Thank you for your comment Sandra, although I have to say, I don’t really understand it. The post gives two sides of the story. We have on the one hand a group of folks who are going to protest against police actions that led to the deaths of two citizens. Should they have died? You yourself say no. But you also say that the police were just doing their jobs. The post also acknowledges that possibility. It goes further to acknowledge explicitly what seems to be your point of view, “others believe that if the police shot somebody, the individual must not have given the officer any choice.” If I had posted just the article from Homicide Watch DC would you have been satisfied? You might have been, but I would not.
I personally believe the police can do their jobs without killing. Rubber bullets or bean bag guns are more effective in bringing down perpetrators because they don’t penetrate vital organs with lead bullets. The police seem to shoot at anyone they believe has perpetrated a crime, regardless of the crime itself. Did the young men who the article says were involved in a botched home invasion robbery shoot first? The article doesn’t say. Did the police who are trained marksmen have to use deadly force to protect the property (not the lives) of the homeowner(s) in question? Neither you nor I know that answer, but I believe that if they’d used rubber bullets or bean bag guns, two young men would not have ended up dead.
No doubt the issue is even more complicated than this, having to do with the availability of guns in the United States and the nature of policing here. I also believe some of those issues will be addressed at the Rally this Sunday.
What also confuses me about your comment is this statement, “this Grassroots/Empower DC is one organization that fight for Blacks to use the system and not educate us to better our lives for the future as well as future generations.”
Fighting for Blacks to use the system is an absolutely essential part of educating us to better our lives for the future as well as future generations. I’d love for you to explain how you separate the two. This post presents two sides. Are you suggesting that Black people, like you and me, are unable to read it and decide for ourselves what position we find credible? I think more highly of Blacks than that. Clearly you have your own mind, why not the rest of us? Denying anyone access to information is precisely how people, of every hue, are kept ignorant. I want no part of that.