Hands Up, Shot 10 Times.

CREDIT: Facebook, Alva Braziel

Yesterday, I posted about the death of yet another black man at the hands of cops in Houston. At that time, his name had not been released. His name was Alva Braziel. I just read an article where there was the usual laundry list of every wrong thing he ever did in his life, oh hey, he had done time, so sad, too bad. Absolutely infuriating. If you watch the footage from a nearby store / gas station, you can clearly see Mr. Braziel with his arms in the air, high up over his head, then he was shot. 10 times. 10 fucking times.

https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlvaBraziel?src=hash

Think Progress has an article up. Before any other idiot wants to defend the cops, read first:

For example, in a majority-white neighborhood of Houston this weekend, an armed suspect fired seven rounds at police officers. Yet police managed to end the standoff with gas and other non-lethal means without killing the man. He may now be transported to a psychiatric center for evaluation and treatment.

 

Time to Play “What If?”

Anthony Vigliotti -- (Branford police photo)

Anthony Vigliotti — (Branford police photo)

Here’s a man who had a rather bad attack of road rage, and the target of his anger happened to be an off duty cop.

A Bradford Connecticut man was released without having to post bail after he was taken into custody at his home for pointing a handgun at an off-duty police officer on Thursday, reports WFSB.

Anthony Vigliotti, 29, faces charges of second-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree breach of peace and following too close with intent to harass during a road rage incident that was called in by the cop.

According to off-duty officer, Vigliotti had been tailgating him and blowing his horn, presumably because the officer was driving too slow.

At an intersection, police say Vigilotti pulled a black semi-automatic handgun out, pointed it at the victim before roaring away.

When police took him into custody at his  home. he turned over his  .45-caliber handgun as well as his pistol permit.

After being charged, Vigilotti was released with a promise to appear in court on July 19.

Okay, everyone, time for “what if” – What if this man had been black? Anyone think this scenario would have played out the same way? The difference in treatment could not possible be more stark, and yet so many people keep denying there’s any imbalance at all, let alone a race based one.

Via Raw Story.

The Truth About Race and Policing.

Truth
A protest in Cleveland, Ohio, after police officer Michael Brelo was acquitted for the shooting deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. | Ricky Rhodes, Getty Images.

I’m a black ex-cop, and this is the real truth about race and policing by Redditt Hudson on July 7, 2016.

On any given day, in any police department in the nation, 15 percent of officers will do the right thing no matter what is happening. Fifteen percent of officers will abuse their authority at every opportunity. The remaining 70 percent could go either way depending on whom they are working with.

That’s a theory from my friend K.L. Williams, who has trained thousands of officers around the country in use of force. Based on what I experienced as a black man serving in the St. Louis Police Department for five years, I agree with him. I worked with men and women who became cops for all the right reasons — they really wanted to help make their communities better. And I worked with people like the president of my police academy class, who sent out an email after President Obama won the 2008 election that included the statement, “I can’t believe I live in a country full of ni**er lovers!!!!!!!!” He patrolled the streets in St. Louis in a number of black communities with the authority to act under the color of law.

That remaining 70 percent of officers are highly susceptible to the culture in a given department. In the absence of any real effort to challenge department cultures, they become part of the problem. If their command ranks are racist or allow institutional racism to persist, or if a number of officers in their department are racist, they may end up doing terrible things.

If you read one thing today, read this article by Redditt Hudson. The full article is here.

Maybe it’s time to stop the bull.

Pamplona (Shutterstock)

Pamplona (Shutterstock)

A Spaniard died and two other men, including a Japanese man, were gored in bull-runs in Spain on Saturday, as the San Fermin festival in the northern town of Pamplona entered its third day.

The 28-year-old died after a bull’s horn pierced his lung and heart during a run in the southeastern village of Pedreguer near Valencia, a spokesman for the regional government said.

The bull caught him as he was trying to help another runner in the annual event.  Story.

Víctor Barrio is rushed to the hospital (Twitter)

Víctor Barrio is rushed to the hospital (Twitter)

Spaniards were faced with a horrifying sight on Saturday when a famous bullfighter, Víctor Barrio, was gored in the chest and killed live on television, NBC News reports.

The 29-year-old Barrio was in the ring with a bull named Lorenzo in the town of Teruel when the bull caught him with a horn that pierced his chest.

The fight was being broadcast live on television, where Lorenzo could be seen soaked in his own blood from lances that were thrust into him, which occurs during the process of a bullfight. The matador generally slaughters the bull with a sword at the end of the fight. Story.

It’s long past time that these relics of toxic masculinity die, rather than people. It’s time to stop the bull, literally.

That didn’t take long. UPDATED.

Credit: Shutterstock.

Credit: Shutterstock.

Two Houston police officers fatally shot an African-American man who pointed a gun at them despite their commands that he lower his weapon, authorities said on Saturday, two days after five Dallas policemen were slain by a black military veteran.

The two Houston officers, both Hispanic, encountered a man standing in the middle of a street with a revolver around 12:40 a.m. while on a routine patrol, police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said.

The officers exited their patrol vehicle to speak to the man, who initially had the firearm pointed to the sky. The officers ordered him to lower the weapon, Silva said.

“He instead deliberately and slowly lowers his arm and allows it to come to a stop at his waist,” Silva said. “Now the gun is pointed directly at officers.”

Fearing for their safety and for nearby witnesses, both officers discharged their weapons, striking the man, she said. The man’s motive remains unknown.

The suspect, who did not fire his gun, died at the scene. His identity was not immediately released.

I’m out of things to say. Feels like I’m sliding into permanent numbness.

Via Raw Story.

UPDATE: The man’s name was Alva Braziel. I just read an article where there was the usual laundry list of every wrong thing he ever did in his life, oh hey, he had done time, so sad, too bad. Absolutely infuriating. If you watch the footage from a nearby store / gas station, you can clearly see Mr. Braziel with his arms in the air, high up over his head, then he was shot. 10 times. 10 fucking times. https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlvaBraziel?src=hash