13 year old boy gunned down

[Quixotic]

posted this at my site (vivalarevolution.net), figured id post it here too

I was protesting today, it was for Devin Brown, a 13 year old black child who was gunned down. This happened in Los Angeles, I'm sure you can find the media's version, but I'll tell you the truth, at least what I believe. There were eye witnesses, one whose door was kicked in the next day and the LAPD assaulted, wonder why. Anyway, the child was out late, I don't remember what time, but it was fairly late or early in the morning, by any means, 3 hours before the child was gunned down a precinct was shot at 40 times, and a source who is an officer said that it was basically a witch hunt, they were looking for anyone to take their anger out on, the officers who shot Devin were way out of their jurisdiction. So here's what happened, Devin was out late joyriding with a friend, the police surrounded his car, the friend got out in ran, the car wasn't in park so it began to roll backwards (it was on a curb or something, I don’t remember fully), and this was the excuse for the cops to shoot, they said their life was in danger because the car was about to hit them. Now, just wait a minute, the fucking 14, that's right, 14 shots that were unloaded into the vehicle were from the FRONT!! Not the fucking back, not where the so called officer’s lives were in danger, they didn't shoot, and it was some crazy fucking white cop who had been charged previously with threatening minors, and got convicted for one and was suspended for 40 days. This is the cop who shot Devan, he came out of his patrol car blasting! I find this to be OUTRAGEOUS. Shit like this needs to stop, and believe me, when we were protesting we weren't on that peaceful bull shit, I'm a Marxist-Leninist, man, i had 3 different signs with my friend & his girlfriend one was "Kill or be killed. Amerikkka made" and it had a picture of a man being hung from the statue of liberty, real picture, I don't remember the man's name right now. I also had one that said "DEATH TO PIGS - STOP THE EXECUTIONS" and another that said "A Prayer and a Gun" meaning that's all we had. Anyway, so we went into a church, no, i'm not religious at all, but there were a bunch of black speakers, they were really good, one of them said something that really stuck with me "The tasers are for the white people, the guns are for us.".

I think what disgusted me the most out of all of this is that a police car rolled by when we first got to the corner and saw us protesting..and both of the officers laughed at us, they looked at us and laughed. I'd never hated pigs so much in my life before that moment. We marched up the street, they blocked off the roads, press was everywhere, I’m sure I got on TV (I had a brown & light brown sweater on, either holding a white or yellow sign). I stood up for something, and I feel good, but it's not enough, we need action. Excuse me if this seems like a badly worded rant or something, but I didn't read it over, I'm way too disturbed to do it, too many emotions flying around.

[guerillablack]

fuck protesting, blast a cop. everytime they drop one of us, one of them needs to drop. that's real talk.

[FatFreeMilk]

The version I heard of this story was totally different. Yeah, botttom line the cops did blast a 13 year old kid, but you go to think about it.

This kid led the police on a 3 1/2 mile chase in the middle of the night. Keep in mind this is Los Angeles, car chase capital of the world. It was a stolen car. Ok. He then attempted to ram into the police. Well, what do you think they're gonna do? Sit back and let themselves get run over? Hell no. They're gonna shoot to kill. They probably didn't know it was a 13 year old kid in the car (hopefully anyways). Because well, it was the middle of the night. What business did a person his age have, jacking cars and leading the police in a car chase in the middle of the night?

Of course I feel bad that this kind of shit happens but before you jump to the conclusion that the cops were out to get some poor black kid you gotta think about the circumstances for a minute. Then you'll see their justification for taking him out.

I don't know if you know how things are in SoCal but car chases are routine. Stuff like this however, is not.

[RASH chris]

FatFreeMilk-Where did you get your information? I'm not saying that the other account is correct and yours is wrong. But your account sounds like something that they'd say on the television news or a local newspaper, and if you believe those for fact, well I feel sorry for you.

[FatFreeMilk]

I first heard the story on a morning radio show and then read various stories on the net. They all said the same thing. What is there to feel sorry about?

[Phalanx]

They easily could have used non-lethal methods. I mean, it's not like he even had a gun or anything. A car chase is no justification for you to kill someone.

[RASH chris]

What is there to feel sorry about? Dude you're an asshole, it's fine if you think the cops were in the right, but to say "what is there to feel sorry about" is disgusting. Do you not value human life? A young man is dead, and all you have to say is "what is there to feel sorry about".

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 9 2005, 06:48 AM
fuck protesting, blast a cop. everytime they drop one of us, one of them needs to drop. that's real talk.
Yes thats right, lets kill cops, so that way we have to deal with the military.

That honestly was a very stupid comment.

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by Chinghis [email protected] 9 2005, 11:48 PM
They easily could have used non-lethal methods. I mean, it's not like he even had a gun or anything. A car chase is no justification for you to kill someone.
No he had a car, which is as deadly as any fire arm, and kills more people a year in the west than fire arms as well.

