"We must hold law enforcement accountable for unjust, incompetent, or intentionally malicious use of deadly force, making it clear that they are not above the law they are sworn to enforce, nor are they allowed to selectively honor their duty to serve, protect, and preserve life." - Earl Graves Snr
Weekly, if not daily, we get reports on different social media platforms of one form of Police brutality or the other. Some of which have been considered as 'minor', but the bulk of which led to deaths. The last of which are those of Alton Sterling a few days ago.
Like that wasn't enough, I just saw a video of a young man, Philando Castile, who did not look like he was up to his 30s, shot in his arm as he tried to get his I.D as the Police Officer had asked him to provide it. His girlfriend who was beside him in the car was videotaping everything as they waited for Police and Medical 'backup'. The last thing I heard before I cut the video was the girl's voice saying "Oh my God, please don't tell me he's dead. Please don't tell me my boyfriend just went like that!"
Why do things like these have to happen? Especially with the Police as the perpetrators of these deaths. Why do they have to be so trigger-happy? A record of about 144 deaths in the US alone as a result of Police brutality, and we only just begun the 7th month of the year!
Now, let me give an answer before anybody asks me "How e take consain you? Na 'jand' you dey?"("How does it concern you? You are not even in the US, are you?") It concerns me. Actually, it concerns everyone of us. For one, we are all human beings. But if you don't understand that answer, then please refer to my last post on Humanity.
Truth be told, the US is not the only place where there are cases of Police brutality. We have had cases of same in Nigeria, and many have led to loss of lives. And the excuses for such cases have ranged from tiredness and drunkenness, to (their favourite) accidental discharge.
These arms they use were given to them to use with 'extreme caution', and any force exerted by a Police Officer on a civilian should be 'reasonable force'. Now, those words, 'extreme caution' and 'reasonable force' are subjective as each individual situation will determine the interpretation of those words. But in most of the cases of Police brutality, especially those that led to the death of civilians, whether or not in Nigeria, the 'test of a reasonable man' in such situations hardly ever fell in favour of the Police Officer.
They, the Police Officers, that were given all that power to enforce justice and protect the rights of the citizens, have become the very ones who enforce injustice and flaunt the rights of the citizens they have sworn to protect. It's really sad and painful. "Who then will protect us on the streets before we get to the Courtrooms?" I hear someone ask. We will. We are the people. And we have the power.
To Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, and every other person all around the world whose lives have been lost, or have been victims of Police brutality in one way or another. To their families, friends, and loved ones, and to every other person in the world still alive. It's our right to be alive, do what is right and stay out of trouble to the best of your ability.
With Love...
- The Lady
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:18
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