Blog Archives - 2 BLACK Girls

Officer Ray Tensing Charged In The Shooting Death Of Samuel Debose Was Released On Bail

7/31/2015

Ray Tensing is the University of Cincinnati police officer who was charged with murder in the shooting deal of Samuel DuBose. DuBuose was a 43-year-old black man pulled over for not having a license plate on the front of his car. Officer Tensing claimed that Dubose peeled off in his car and he was dragged, fearing for his life he fatally shot Dubose in the head.

Body Cam video later revealed that Officer Tensing was not dragged nor was Dubose violent or aggressive. Officer Tensing was fired from his post at University of Cincinnati and charged with murder. On Thursday, he pleaded not guilty to murder. His bond was set at $1. million. His father posted his bail, which left Tensing spending less than 27 hours in jail.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Cincinnati Police Officer Indicted for Murder of Samuel Debose, an Unarmed Black Man After Body Cam Proves He Lied

7/29/2015

“This is the first time that we thought: ‘This is, without question, a murder,'” Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said. "I'm treating him like a murderer"

On Wednesday, University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing was indicted for the shooting of Samuel DuBose, an unarmed black man, during a routine traffic stop on July 19.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced warrant for Tensing’s arrest has been issued.

Officer Tensing stopped Samuel Dubose, 43, at an intersection near the University of Cincinnati campus for driving without a front license plate. What would normally be a routine traffic stop has now turned into a murder of another unarmed black man.

According to police, Tensing asked for Dubose's driver's license, which Dubose did not provide. According to the police report filled by Tensing, Dubose sped off into traffic dragging the officer down the road. It was then that Tensing claims he fatally shot Dubose in the head because he was being dragged down the road.

The indictment marks the first of a Cincinnati police officer for killing a civilian, according to Deters. He called the shooting “senseless” and offered his condolences to DuBose’s family.

Body-Cam footage revealed that Tensing's account was false.

“He was not dragged. If you slowed down this tape, you see what happened,” he said. “People want to believe that Mr. DuBose had done something violent towards the officer. He did not.”

The public has asked for the video to released. Prosecutor Deters has stated he did not release the video recording because he wanted to ensure Tensing remained consistent with his false account. Deters also showed the body-cam video to DuBose’s family first and is expected to released soon.

Later in the conference, DuBose’s mother, Audrey DuBose, similarly praised body cameras for proving what she already knew.

The push for body-cam and police accountability has spurred widespread support. In cases such as these it seems body-cameras have untold benefits.

Officer Tensing is currently on paid administrative leave and has a warrant out for his arrest. Deters has said that Tensing was a University of Cincinnati police officer and not a Cincinnati police officer and said this would never have happened with one of their officers.

People have been demonstrating in #BlackLivesMatter protests since DuBose’s death and his family urged activists on Wednesday to continue the fight peacefully.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Eric Garner's Wife and Daughter Visit The Breakfast Club

7/27/2015

#BlackLivesMatter is not just a slogan, but the undeniable proof that millions feel that they are being unjustly dealt with in this country. Last year, the case of Eric Garner was a crucial standpoint in the movement. Garner's death was captured on camera where he was placed into a chokehold by the NYPD and can be heard repeatedly saying "I can't breathe."

On The Breakfast Club, Eric Garner's wife, Esaw Garner, her daughter Emerald Garner, and the Reverend Al Sharpton shared with the show the events that transpired on the day of his death and the aftermath in dealing with getting justice for Eric Garner.

“Even if he was dead wrong, it is against police procedure to use a chokehold. The policeman used something illegal against him,” the civil rights leader said. “He said eleven times, ‘I can’t breathe.’”

The Garner family has been working with the National Action Network to rally for justice.The National Action Network plans to continue rallying every weekend in order to emphasize that the officer involved in the death should be prosecuted. Eric Garner’s daughter, Emerald, is also now working with the National Action Network and has pledged to continue fighting for justice in her father's case as well as uplift her community.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Two People Killed In A Lafayette Movie Shooting

7/23/2015

Credit: Stacy Revere / Getty Images

On Thursday, July 23, the newly released comedy, "Trainwreck" showed to a packed movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana. Several scenes into the movie, John Russell Houser, 59, stood up during the screening at the Grand Theater and opened several rounds of gunfire into the crowd. Houser's gunfire killed 33-year-old Jilian Johnson and 21-year-old Mayci Breaux. One individual is still in the hospital in critical condition from his injuries. There were dozens injured in the melee.

This movie shooting comes just days after James Holmes was convicted of the Aurora, Colorado Movie Theater shooting that left 12 people dead and more than 70 injured.

After people began to escape the theater, Houser tried to blend in with the fleeing crowd. When he saw police officers rushing inside, he then turned around and shot and killed himself.

