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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDOJ Head Says Sandra Bland's Death Epitomizes Police's Broken Relationship With Black Community
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/07/26/3684554/lynch-comments-on-sandra-bland/The Justice Departments (DOJ) first African-American woman attorney general told Pierre Thomas in an ABC News interview Sunday that Blands death highlights the concern of many in the black community that a routine stop for many members of the black community is not handled with the same professionalism and courtesy that other people may get from the police.
...We have a situation where many minority communities for so long have felt that law enforcement was coming in essentially to enforce laws against them, not to protect them. Lynch said Sunday. I do think that what has been a important part of the debate in Miss Blands death has been the discussions that weve seen from community members and police leaders alike about the importance of training and deescalating incidents.
Downwinder
(12,869 posts)Epitomizes Police's Broken Relationship With America!
oberliner
(58,724 posts)I think the quote in the article says it well. It's about enforcing laws against people rather than protecting them.
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)Nevertheless, this statement by the AG is pretty big.
Call it the first shot, if you will, in the battle we can all just pray is fully waged from the AG offices.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)What, two weeks later? Not too impressive or timely. Ugh. Here we go again.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)When they started trash talking Sandra by divulging really personal but irrelevant shit about her, they exposed themselves. Murderers. Now, what's the DOJ going to do about it?
Positrons
(53 posts)AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)And ad hoc juries empanelled to judge them. It's all bullshit and people keep dying.
BeyondGeography
(39,395 posts)Your anger is what seems rehearsed.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)Your rudeness seems to come naturally.
Positrons
(53 posts)AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)THC in her system, signs of alleged cutting, records of an abortion, an alleged statement from her about having contemplated suicide before. And they released time-manipulated surveillance video. Somebody needs to ferret out the truth. All of it.
Positrons
(53 posts)... put out.
IOW, this tragedy is not as unlikely and out of the blue as it may seem from their point of view.
Who knows...
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)Tommymac
(7,263 posts)This ain't about who she was. It is about WHAT WAS DONE TO HER!!!!!!!!!!!!
That other shit is just that - shit to defame her and make the po-lice look good.
FUCK THAT.
Positrons
(53 posts)Govt and authorities - All the stuff you mentioned...
Family and friends - She had a new job and a sound mental state and no reason to take her own life
Tommymac
(7,263 posts)The system was responsible for Sandra Bland's death.
End.
of.
Story.
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)They have to assassinate your character afterwards. I don't know how these people can live with themselves.
LeftOfWest
(482 posts)Do they see when they look at themselves in the mirror or do they just avoid mirrors their entire lives...ugh.
enough, they are gone from this world.
onecaliberal
(33,012 posts)99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)As I understand it, the only thing DoJ can do is send FBI to monitor
the investigation and if they determine that someone's civil rights
have been violated, then the DoJ can bring a lawsuit on basis of that,
but it is a "very high bar" to ever win a case. DoJ can also -- as they
have where I live in Portland OR -- issue "findings" of systemic issues,
and require regular judicial review of an agreed upon 'settlement' with
the offending police dept.
And that's about it, as far as I know.. This came out though under the
leadership of Holder, not Loretta Lynch, so I guess we'll see if anything
more can/will be done.
onecaliberal
(33,012 posts)Will the police ever be brought under control?
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)and don't quote me on what DoJ can/can't do, it was just
an impression from reading about Eric Garner, Ferguson
and my experience in Portland.
onecaliberal
(33,012 posts)As though the Dept of justice can direct the FBI to investigate. Sounds like getting a conviction for civil rights violations is an impossible standard of proof. I see why BLM feels such despair.
BeyondGeography
(39,395 posts)The DOJ investigation in Ferguson led to the resignation of the chief of police and its findings were cited by the Brown family in their civil suit. Durbin among others has called for an investigation in this case. Hopefully, it happens. It needs to.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)They are kicking black people's asses to improve their relationship with the WHITE community.