Stephon Clark, 22 Year Old Black Male Shot and Killed by Police in his Backyard Sunday

[Top Boy]

It wasn't joke.

What tf is a toolbar??? Not a crowbar, a toolbar.

Was heated when I made that post and read into it the wrong way, I apologize man. Seriously.

 

[niketalker23]

I keep hearing this "officers are trained to shoot to kill when they shoot"

Man this can't be true.
There has to be training they receive to "disarm" or subdue using a weapon.
You can't tell me every time a Cop shoots EVER, that's he's TRAINED to kill with that shot.
I need proof of this because folks just keep saying this, and if it's not true.......that lie should stop.
Logically, it can't be true. Proof me please.

Cops aim at center mass to neutralize the threat they perceive is threatening their lives, and will continue to shoot until they feel its been accomplished.

The problem is, they are paranoid about black men because of their preconceived stereotypes and racism which leads to them being trigger happy and killing unarmed black men.

 

[tr1ll]

Was heated when I made that post and read into it the wrong way, I apologize man. Seriously.

It’s all good fam. I completely understand.

 

[hand2handking]

A Deputy in Houston Shot and Killed an Unarmed Black Man — Days After Stephon Clark’s Death

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez speaks during a June 2017 news conference. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle/AP)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-stephon-clarks-death/?utm_term=.e6a465e233d9

The woman that recorded the last moments of Danny Ray Thomas’s life thought it would end differently.

“He about to get Tased,” a woman says in the video, laughing. A police SUV’s lights flash near an apparent altercation involving Thomas and another man on a Houston street.

Thomas is in white, his pants around his ankles. He heads to the right of the camera frame, and the Harris County sheriff’s deputy comes into view. His gun is drawn. The deputy backpedals. A passing truck obscures the picture for a moment.

Then, the gunshot comes, a single round that pierces Thomas’s chest.

The woman behind the camera is not laughing any longer. Her video is a chaotic, tumbling stream of images as she tries to regain composure. “Why he shot him? Why he shot that man?” she shrieks. The woman eventually reframes the scene, with the deputy crouching over Thomas. He was pronounced dead at Houston Northwest Medical Center, authorities said.

Authorities indicated Thomas, a 34-year-old black man, had “some object” in his hand, but Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jason Spencer told the Houston Chronicle “we have not recovered a weapon at this point.” It’s not clear from the video if Thomas has anything in his hands.

He does not appear to raise his arms in a manner that would appear threatening before the passing truck blocks the camera’s view. About three seconds pass between the truck obscuring the frame and the gunshot ringing out.

Marketa Thomas, the victim’s sister, told reporters Thursday that they both struggled with mental illness and relied on each together, saying there is “no justification” for the deputy involved.

“Knowing that he was okay when I woke up every day made me fine,” she told reporters at the scene, according to a Chronicle video. “And knowing that my brother is no longer here — you think I’m going to be fine? I’m not going to be fine. That’s my brother.”

Thomas spoke through tears. “That’s my flesh and my blood. … He had my back through everything. And he promised me he wouldn’t leave me, and he didn’t leave me. Somebody took him from me.”

Family members said Thomas has been hit hard by the deaths of his two children, who were allegedly drowned in a home bathtub by their mother, Sheborah Thomas in 2016, when they were 5 and 7 years old. She is awaiting trial for capital murder, the Chronicle reported.

Tensions flared at a nearby gas station where media and members of the public gathered, including apparent witnesses who said Thomas appeared compliant. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez met the crowd face to face after the incident.

“But he threw his hands up,” a woman asked, in a moment captured by CBS affiliate KHOU. “But what if he threw his hands up?”

Gonzalez rebuffed the assertion. “We don’t know that. That’s why we’re out here to investigate. We’ll get to the bottom of it,” Gonzalez told the crowd of mostly black citizens.

