The Shaw Shooting: Officer kills teen, another round of protests. Here we go again.

[mjtinmemphis]

To answers the issue that many non Black posters are raising in addition to the answer that has been given that the media doesn't cover it, in most cases police officers are not held accountable for their wrong doing. When you have a "outsider" patrolling your neighborhood, racial profiling, issuing citation that are petty and people being arrested for non violent offences, you're going to have issues like Ferguson.

As far as the Shaw protests go, I think it's a good idea to stand against corruption and bad policing at the same time looking at facts. We still need to make sure that LE is aware that we are on their asses and will not tolerate *bad" policemen patrolling our city. At the same time we don't need protesters name calling, spitting, throwing bricks at officers during the protests.

Unfortunately, we are in a situation that we have to deal with the dysfunction and violence in our cities. We were aware of the problem when crack was introduced to the poor inner city community. Now 20 to 30 years later we have a mess that we don't seem to get out of.

The days of non Blacks being able to sit in their living rooms and say it's someone else problem is coming to an end. Because the same issue the Black community faced 30 years ago, Whites are starting to face now. Given the dynamics of the new economy every one of us have a vested interest in safety, equality and morality.

[Chicago76]

Originally Posted by PerseusVeil

Forensic evidence shows that Myers fired at the officer. I wish he had been apprehended instead of killed, but it can't be claimed anymore than he was only holding a sandwich and not a gun.
Forensic evidence shows teen shot at St. Louis officer, police say : News

What I don't get about this (based upon the P. Dispatch) article and scanned images is why the court dismissed for failure to prosecute on 9/24. He was allegedly involved in a high speed chase that ended with him trying to flee and throwing a gun down a sewer grate. This event occurred this summer. Is our court system so messed up that it can't prosecute someone for something likely recorded on a dash cam that seems so straightforward less than 90 days prior. It's not like he was busted for possession of a token amount of weed.

I suppose I could understand letting him off if there was halfway adequate monitoring for him, but clearly this is not the case. I sympathize with profiling and still think this is a case that could be interpreted to be profiling (regardless of the fact that he had a gun), but if police catch a guy illegally possessing a gun taking part in something as serious as a car chase or robbery and the court doesn't prosecute, then what's the point? Had they bothered, he'd probably be in jail alive right now and the neighborhood (and especially his family) wouldn't have had to go through all of this over the last week.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

What I don't get about this (based upon the P. Dispatch) article and scanned images is why the court dismissed for failure to prosecute on 9/24. He was allegedly involved in a high speed chase that ended with him trying to flee and throwing a gun down a sewer grate. This event occurred this summer. Is our court system so messed up that it can't prosecute someone for something likely recorded on a dash cam that seems so straightforward less than 90 days prior. It's not like he was busted for possession of a token amount of weed.

I suppose I could understand letting him off if there was halfway adequate monitoring for him, but clearly this is not the case. I sympathize with profiling and still think this is a case that could be interpreted to be profiling (regardless of the fact that he had a gun), but if police catch a guy illegally possessing a gun taking part in something as serious as a car chase or robbery and the court doesn't prosecute, then what's the point? Had they bothered, he'd probably be in jail alive right now and the neighborhood (and especially his family) wouldn't have had to go through all of this over the last week.

I hate to say that I agree with much of what you wrote. If everything that has been written is true, this is one of those situations he's better off in jail.

[flynavyj]

I know it was stated before, but news media simply don't cover actions that go on in black neighborhoods in an effort to break the criminal element. I don't know if the items aren't advertised to the media, or that the media just doesn't think it's news worthy. A couple years ago I can remember reading several Post Dispatch articles about the heroine epedimic that was facing the region...it made the news not because this new very deadly (if you can say that) version of heroine had hit the streets, but because it was affecting middle class families in middle America...I have a hard time believing that if the new version of heroine was killing kids in the ghetto that anyone would have considered it newsworthy...

Truth is, a feeling I have as a minority when watching a news shows is "if the person was color xxx would this be on tv?"

I'm sure many folks feel that about the shootings, white police officer vs a black teen...and I'll be the first to say that I don't feel the reporting is fair or well balanced.

