In another incident when police murdered a man there will apparently be no punishment.
While Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have called for a complete review and reform of our judicial system, the right wing sees no problem; it is pro-law enforcement and against the rights of the American people.
Chase Sherman was a 32-year-old Floridian. While handcuffed in the back seat of a family vehicle, deputy sheriffs Samuel Smith and Joshua Sepanski encountered Sherman. They had been called to the scene when his parents called 911 for assistance. They had recently arrived from Sherman’s brother’s wedding in the Dominican Republic. His parents believed that he was having a reaction to a drug he may have taken in that nation.
One of the officers threatened to use a Taser on the agitated Sherman. When the young man attempted to grab the Taser, it was discharged, while the other officer punched him in the head. They continue to Taser Sherman for four minutes and ten seconds according to the camera worn by one of the deputies. Sherman was heard saying: “OK. I’m dead, I’m dead,” Sherman is heard saying after a while. “I quit, I quit.” But they continued until the victim succumbed to the device and passed away after the officers attempted CPR.
Also heard on the film was one of the deputies saying; “we’re f**ked.”
This incident happened in November of 2015, but the film was only released last Friday.
Our law enforcement is poorly trained, and the result is use of unnecessary violence and all too often lethal force. There is absolutely no excuse for any individual dying while in control of two officers while his hands were cuffed behind his back.
The real crime here is what has become the standard practice of our judicial system; no one has been held accountable for the young man’s death. This was not an incident when the deputies feared for their lives. Sherman was unarmed and unable to defend himself.
Black Lives Matter has highlighted the all too frequent use of excessive force against black men and women. This became necessary thanks to the failure of the courts to take fair and appropriate action. But this tragedy demonstrates the fact that inadequate training has resulted in brutal action by law enforcement without sufficient regard for human life.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are 100 percent correct; it is past time for reform. Far too many Americans lack trust in those employed to protect them. Law enforcement academies must teach more than the rules of law, and how to use weapons. Training must begin with comprehensive psychological evaluations and public relations training. Not all officers should be issued lethal weapons. Rookies riding along with an experienced officer have no need for the possession of a firearm until they have passed their probation.
Before virtually every American had a camera with them, law enforcement could divulge stories which condemned those they physically harmed. Today, the truth can no longer be hidden from family, friends, and the general public. Regardless, the judicial system is lax in the punishment of ‘one of their own.’
Is this another sign of the prophesized future of America? Will our nation become a fascist regime? Vote for Donald Trump and discover the truth; you won’t like it.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Photo Courtesy of Fibonacci Blue
The Truth With No Restrictions 