Thursday’s killing occurred in the jurisdiction of the Houston Police Department, which will take the lead in the investigation. The sheriff’s office and Harris County District Attorney will also conduct probes.

Authorities released a brief summary of the incident on Friday.

“According to witnesses, Thomas was walking in the middle of the intersection of Imperial Valley and Greens Rd. with his pants around his ankles, talking to himself and hitting vehicles as they passed by,” the Houston Police Department said in a statement. Thomas struck a white vehicle, and a physical altercation ensued. A passing deputy stopped to disrupt the disturbance, the police said.

“The deputy gave Thomas verbal commands to stop, which he ignored and continued to advance toward the deputy. Fearing for his safety, the deputy discharged his duty weapon, striking Thomas once in the chest,” the department stated.

“Obviously they’re someone’s loved one. These situations are always difficult and so the main thing we can do is to make sure that we get the facts and that we’re thorough and transparent,” Gonzalez told reporters at the scene Thursday.

The shooting serves as a “a reminder of how things could escalate in these situations,” Gonzalez added. “Our deputies work in a very difficult environment where they have to make split-second decisions to protect their lives as well.”

Houston officer Kim Jones at the department’s crime center told The Washington Post on Saturday there was no information on whether the deputy was carrying a Taser or other less-than-lethal weapons. The sheriff’s office did not immediately answer an inquiry requesting information on the typical configuration of less-than-lethal weapons for deputies on patrol.

The Houston killing occurred just days after two Sacramento police officers shot and killed Stephon Clark in his own backyard after a foot pursuit on Sunday night. The police believed Clark raised a gun at them. Only a white iPhone was found near his body. He died at the scene after the officers shot 20 rounds at him.

That incident sparked waves of protests in the following days, with chants of “Phones up, don’t shoot” — a reference to the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. He was also unarmed when he was killed by police.

An analysis by The Post found 987 people were killed by police last year — 68 of them unarmed. Of those unarmed victims, 30 were white, 20 were black and 13 were Hispanic, showing an overrepresentation of African Americans compared to their percentage of the U.S. population. Five of the remaining fatalities were of unknown or other race.

At least 230 people have been killed by police this year, according to The Post’s database on fatal force.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

Same Houston police who sheeeted all over Michael Bennett a little over 24/hrs ago. Not surprised.

We need the "REAL" Black Panthers back patrolling our streets and get these race soldiers up outta there permanently.

 

[lovehateself]

Smh

 

[michigan]

Same Houston police who sheeeted all over Michael Bennett a little over 24/hrs ago. Not surprised.

We need the "REAL" Black Panthers back patrolling our streets and get these race soldiers up outta there permanently.

The government infiltrated the black panther party and used the divide and conquer method and then introduced crack cocaine to black communities. I bring this up because if the real party came back it would get destroyed before it could take off. The government considered the black panther party the biggest threat to national security. Black lives matter is the closest orgainzation to them now. Members of their organization need to run for the local offices they are living in. Only way change is gonna come. Oh yeah and this time lets elect a likeable person to go against trump.

 

[sooperhooper]

As long as cops have guns then this is the best it's gonna get. Paranoia+power+ "I thought he had a gun" = rip

 

[a-friend]

That Power is out of control.
I do believe it is unctrollable.
Emperical fallibism.
Scary AF man.
I hope I don't live to see what's next in acquaint power from Policing.

 

[hand2handking]

 

[calibeebee]

Geniuses too. Reminds me of in movies where they destroy the ignition to hotwire the car only to find the keys in the visor.

The way he diddy bopped after making it over like "yeah I jumped right over that fence, I'm a BA."

 

[AL Andretti]

Same story no matter where you live...

 

[Chiron]

Tazer? Mace? They got rid of them for budget cuts? Even a bystander, who doesn't appear to be a lawyer or law enforcement official recognized the correct action to take. "He's about to get tazed."

Nope.

