Don't Leave Home without Video Or Your Slayer May Go Free

Another unarmed man who happens to be black
Is shot running away five times in the back
Stopped because of a broken tail light
With child support warrants after being tased he took flight
Cuffed on the ground left to die like a dog
Easy to see why restoring confidence in the police will be a tough slog
Worse, the news today is that this is not the first time Slager has been charged with using excessive force

A young man dragged from his house and tased twice but no video so the investigation ran a predictable course

Slager was of course exonerated by Internal Affairs

Unless a video showing excessive force is there
A cop being fired is almost unheard of; it is completely rare
And a cop being prosecuted by the D.A. doesn’t happen; no wonder there is among blacks a sense of despair

Sending Slager off to prison for a very long time will not bring Scott back

But the unauthorized future use of deadly force might be reduced against unarmed blacks

The city acted quickly to fire Slager and with murder charge

Announcing that the number of body cams on officers would be greatly enlarged
If the body cams are turned on when every stop is made
This police department will have taken steps to earn a protect and preserve passing grade
If you live in a neighborhood of color or are driving when black or brown
Like the American Express ad don’t leave home without it; take your phone video when heading into town
And to the Reverend Al no matter how hard it might be to your rhetoric restrain
Chill out, let the D.A. pursue and do not the passions of North Charleston inflame

© April 9, 2015 Michael P. Ridley aka the Alaskanpoet

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