Indiana

Time to Be the Bad Guy

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

If any of you thought more highly of me after yesterday’s post involving the Carmel hazing,  this one will probably put things back where they rightly should be.

This time I am talking about the alleged Indianapolis police “beating” of a 15-year old during an arrest last Sunday.  According to the Indy Star,  the beating occurred after  Brandon Johnson tried to interfere with the arrest of his younger brother on suspicion of criminal mischief.   I spent two hours Friday afternoon listening to some of most ridiculous “community outrage” it was ever my misfortune to hear. The police were bad guys and the boy and his brother were flowers of humanity.

Just so you know that “criminal mischief” was actually his younger brother trying to break into a house and was spotted by a neighbor who called the police.   According to police Johnson began to interfere with the arrest and encouraged individuals nearby to stop them, thus the trying to incite a “riotous situation”.

According to my sources a struggle ensued as police tried to subdue Johnson, who they originally asked to leave or stand back and he fell on his face when he was wrestled to the ground.  The officers involved in the altercation have been put on administrative leave, with pay, as this matter is worked out.

Now, let me see if I understand this.  The police are responding to a report of a break-in, the get a suspect, his brother shows up, interfering with a lawful arrest, is told to stand back,  encourages bystanders to attack the the police, gets wrestled to the ground and unfortunately gets hurt.   And the “community” outrage is against the police?

Just checking.

Granted, we still need to know all the facts, but  I really wish this same “community”  would get this upset over the number of black on black homicides in this city; there have been at least 30 this year.  It would at least make them consistent.

By the way, if none of this is clear, maybe Chris Rock can help.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on May 22, 2010 (boomark / email).