Within the past couple years, stories of young African-American males killed by white police officers have multiplied. In 2012, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Sanford, Fla. by white neighborhood security officer George Zimmerman. In August of 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson, Mo. by white police officer Darren Wilson.
The deadly accounts continue with names such as Eric Garner in Staten Island, choked to death by a white police officer, and the shooting death of Tamir Rice, 12, in Cleveland.
Recent headlines reveal the Black death toll is not restricted to young males.
For example, 50-year-old Walter Scott was fatally shot by North Charleston white police officer Michael Slager, 33, in South Carolina after being pulled over for a faulty tail light.
A video just over two minutes in length, shot by 23-year-old Feidin Santana, surfaced shortly after the incident. Other footage was also captured by the police car’s dashboard camera.
Police reports found officer Slager fired eight shots, four of which struck Scott in the back, and one in the ear as he fled.
Following the investigation, officer Slager was fired from the North Charleston Police Department and charged with murder within days after Scott’s killing.
Given the ruling of Scott’s case, where the officer was held accountable for his actions, it poses the question, “is police accountability the new standard?”
Eddie Melton, chairman of The Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males, said he sees change.
“Social media and video are playing a role in these situations around the country and it holds law enforcement accountable in terms of the footage on display,” said Melton.
“In this (Walter Scott) case, it shows a narrative we can see for ourselves. With that, it brought a more swift action in terms of the officer being charged with murder and being fired from his position.”
Melton adds that he also believes situations like these highlighted in the public’s view, encourage more police and law enforcement to consider body cameras, resources and tools to keep themselves safe and the public as well.
Troy Riggs, director of public safety for the City of Indianapolis believes accountability and transparency are the cornerstones of trust between a police department and the community it serves.
“That is why the Department of Public Safety and IMPD made it a priority over the past two years to improve many of our processes, procedures, philosophies and technologies,” said Riggs. “Our citizens demand and deserve to know they can trust their police department, and many of the things we’ve done recently were done with that in mind.”
Marion County prosecutor Terry Curry said police accountability in Indianapolis is not a new standard.
“We have demonstrated multiple times that if police officers or anyone one else in a position of trust steps over that line and commits criminal conduct, we will prosecute them,” stated Curry, who also mentioned other officers who committed crimes and were prosecuted. “It’s not the matter of something transpiring that will change our approach. There is no double standard here.”
Curry cited the case of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officer David Bisard, who was convicted of homicide and DUI. He believes a lot of factors play into what public perceptions may be, which is driven by the internet and social media.
“You can’t make a judgement on incomplete and inaccurate information,” said Curry. “In terms of having prosecution in this (Walter Scott) situation as compared to previous situations, will that change the public’s perception? I don’t know. But I hope we can communicate to the public that they can have faith in the criminal justice system.”
Indianapolis’ crime rate has spiked over the past few years and in the midst of learning news across the country of fatal shootings, the city must deal with their own.
Recently an exchange of fire on 31st Street and Sherman Drive between IMPD and a local resident left a male suspect dead and two officers injured. Several law officials sped to the scene and a group of bystanders angrily questioned whether the dead man had been shot in the back.
Since then, IMPD Chief Rick Hite has stated on the record that the armed victim “was not shot in the back.”
Rev. Charles Harrison, senior pastor of Barnes United Methodist Church and president of the Ten Point Coalition Board of Directors said he sees more accountability, but there is still more work to be done.
“We have to get to the stage where we have that kind of accountability across the country. That standard also includes when it is appropriate for police to use deadly force, particularly when it comes to men of color,” said Harrison. “I think all the other instances from Michael Brown to Eric Garner and even the young man in Cleveland has heightened the sensitivity across the country.”
Harrison said he noticed that since the video evidence was very strong, it forced the North Charleston Police Department to act quickly.
“Even in Indianapolis with the recent shooting, our police department moved very quickly in informing the public of what actually happened.”
Melton believes police must be held to a high standard.
“We want to have confidence in law enforcement that they will make the best decisions, but there is a training element that needs to take place. We need to train more police to remove or reduce bias and racial profiling.”
While Riggs admits these are challenging times across the country in the evolution of police-community relations, he said, “it is critical for police officers and police departments to engage citizens, to earn and maintain trust, and to form relationships before a moment of crisis.”