 

[Nereyda Vuelve Por Dios]

Do whites that ya come in contact with acknowledge how different we get treated in these situations? do they defend cops unequivocally ? They cant see this **** and think something isnt wrong. Clear as day.

I live in nyc so they talk the talk in front of me but theres an inkling of “whatever you say dude” when they take the right side of these situation.

Theres a moral factor here that most wont see becuase race is such a powerful factor. But the idea that delusional white people dont aee how morally devoid these institutions we ****in fund/depend on, dont treat us fair, has me numb.

 

[P C H]

One of these cop killings is going to be the one. The straw that broke the camel's back.

Eventually, it's going to be green light on any cops in black neighborhoods.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

Do whites that ya come in contact with acknowledge how different we get treated in these situations? do they defend cops unequivocally ? They cant see this **** and think something isnt wrong. Clear as day.

I work with a bunch of old, conservative, ex-military white dudes. Basically pro-cops, pro-military interventionism, and pro-Trump. I don't even attempt to have these types of conversations with them because it won't end well and no minds will be changed, mine or theirs.

 

[kingkoopa]

I work with a bunch of old, conservative, ex-military white dudes. Basically pro-cops, pro-military interventionism, and pro-Trump. I don't even attempt to have these types of conversations with them because it won't end well and no minds will be changed, mine or theirs.

Yeah, I don't even attempt and when a issue is brought up I switch it up quick.

YOU CAN'T CHANGE THESE PEOPLE!

 

[Nujavez]

I work with a bunch of old, conservative, ex-military white dudes. Basically pro-cops, pro-military interventionism, and pro-Trump. I don't even attempt to have these types of conversations with them because it won't end well and no minds will be changed, mine or theirs.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

Yeah, my employer also provides services to the government. So a lot of retired military.

 

[gentrification]

The government infiltrated the black panther party and used the divide and conquer method and then introduced crack cocaine to black communities. I bring this up because if the real party came back it would get destroyed before it could take off. The government considered the black panther party the biggest threat to national security. Black lives matter is the closest orgainzation to them now. Members of their organization need to run for the local offices they are living in. Only way change is gonna come. Oh yeah and this time lets elect a likeable person to go against trump.

Black panthers did a lot for the community. A lot. But sheisty **** among members were going down behind close doors ie prostituion and drug dealing. Huey was shot during a drug deal gone wrong. Not to take anything away, at all from what they did.

 

[getback]

I work with a bunch of old, conservative, ex-military white dudes. Basically pro-cops, pro-military interventionism, and pro-Trump.

That sounds miserable. What do you do?

 

[green rhino123]

Do whites that ya come in contact with acknowledge how different we get treated in these situations? do they defend cops unequivocally ? They cant see this **** and think something isnt wrong. Clear as day.

It depends on the white.

 

[0takusamsay]

I would never tell the next man they cant feel how they feel when something like this happens. you have every right to feel the way you do but if you think more violence is a long term solution for you, your children, and your grandchildren you are mistaken

I posted this quote in another thread but it fits this too:

Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love... Our aim must never be to defeat or humiliate the white man, but to win his friendship and understanding.

I think MLK is a little more enlightened than you and even myself when it comes to the matter of race. I do understand anger is a natural response and you should be angry. we should all be angry and we shouldn't let this happen but again more violence isn't that answer imho.

the long term answer is going to be in changes to policy when hiring a police office, in congress looking more like me and you, in school funding and education, and creating more of a community that understands one another. how that happens, I don't know, but that is a long term solution not going around and just shooting random cops.

The real solution is in us as POC( especially black people) stop only voting when it comes down to the presidency. We gotta get more active in our politics, from town, to city, to congress, etc.

Protesting ain' gonna work because the media will always paint us as bad guys trying to loot and riot.

 

[MalcolmNewton]

That sounds miserable. What do you do?

International logistics, got a gang of black coworkers though, we all know what time it is. So we are able to chop it up with each other when something goes down such as this last weekend

 

[AL Andretti]