Refusal to list suspect's race in news

[alexrex20]

Yeah but if you say the person was short or tall, you take a chance on offending short or tall people. If you add a person's weight, like average weight (what the hell is that?) large or skinny you take a chance that you could offend people with eating disorders. Give the type of clothing and you probably hit at least 20% of the population. Ya can't win for loosin.

I never argued that a description shouldn't be used because it might offend someone. Clearly, I'm not afraid of offending someone.

My issue was with super vague descriptions that make pretty much everyone a suspect: "We're looking for a white male in a Ford F250."

But now we're getting so far off the original topic... I'm through here.

 

[TXARGUY]

New press lingo:

Youth = black
Suspect = black
Perpetrator = black

Any time the suspect is white his/her race is reported. Latino is reported as white.

Interesting note: since 2003 Latino crime statistics have been reported as white to bolster the white crime statistics in an effort to help fill in the huge gap between white and black crime. Or so I'm told by people in the know.

 

[Dred]

Yeah, it's been a few years since I had my car disassembled on the side of the road while I watched in cuffs with the justification that they had a report that a black guy fleeing in a mercedes just ... fill in the blank.

My absolute favorite was a stop on Hwy 6 in Navasota. Transcript:
Officer: do you know how fast you were traveling?
Me: I set the cruise at about 65 back in Hempstead.
Officer: I clocked you at 69 in a 65 (it was dark) Flashlight wanders around the car. Do you mind if I have a look in your car?
Me: No problem; knock yourself out (i already know the police dogs are trained to alert by default, so I just let'm root)
Officer: Ok, please step out of the car and wait over there with my partner. More rooting. 5 minutes later ... do you mind if I look in the trunk?
Me: No problem.
Officer holds up a box of cigars (not blunts - good cigars) and asks: what's this?
Me: Cigars
Officer thinking he's hit the lottery: What are you doing with them?
Me: Taking them home to put in my humidor. I smoke them occasionally.
Officer returns to rooting - goes through my gym bag and every pocket of every article of clothing, rips out the carpet, pulls the spare, etc.
Officer finally gives up search after about 20 minutes and finally asks about my business traveling north on 6. I explain that I live in Bryan.
Officer asks what I do for a living
Me: I'm on the Marketing Faculty at Texas A&M.
Officer is now completely exascerbated. He looks at me and has the nerve to ask me why I didn't tell him that in the first place
Me: With an innocent and puzzled look responded with an inquiry about what difference could that have made.

The senior officer that had been keeping me company at a safe distance explained that the other guy was a rookie and apologized for the delay.

I picked up my stuff, stuffed the trunk haphazardly and felt pretty good about my behavior the rest of the trip home.

I've been pulled over and searched 27 times for the offense of DWB - yall can figure out the acronym. It's only fair to mention that the count includes 2 black officers. Don't even ask me about random airport searches. My record is three random selections between Houston and Arizona - twice in Houston - explosive screening in lobby and body search to board in Houston and to get on my connecting flight.

I submit that black folks are held to a higher standard of scrutiny and are therefore more likely to take the ride for our mistakes. 39% is a weak "majority" fwiw.

I have friends on my local pd and in the sheriffs office - I like to stick to Fort Bend for this reason.

 

[RstyShcklfrd]

Yeah, it's been a few years since I had my car disassembled on the side of the road while I watched in cuffs with the justification that they had a report that a black guy fleeing in a mercedes just ... fill in the blank.

My absolute favorite was a stop on Hwy 6 in Navasota. Transcript:
Officer: do you know how fast you were traveling?
Me: I set the cruise at about 65 back in Hempstead.
Officer: I clocked you at 69 in a 65 (it was dark) Flashlight wanders around the car. Do you mind if I have a look in your car?
Me: No problem; knock yourself out (i already know the police dogs are trained to alert by default, so I just let'm root)
Officer: Ok, please step out of the car and wait over there with my partner. More rooting. 5 minutes later ... do you mind if I look in the trunk?
Me: No problem.
Officer holds up a box of cigars (not blunts - good cigars) and asks: what's this?
Me: Cigars
Officer thinking he's hit the lottery: What are you doing with them?
Me: Taking them home to put in my humidor. I smoke them occasionally.
Officer returns to rooting - goes through my gym bag and every pocket of every article of clothing, rips out the carpet, pulls the spare, etc.
Officer finally gives up search after about 20 minutes and finally asks about my business traveling north on 6. I explain that I live in Bryan.
Officer asks what I do for a living
Me: I'm on the Marketing Faculty at Texas A&M.
Officer is now completely exascerbated. He looks at me and has the nerve to ask me why I didn't tell him that in the first place
Me: With an innocent and puzzled look responded with an inquiry about what difference could that have made.

The senior officer that had been keeping me company at a safe distance explained that the other guy was a rookie and apologized for the delay.

I picked up my stuff, stuffed the trunk haphazardly and felt pretty good about my behavior the rest of the trip home.

I've been pulled over and searched 27 times for the offense of DWB - yall can figure out the acronym. It's only fair to mention that the count includes 2 black officers. Don't even ask me about random airport searches. My record is three random selections between Houston and Arizona - twice in Houston - explosive screening in lobby and body search to board in Houston and to get on my connecting flight.

