SAGE Lecture Spark [2/17/19] The Publisher of the Social Sciences

CA Officers Fire Shots at Rapper Asleep in Car, Killing Him Willie’s family commented, “There was no justification for using deadly force…they should have ordered him out of the car with a bullhorn instead of…quickly firing fatal shots after he woke up.” Police checked in “after a Taco Bell employee called 911 and said a man was “slumped over” behind the wheel of his car” in the drive-through late at night. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/12/california-police-shooting-willie-mccoy

Killing by Vallejo Police Drives Home All-Too-Common Tragedy With non-violent arrests of white men, Lizzie Buchen says, “obviously, police have the capability of apprehending people who are dangerous, who have committed very violent acts and who were armed.” “We can’t count on police officers, especially those on duty in Vallejo, to police themselves. We can only count on them to strike again.” https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/otisrtaylorjr/article/Killing-by-Vallejo-police-drives-home-an-13622919.php

Gun Violence, Police Reform Loom Over Chicago Election “There’s also no unanimity on solutions... [minorities] are demanding that the city’s next leader overhaul its long-troubled police force.” “#NoCop­Academy has been a focal point for anti-police sentiment…in the wake of the acquittal of officers charged with covering up the circumstances of McDonald’s death.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/gun-violence-police-reform-loom-over-chicago-election/2019/02/17/765d0106-306e-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.955dad76a01c

Videos Traumatize African Americans and Undermine Justice “With the ubiquity of smartphones and dash and body cameras, there is ample footage to expose…implicit racial bias…within police departments,” but not much else. “When black people watch a video of police violence against another black person, they see themselves or their loved ones…knowing that the same fateful encounter could very well happen to them.” https://newrepublic.com/article/153103/videos-police-brutality-traumatize-african-americans-undermine-search-justice

Key Concepts Racial Injustice, Police Violence and Mass Media The framing of racial violence in media has the potential to be politically impactful or personally traumatizing, depending on the medium and platform. Despite overall coverage and social uptake, depictions of racial violence have not been enough to bring about substantial police reform.

Assessment Writing: How does video/social media coverage of racial violence differ in impact from news/written coverage? Debate: Does media coverage of racial violence, specifically police brutality, have more political or personal/social influence? Why? Poll: Do you believe police reform is the solution to racial violence? Yes, No, Unsure Short Answer: Why do you think there has been little to no decrease in racial violence despite social awareness and overall coverage? Current Events Quiz According to Willie’s family, the officers who shot McCoy should have _____: According to Lizzie Buchen, police are obviously capable of apprehending dangerous people without violence because _____: Willie McCoy was shot by ___ Vallejo police officers. Videos of police violence are traumatizing for which group? What is the hashtag for the campaign with an anti-police sentiment? Answers Ordered him out from a distance with a bullhorn. They have non-violently arrested white men. 6 African Americans 5. #NoCopAcademy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZtK31DIElw   509 people were shot and killed by police in 2016 according to Washington Post database that tracks fatal police shootings in the U.S. Here CBC News discusses the connection between police violence statistics and race, among other things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfjI0tVUpbc “We’ve invested so much in police departments as protectors that we have forgotten what it means to serve our communities,” says Baltimore Police officer Lt. Colonel Melvin Russell. It’s led to coldness and callousness, and it’s dehumanized the police force. After taking over as district commander in on of Baltimore’s toughest neighborhoods, Russell instituted a series of reforms aimed at wining back the trust of the community and lowering the violent crime rate. “Law enforcement is in a crisis,” he says. “But it’s not too late for all of us to build our cities and nation to make it great again.”