[todd00]

Originally Posted by Chicago76

What I don't get about this (based upon the P. Dispatch) article and scanned images is why the court dismissed for failure to prosecute on 9/24. He was allegedly involved in a high speed chase that ended with him trying to flee and throwing a gun down a sewer grate. This event occurred this summer. Is our court system so messed up that it can't prosecute someone for something likely recorded on a dash cam that seems so straightforward less than 90 days prior. It's not like he was busted for possession of a token amount of weed.

I suppose I could understand letting him off if there was halfway adequate monitoring for him, but clearly this is not the case. I sympathize with profiling and still think this is a case that could be interpreted to be profiling (regardless of the fact that he had a gun), but if police catch a guy illegally possessing a gun taking part in something as serious as a car chase or robbery and the court doesn't prosecute, then what's the point? Had they bothered, he'd probably be in jail alive right now and the neighborhood (and especially his family) wouldn't have had to go through all of this over the last week.

Myers was scheduled to stand trial November 17th for unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest reference that summer case. I didn't see anything about them dismissing it, I sure see no sense in that.

Myers was jailed for only a few days reference that case, then was released on bail after posting $1,000 cash bond. His bail originally was set at $30,000 by Judge Burlison but was dropped to $10,000 after Judge Burke agreed with a defense motion that it was excessive. Burke allowed Myers to post 10 percent of that in cash. A second judge upheld that bond amount. Myers was activated on electronic monitoring for house arrest on July 8th, which allowed him to go to school, work, and so forth. So you might get a greater bond for shoplifting at Walmart than this kind of crime. I don't get it at all.

Why was he out of jail when he should have remained locked up until his case came up. In cases involved weapons, I don't think they should be letting them back out. But one can ask the same question about the punk that shot Hadiya Pendleton. He should have been kept in jail reference the weapons charge rather than being kicked loose to do more damage.

Teen in Shaw shooting died from gunshot to right cheek, medical examiner says : News

[Chicago76]

Originally Posted by mjtinmemphis

I hate to say that I agree with much of what you wrote. If everything that has been written is true, this is one of those situations he's better off in jail.

I was looking at the P-D from the residue article when I noticed that charges were dropped on 9/24 in the pdf file they attached....not realizing this must have been for something else dropped on 9/24/2013...not something on 9/24/2014 that might not have hit case net for whatever reason yet. Why they felt compelled to include that, considering 1) he wasn't even an adult at the time 2) they already had info on the gun charge due for trial, and 3) he's dead, I have no clue. There was zero written about this incident in the article, so seeing 9/24, I immediately though 9/24/14 and that the dismissal hadn't hit case net yet.

Regardless, there have been some interesting comments related to proposed changes with the MPD that likely would have meant this wouldn't have happened (the gun docket). That, the citizens' review board and the body cams would be nice improvements.

[IsayItYouReadIt]

Originally Posted by todd00

...It's pretty hard to argue with a video..., ...Funny all these police hating protesting types are still fast to dial 911 for the cops in time of emergency....

Todd is right. It's pretty hard to argue with the video of Darren Wilson touching the body of Michael Brown and then returning to his SUV! Where did Brown's blood inside the SUV come from? Wilson, obviously!

I don't know where Todd is from but, in this country, the Constitution says we all have the right to protest so, it's pure American to protest, not hatred.

It's interesting that Ferguson Police have a history of killing black teens. How many of them, do you suppose, think the Police are someone you can call in an emergency??

I won't tell you my guess 'cause you can already tell what I'm thinking!

[todd00]

I'm sure the cops there do get calls. Fights, loud noise complaints, suspicious people (no one wants their stuff stolen), accidents, and other report calls. Do they trust the cops, likely not, but that can also be said about many places with a rep for excessive force. I'm sure many call only when they feel they have to. Protests are fine but the problem is that they can get out of hand with outsiders coming for the wrong reasons, then you have looting, arson, arrests and so forth.

After reading about this crazy county with 81 municipal courts and how they operate with overpaid appointed part time judges and prosecurors that may also be defense attorneys in private practice. It's a stupid system there to feed these little towns pockets with loot, and that happens whether the whites or blacks are in the leadership positions of these criminal towns. It's disgusting. I didn't realize exactly how it is. Big isn't always better, but there has to be a better way than this.

This is a long article but worth reading.
How municipalities in St. Louis County, Mo., profit from poverty - The Washington Post

Better Together Report
http://www.bettertogetherstl.com/wp-...ll-Report1.pdf