I submit that black folks are held to a higher standard of scrutiny and are therefore more likely to take the ride for our mistakes. 39% is a weak "majority" fwiw.

I have friends on my local pd and in the sheriffs office - I like to stick to Fort Bend for this reason.

I laughed at that part, and wasn't expecting that.

I have a suggestion though; stop letting them search your car.

 

[Miloe]

But if the cops say they are looking for a young male, wearing jeans and a white wife beater, but leave out race, how is that helping?
Are they looking for a redneck, black guy, Asian? Just stop everyone in a wife beater?

I'm dreading the day some overweight, near middle age, white guy blows up a plane or something. I won't be able to cross the street without getting a search and there will be NO outcry/media/special interest about it.

 

[inceptor]

But if the cops say they are looking for a young male, wearing jeans and a white wife beater, but leave out race, how is that helping?
Are they looking for a redneck, black guy, Asian? Just stop everyone in a wife beater?

I'm dreading the day some overweight, near middle age, white guy blows up a plane or something. I won't be able to cross the street without getting a search and there will be NO outcry/media/special interest about it.

I was actually making fun of the media.

I agree with the last part. If a perp is described as old, fat and ugly white guy, I'm in deep shit.

 

[Miloe]

Yep, heaven help, if someone gets offended. The media has to kiss near all butts, gun owners excluded.

I really think that in recent years, people have came up with a new job description/job standard...
The Professionally Offended, just looking for a reason to get upset and sue.

 

[TwinGlocks]

Complaining about the news media's failure to post the race of a suspect. I've only seen that on one other forum ......

 

[stdreb27]

Officer is now completely exascerbated. He looks at me and has the nerve
I submit that black folks are held to a higher standard of scrutiny and are therefore more likely to take the ride for our mistakes. 39% is a weak "majority" fwiw.

I have friends on my local pd and in the sheriffs office - I like to stick to Fort Bend for this reason.

When you take into account that they're 10% of the population it's a pretty significant number.

 

[TXARGUY]

Complaining about the news media's failure to post the race of a suspect. I've only seen that on one other forum ......

Let me guess, it was some race hate forum. Well this is not a race hate forum.

It seems very simple to me that the color of someone is very important information to be had when asked to be on lookout or beware of someone who is sought for committing a crime.

It also does not seem at all racist to me to give out that information.

 

[benenglish]

I once interviewed a subject and described him in my report, as close as I can remember, as a "dark-skinned black male, mid-30s, approx 5'6", glasses, morbidly obese."

My boss went nuts over the "morbidly obese" part. Even though this was internal work product, it was accessible via a FOIA request and he was afraid someone would get offended.

My only defense was "Boss, he was morbidly obese. If another Officer ever inherits this case, they'll appreciate knowing that he's not the guy we're looking for." I was informally reprimanded for using prejudicial language and instructed to make a weight estimate in pounds in all future documentation.

People get offended at all sorts of stuff. I try not to consider it when choosing my words...except back when I was trying my hand at stand-up comedy. Then I was trying to offend everybody.

 

[matefrio]

The Advocate Newspaper in Baton Rouge LA has a new owner. I did a double take in this story in contrast to the news we get here in Houston.

Couple attacked while getting gas in ‘wrong neighborhood’ | Police | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

Investigators were re-interviewing witnesses and the victims as well as reviewing surveillance footage of the incident, which happened about 11 p.m. at the Chevron station on Scenic Highway.

Donald Ray Dickerson, who is black, is accused of knocking a 41-year-old white man unconscious after telling him he had stopped “in the wrong neighborhood” to get gas, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

 

[TXARGUY]

The Advocate Newspaper in Baton Rouge LA has a new owner. I did a double take in this story in contrast to the news we get here in Houston.

Couple attacked while getting gas in ‘wrong neighborhood’ | Police | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, LA

Investigators were re-interviewing witnesses and the victims as well as reviewing surveillance footage of the incident, which happened about 11 p.m. at the Chevron station on Scenic Highway.

Donald Ray Dickerson, who is black, is accused of knocking a 41-year-old white man unconscious after telling him he had stopped “in the wrong neighborhood” to get gas, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Wow! That is crazy!

Baton Rouge police have not ruled out classifying the case a hate crime

What in the hell would they feel comfortable ruling a hate crime? Good Lord!

 

[Glockster69]

What in the hell would they feel comfortable ruling a hate crime? Good Lord!

Here's the hesitation

East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III, who met with the victims in the hospital Tuesday, said Dickerson would face considerably more prison time — up to life behind bars — if convicted as a habitual offender than if he were found guilty of a hate crime.

“The bang for the buck is habitual offender,” Moore said.

I say go for habitual. Hell, it ain't my tax dollars

 

[Army 1911]

If putting the criminal's race in the description makes all of that race suspect then how about reversing it. Saying he was not white or hispanic; thereby exonerating those groups. Their logic is flawed as is their so called reporting.

 

[Acera]

What is keeping them from filing multiple charges in this case on him?????

 

[stdreb27]

What is keeping them from filing multiple charges in this case on him?????

Now this is coming from a journalist so it's probably wrong, but I remember them discussing using a hate crime in the George Zimmer case, and they said that the state could charge him, and then the Feds could go after it as a hate crime and it not be double jeopardy.