Houser's motivation behind the shooting remains unclear at this time. Houser gas several online blogf postings where politically extreme language was prevalent. He also has has an arrest record. Houser was previously denied a gun permit in Alabama due to metal health issues. Police officials as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are tracing the origins of the gun Houser used in the shooting.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Marco Rubio: Says President Obama, Like Donald Trump Has No Class

7/22/2015

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) Credit: T.J. KIRKPATRICK/GETTY IMAGES

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Republican Candidate for President, just compared Donald Trump's lack of class concerning Mexicans being rapists and criminals to President Obama taking pictures with selfie-sticks, The Daily Show and Youtube stars.

Marco Rubio went on Fox and Friends and said that while he thought illegal immigration was an issue, Donald Trump was not the right person to address it because he did so in a classless way.

This is where Rubio could have stopped.

However, Rubio then squared away and blasted Obama for also being classless.

Rubio said:

Here’s what’s so important to me. The presidency of the United States is not just the top governmental official. It is the leader of our people and our nation as well. It is important that to conduct the presidency has to be done in a dignified way, not with a level of class. I don’t think the way he’s behaved over the last few weeks is either dignified or worthy of the office he seeks. {In regards to Donald Trump}

We already have a president now that has no class. I mean we have a president now that does selfie stick videos, that invites YouTube stars there, people that you know, eat cereal out of a bathtub that accuses his. You just saw the interview he did right now where he goes on comedy shows to talk about something as serious as Iran. The list goes on and on.

Rubio said that the office of the presidency needs to restore "dignity and class". Comparing someone who makes statements about Mexicans being rapists and criminals does not equate to inviting Youtube stars to the White House. Somewhere in seems Rubio forgot his class along the way.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Sandra Bland: Issues Highlighted and What We Know So Far

7/22/2015

Credit: Sandra Bland/Facebook

On Friday, July 10: Sandra Bland was pulled over by state trooper Brian Encinia, for failing to signal a turn while changing lanes
A dispute and physical alteration took place which resulted in the Texas Department of Safety stating that Trooper Encinia did not comply with policies and procedures. Steven McCraw, director of Texas Department of Safety said Encinia did not let "...the individual know what action is going to be taken."
Bland's arrest was recorded by a bystander and dashboard camera.
In the video, Officer Encinia can be heard saying "I will light you up!" Sandra Bland can also be heard complaining about Encinia slamming her head into the ground and having epilepsy.
Watch the shortened Video of the Traffic Stop Here:

Watch Video In Full Here:

On Monday, July 13, Sandra Bland was found not breathing from what officials has deemed self-inflicted asphyxiation. An autopsy classified her death as a suicide.
Friends and Relatives expressed skepticism on all the official statements that police has released from Ms. Bland's traffic stop to her death being ruled as a suicide

“Based on the Sandy that I knew, that's unfathomable to me,” another sister of Ms. Bland’s, Sharon Cooper, said at a news conference in Chicago.
Social media
On Thursday, July 16, The Texas Department of Public Safety, the state’s top law enforcement agency, Texas Rangers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigated the circumstances surrounding Sandra Bland's death.
Brian Enicinia, the trooper who arrested Sandra Bland has been assigned to administrative duties.
The investigation as he would a murder investigation.

Written By:Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Arizona Cop "Illegally" Enters A Woman's Home And Cuffs Her Naked; Then Retires

7/20/2015

An Arizona woman is suing after an Arizona police officer "illegally" barged into her home, handcuffed, and lectured her while she was naked.

Esmerelda Rossi just got out of the shower when two Chandler police officers arrived at her home to investigate a disturbance call. Rossi claims she had answered the door but told the officers to wait so she could get a cell phone to record. Rossi then closed the door.

“I start to walk into my living room, I probably get maybe five steps in, and all of the sudden I just hear boots running in after me, telling me, ‘stop or I’ll arrest you,'” she told the station.

Rossi’s daughter started recording.

Chandler police Officer Doug Rose threatens to arrest her. When she asks what for, he grabs her arms and cuffs her, and the towel falls off, exposing her.

“I don’t want to touch you, don’t touch me. I didn’t want to touch him,” she sobs, and her daughter can be heard breaking down as things become chaotic.

Police officer Doug Rose Rose’s releases Rossi and then lectures her:

“Don’t take the attitude with cops, because we don’t play,” he says as she sobs. “When a cop shows up, you’re not the one in charge. I don’t care if this is your house. You understand me?”

Rossi said Rose made her daughter take her handcuffs off. Officer David Selvidge, Rose's partner contacted his supervisor to alert them of Mr Rose’s behavior. Mr Selvidge also filmed the incident, providing body camera footage to police was cleared of any wrongdoing. Mr. Selvidge's complaints against his partner led to an internal investigation.

Chandler Police internal investigators said that Mr Rose illegally entered the woman’s home and without probable cause — investigators also found that Mr Rose had no documentation of the arrest, the fact she was naked, and no video from his body camera.

Mr Rose has not been charged and has retired amid the ongoing investigation.

