Posted on 12/25/2014 9:52:38 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Following the failure of grand juries in Ferguson, New York, Ohio, and Milwaukee to bring charges against police officers in four separate fatal shootings of young black men, federal authorities are exploring whether federal charges could be brought against the cops. The Department of Justice (DOJ), FBI, and the US attorney's office are examining the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and John Crawford III, while the DOJ is reviewing the killing of Dontre Hamilton all four men were unarmed when they were shot dead by police this year.
Theoretically, the officers could face charges under a federal "color of law" statute, if it can be shown that the cops violated the deceased men's constitutional rights. As the Guardian noted Wednesday, however, the statue has "only occasionally" been used to indict officers in shooting and brutality cases. Notably, the LAPD officers who brutalized Rodney King were acquitted on state charges but later convicted under the federal statute for violating his Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable arrest and depriving him of his 14th Amendment due-process rights.
In the cases currently under consideration, federal prosecutors would have to show that the officers involved "acted with the specific intent to use more force than was reasonably necessary under the circumstances," as American University law professor William Yeoman's told the Guardian. Yeomans noted that it is "very rare" that deprivation of rights under the color of law in police in shootings is proven.
While the federal investigations specifically address whether the individuals' civil rights were violated, the impetus for prosecution under color of law cannot be racially driven. While Brown, Crawford, Garner, and Hamilton's deaths have all raised urgent questions of racism in US policing, the already unlikely federal charges would have to be brought without reference to race. In the King case, as political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson has pointed out on the Huffington Post, "There would have been absolutely no chance to bring, let alone get, convictions of the officers if there had been even the remotest public hint that race was the sole reason for the federal prosecution. The Justice Department had to bring, argue and try to win their convictions exclusively on the evidence and testimony that the cops violated the federal statutes in beating King."
Hutchinson argued that the same considerations applied to the King case should equally concern the Mike Brown shooting in Ferguson and should thus lead to federal charges against former cop Darren Wilson. "Brown as was King was unarmed. Brown and King were not charged with a crime when detained. Brown as King received injuries after he ceased resisting. Brown as King was abused during an official stop. These, as they were with King, are compelling civil rights violations," he wrote.
The Guardian reported that it will be some time months or years before the federal inquiries come to any conclusions.
THE OBAMA/HOLDER DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IS AN ORGANIZED RACIST CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE.
I hope people nearby march loud and proud to oppose any federal indictments. Hey, ya gotta break a few windows to make an omelet.
People grasping at these straws blowing in the wind just seem pathetic and pathetic. It is time to put the crap away and get a firm grasp on reality. There will be no charges because there were no crimes on the part of the LEO's.
And when this is announced by the Feds, yet another round of riots will begin.
Even though the Feds CAUSED the riots in the first place by poking their snouts into clear cut cases, where a Grand Jury no billed.
Obama and his idiot lapdog Holder threw gas on burned out husks of cases, then threw a match, when there was no fire in the first place.
Obama COULD have been presidential.
But we KNOW he is incapable of that.
Posts BUMP!
Yes. The white folks.
Shhh....you'll screw up the narrative.
Although Wilson did have a right to shoot Brown when Brown hit him, Wilson did not suffer an eye injury.
I want to challenge the liberals, how about any area with a mostly black population can only have black policemen.
and then let’s see if any “unarmed” black people get shot.
It's open season on black men white cops
This is shoddy reporting. Brown and King are vastly different facts. Rodney was taken out and beaten for 2 minutes by 4 cops, who were still acquitted by a jury despite a highly inflammatory video. For Brown there is no video and there is evidence showing the officer was attacked (his injuries) and conflicting witness testimony about what Brown did. Unlike King the key witness is dead. Case dismissed.
We need to consider that after a criminal regime has been in power awhile it may be afraid to leave office. Lest they face the obvious criminal charges. They may stay in power to protect themselves from going to prison
If they bring federal charges against these cops I am going to be so mad that I cannot even describe it.
So are you suggesting we eliminate prescription drugs and make all drugs over the counter? At least as long as you are over 18 or 21?
The eye fracture bit was bullcrap, IIRC...
“Obama COULD have been presidential. But we KNOW he is incapable of that”
Correct, he was chosen, groomed and programmed to be exactly what we see.
The King incident appeared excessive to the Federal jury too, but only the portion after Briseno stomped him, which was after the footage that was most widely shown. Even given that conclusion, they only convicted two of the four officers.
Actually, the public saw a highly inflammatory PORTION of a video. The reason the first jury didn’t convict is because they saw the entire video, including the portion where King got up and charged the officers. The media had conveniently left that portion out of their coverage.
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