The Execution Of John Crawford III

Hands up at the Walmart where John Crawford was killed (photo: Ohio Student Association)

“[African Americans] had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations; and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was bought and sold, and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic, whenever a profit could be made by it.” – Dred Scott decision (1857)

“Officer Williams was exonerated and released back into our community presumably to pursue his third kill and Officer Darkow to pursue his second kill.”

Beavercreek, Ohio, police officers Sean Williams and David Darkow came into Wal-Mart with weapons drawn, prepared to spill blood. Within minutes, John Crawford III, an unarmed 22-year old shopping for a BB gun, was fatally shot lying in a pool of blood. This was the second kill for Officer Williams. A grand jury investigating the murder determined that Crawford had not committed a crime nor did he do anything wrong.

John’s father, John Crawford Jr., expressing the families shock and disbelief, questioned how a young man can go into a store as a customer and be murdered by police. “If he did nothing wrong, if he did not commit a crime, then why is he not here with us? I’m at a loss for words. I’m appalled.” The video that contains the 911 call shows the execution of John Crawford III by police. Viewers should be warned; the video is graphic and deeply disturbing. The surveillance video from Wal-Mart was released before the grand jury announcement.

What is more appalling and perhaps, equally pathological is that a grand jury found that neither officer acted inappropriately and dismissed all charges against them. The city of Beavercreek rendered its decision: “Based on the information the responding officers had and Mr. Crawford’s failure to comply with the responding officers’ orders, the officers did what they were trained to do to protect the public.” Thus, Officer Williams was exonerated and released back into our community presumably to pursue his third kill and Officer Darkow to pursue his second kill.

“New video evidence suggests Crawford was trying to surrender to the authorities.”

The Huffington Post reported: “The recently released video appears to show 22-year-old John Crawford III setting the air rifle – which uses compressed air to fire pellets or BBs – on the ground before an officer fires two shots into him.” In another article, they reported that the video does not support the officer’s version of events: …”new video evidence suggests Crawford was trying to surrender to the authorities. Police have said multiple times that Crawford refused commands to drop the air rifle, according to the Dayton Daily News. The surveillance video appears to tell a different story. Crawford can clearly be seen dropping the suspected weapon, diving for cover. He then appears to approach the officers, weaponless, before being fired upon.”

The grand jury refused to indict officers Williams and Darkow on murder, reckless homicide or negligent homicide charges after hearing testimony from 18 witnesses, listening to both the audio and video of the murder. Vince Pope, attorney for the officers involved in the shooting, released the following statement: “I believe the grand jury’s decision, it’s absolutely the right decision, that the officers acted well within their training.”

Presumably, the grand jury found nothing disturbing about the police charging into Wal-Mart with guns drawn, based on an anonymous phone call in which the victim was described as a black man with an afro holding a “rifle-type weapon at customers, including children…that he’s loading.” The police did not verify the veracity of this information before engaging the “suspect” and delivering lethal force. No attempts were made by Officers Williams and Darkow to engage John Crawford III in conversation to determine if non-lethal solutions could be found, but rather, they chose to execute “the black man with an afro” only later to find out that he was holding a BB gun that was offered for sale at Wal-Mart.

“The disposition of Black life has been circumscribed by the whims and capricious predilection of police, vigilantes and everyday white folks.”

Supreme Court rulings have held that citizens can use deadly force when their life or someone else’s life is in imminent danger. However, police and military agents are deputized to use violence with impunity against citizens based upon their relationship to state power. The discussion comparing what the corporate media calls “black on black” violence to that of state-sponsored lethal murder with impunity is a false dichotomy. Police and the military engaged in state-sponsored violence, according to the Supreme Court, only need to act in a way that would be considered “reasonable.” Jeff Pedro, the host of Shootin’ from the Hip, voicing the sentiments of right wing gun owners, said the “United States Supreme Court rulings have held that law enforcement officers have greater latitude because they have a dangerous, rapidly-evolving, stressful job. Police officers don’t have to be right. They need to be reasonable.” The question is, When have European-Americans not found it “reasonable” to kill black folks whether it was during the period of human trafficking (slavery), Reconstruction, Jim Crow, segregation, or our current era of mass incarceration?

From 1857 to 2014 the disposition of Black life has been circumscribed by the whims and capricious predilection of police, vigilantes and everyday white folks. But, the most systemic and profound variable in the lives of African-Americans has been the pervasive and unrelenting storm of state-sponsored violence. Every 28 hours a black person dies the hands of police, security guards or vigilantes. This represents the unbroken chain that links the 1857 Dred Scott decision to the present. Thus, one can hardly be surprised at the latest wave of directed violence against African-Americans; however, we become desensitized at our peril.

Code Black Alert: Pittsburg

A grieving father, Rev. Earl Baldwin Jr., in Pittsburg, was restrained and tased by police while he tried to pray over his dead stepson in the emergency room. The mother, Tori Baldwin was not allowed to enter the hospital to pay her last respects. Rev. Earl Baldwin, Jr. has filed a civil rights lawsuit against Pittsburg police.

Code Black Alert: South Carolina

Levar Jones was pulled over for a seat belt violation by a South Carolina state trooper; it nearly cost him his life. In the video, South Carolina trooper Sean Groubert is seen pulling up to Jones’ car. Jones stands up to talk to the officer. Groubert demanded to see Jones license. When Jones re-enters his car to provide the license, within 4 seconds the policeman starts to fire the first of four shots at the unarmed driver. Remarkably, Groubert will face criminal charges and the possibility of up to 20 years in prison. He was fired by the highway patrol.