[GlassDraggon]

^^THAT is ignorant. They stop hundreds if not thousands of these chases every year with non-letal means and it would have taken NOTHING to do the same in this case and if anything it'd be easier considering he was an inexperienced driver. ^^

[Xanthor]

Did they try shooting the tires? I'd shoot the tires not the driver. I thought cops had to shoot tires in that situation. But 1) I'm not a cop. 2) i wasn't there so i don't know what happend. Aside of that though, I would shoot the tires.

[GlassDraggon]

^^They generally don't even bother firing a shot. With a 3 hr chase there is NO excuse for not using a tire grill (the thing that pops the tires when you drive over it) or not simply outmaneuvering him and forcing him into a crash. I knew a highway patrolman who performed multiple chases and it is one of the lowest risk procedures if performed correctly. This cops were either assholes or they were totally negligent in their duties and there is NO excuse for shooting a 13 year old boy. You cannot tell me that after a 3 hr chase they didn't identify the subject and that this kid was not obviously pre-teen or teenage in appearance. These cops should be sentenced to the same capital punishments that they so unflinchingly inflict on others- they are murderers. ^^

[enigma2517]

Yeah, I agree with Enigma, killing cops is stupid. They are only appendages of the system. They are not the problem. I know cops, many of them are actually very fair, honest, and generally altruistic people. Its the nature of the system that makes them the way they are. If you want to kill a cop, fine, lets see how much that helps the problem. But what you have to realize is, they are people just like me or you. So do what you want, but I can bet you there are thousands of more productive ways to solve this problem.

On the other hand I see where you are coming from. Given your background, you yourself may have experienced first hand oppression from the popos. You are angry; and rightly so.

Anger is a gift, use it.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2005, 06:29 PM
Yeah, I agree with Enigma, killing cops is stupid. They are only appendages of the system. They are not the problem. I know cops, many of them are actually very fair, honest, and generally altruistic people. Its the nature of the system that makes them the way they are. If you want to kill a cop, fine, lets see how much that helps the problem. But what you have to realize is, they are people just like me or you. So do what you want, but I can bet you there are thousands of more productive ways to solve this problem.

On the other hand I see where you are coming from. Given your background, you yourself may have experienced first hand oppression from the popos. You are angry; and rightly so.

Anger is a gift, use it.
I am very close to a police officer, but, as far as I am concerned, no matter how good an officer is outside the context of the institution, within their role as cop - as violent arm of state repression, as foot soldiers in a war against the poor - they deserve everything they get.
In our society, a war is being waged, and I will never deny the poor the right to "shoot back."
I love my Dad, but I hope when faced with the choice between doing the wrong thing, and quitting his job, that he'll quit.

[GlassDraggon]

^^Well put^^

[FatFreeMilk]

You said:


FatFreeMilk-Where did you get your information? I'm not saying that the other account is correct and yours is wrong. But your account sounds like something that they'd say on the television news or a local newspaper, and if you believe those for fact, well I feel sorry for you.

I said:

I first heard the story on a morning radio show and then read various stories on the net. They all said the same thing. What is there to feel sorry about? reffering to how I don't think you should feel sorry for me for taking what the news reports as "fact". I don't see why those sources are unacceptable.


What is there to feel sorry about? Dude you're an asshole, it's fine if you think the cops were in the right, but to say "what is there to feel sorry about" is disgusting. Do you not value human life? A young man is dead, and all you have to say is "what is there to feel sorry about". I'm not a dude, buddy. Stop trippin. You took what I said out of context.

[FeArANDLoAtHiNg]

Let's face it. If the kid was white, he'd most likely still be alive. I know nothing of this particular case, so I can't really comment on it. However, I do know many African Americans die at the hands of the police under controversial circumstance all the time, and this doesn't seem to be simply a coincidence. I live near Cincinnati Ohio, were this type of thing happens all the time, and often incites riots.

[bolshevik butcher]

Although this is a terrible incident, and almost certainley racist, it doesn't justify the fact that the guy was out joy riding.

[FeArANDLoAtHiNg]

It was a kid, and kids are stupid. Without the proper parental guidance, many of us may have done something equally stupid at this age. No, that doesn't justify his actions, but his actions don't justify his death.

[GlassDraggon]

Like I've said before: he was a 13 year old kid, not a professional driver. I can't see any reason why after 3 hrs they couldn't simply outmaneuver him or force him into a low impact crash. If that wasn't working for some crazy reason (like if he were a future NASCAR driver...) then they always had the option of laying down road spikes or another means of popping the tires. Then if THAT doesn't work, why didn't they attempt to fire their shots into the engine? A professional marksman would have had no problem disabling a vehicle safely and efficiently with little or no risk of harm to the driver. I'm pretty sure the police have almost never resorted to the last tactic, but I know it's an option for both high speed chases and low speed chases.

So the kid was joy riding? Does that warrant death? It would be understandable where the police 13 year olds aswell...but fully grown and mature individuals do not fire their clips into a child. In reality I don't necessarily agree that the police should be killed in turn, after all "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind" BUT I believe these police should be fired without further pay and that they should be tried for murder. If found guilty (as I assume they are seeing as they admitted to shooting the child) they should serve the same sentences as those they arrest for similar crimes. Why should the police be above the laws they enforce?

You are right though- a 13 year old white male would not have been shot.