Ms Rossi was never charged with a crime and said she would be pursuing a lawsuit against the city.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Four Marines Killed In Shooting In Chattanooga, Tennessee

7/16/2015

BREAKING NEWS: Four Marines were killed Thursday at a Chattanooga, Tennessee Navy training center. A gunman went to two military training centers and unleashed a barrage of bullets in quick succession.

While four marines were killed, one police officer remains hospitalized after being shot, and another soldier was also wounded. Authorities are calling today's violence a possible "act of domestic terrorism".

“We are treating this as an act of domestic terrorism,” said Bill Killian, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

The names of the Marines who were reportedly shot were not immediately released pending notification of their families. The gunman who died in the attack remains unidentified. While his identity remains a secret, his motivations or the events leading up to his death also remain unclear pending investigation.

"Lives have been lost from some faithful people who have been serving our country, and I think I join all Tennesseans in being both sickened and saddened by this," Gov. Bill Haslam said.

President Obama was briefed on the shooting and White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the president will continue to be updated.

STORY DEVELOPING...

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Ricardo Diaz Zeferino: Court Orders Video Release Of Gardena Police Shooting Of An Unarmed Hispanic Man

7/15/2015

Credit: Gardena Police Department

On June 2, 2013, Gardena (a suburb of Los Angeles, CA) police officers, shot and killed unarmed Ricardo Diaz-Zeferino and wounded a second man Eutiquio Acevedo-Mendez. Various media outlets and the City of Los Angeles have quarrled in court over the last two years over the issue of releasing dash cam video in the case. The reason behind the quarrel in court is that both men were unarmed at the time of the shooting. This case provides a real life example into the debate of the effectiveness of police body and dashboard cameras. Supporters reason that it will increase police accountability and public knowledge of facts surrounding the case.

After two years, a judge finally ruled that the video could be released to the public. On the video, we see
Diaz-Zeferino with his palms open at waist-level when officers shot him eight times. A second man with his hands up, Eutiquio Acevedo-Mendez, survived a gunshot wound to the back.

NOTE: THE FOOTAGE BELOW IS GRAPHIC

The video surrounding the case has once again aded to the fuel behind the public demanding accountability for officers especially in the shooting of unarmed men of color. This video has led to many questions surrounding when police have a legal right to shoot. Police only need to reasonably perceive a threat to legally fire — a threat doesn't have to be actually present. This is the situation where the public is calling for more clear guidelines of what is an actual threat.

While the #blacklivesmatter movement has gained a lot of steam in the event surrounding police fatally shooting unarmed black males, the statistics for latino/hispanic males in the same situation seem scare.

"WE HAVE NO RELIABLE DATA ON HISPANIC/LATINO PEOPLE SHOT AND KILLED BY THE POLICE"
- Samuel Walker, a retired criminal justice professor from the University of Nebraska, Omaha

Many times hispanic and latino males can often be mis-classified as white. There are sometime numerous occasions where racial bias and errors play a role in these statistics. Sometimes states, as is the case with Florida, the entire entire state is excluded from statics. This causes numbers to be far thrown off because Florida is the state with the 3rd largest latino population.

This video has added more questions that answers in the shooting death of Diaz-Zeferino and the bodily injury caused by gunshots to Acevedo-Mendez. The city of Gardena paid $4.7 million to settle a lawsuit with Diaz-Zeferino's family and Acevedo-Mendez. However, now that video has been released, the attorneys for the family of Diaz-Zeferino's family and Acevedo-Mendez are calling on the Department of Justice for a federal civil rights investigation of the Gardena Police Department.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal

Mexico Offers $4 Million Reward for "El Chapo", A Mexican Drug Lord Who Escaped Prison- Again

7/14/2015

Authorities and law enforcement in Mexico are now offering a 60 million pesos (equivalent to $4 million dollars) for information leading to the capture of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, a Mexican drug lord who escaped prison for a second time over the weekend.

Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán escaped through a tunnel on Saturday. The tunnel was a mile-long, five-and-a-half-foot-tall tunnel that included fitted stairs, ventilation, and an adapted motorcycle on rails escape. It seems similar to something out of a movie but this is the real life tale of his escape.

Credit: Mexico's Attorney General's Office / AP

This is not the first time, "El Chapo" has escaped prison. His prison hijinks and escape artist plans are mixed with folklore and truth. In 2001, the drug lord has escaped a maximum security prison in a laundry cart. "El Chapo" had run and ducked from authorities in the years that followed. However, as "El Chapo" once again escapes prison, the stories surrounding him seem to become more legitimized.

“The failure that occurred has angered all of us,” Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong, Secretary of the Interior told reporters in Spanish. “Want we all want is the truth, and that’s what we’re working toward, we all want to have him captured.”

While investigating how Guzman was able to escape there has not produced too many results. Neighbors at El Chapo's escape sights claim they did not see of hear a thing. The director of the prison has been fired. This is a major embarrassment for the Mexican government when they are continuously faced with harsh claims of corruption. Officials in the U.S. have also agreed to help aid in the investigation even after rebuffed earlier requests from the U.S. to extradite him.

Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal