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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTexas sheriff involved in the death of Sandra Bland fired from previous post for racism
Shaun King does the work to uncover this racist sheriff's past:
Sandra Bland died in police custody this past Monday. Visiting Texas from Chicago to interview for a college job at her alma mater of Prairie View A&M, she was pulled over for a routine traffic violation (failure to use her turn signal). Everything from that point forward screams racism and foul play, including her death in the Waller County jail Monday.
The first red flag is that Bland was officially arrested on Friday for assaulting a police officer. What we see from a bystander video is her telling the officers she is in pain and cannot hear after her head was slammed on the ground by the male arresting officer. The video is below.
We have now learned that Waller County Sheriff Glenn Smith, who made the first public comments about Bland's in-custody death, was suspended for documented cases of racism when he was chief of police in Hempstead, Texas, in 2007. After serving his suspension, more complaints of racism came in, and Smith was actually fired as chief of police in Hempstead:
Allegations of racism have led to the Hempstead police chief being suspended and ordered to take anger management classes.
The Hempstead city council has been reviewing the case since last week and finally came to a decision at around 2am Tuesday. A number of residents have come forward with claims of racism by at least four white police officers.
The council reviewed the complaints, along with videotapes before making their decision to punish Chief Glen Smith. Some say it wasn't enough. The chief says he respects the decision.
"My action during the arrest did not meet professionalism as it should with language and I'm not above policy and procedure, no more than any officer of this city," said Chief Smith.
...
More at DailyKos, complete with links:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/16/1402770/-Texas-Sheriff-involved-in-the-death-of-Sandra-Bland-fired-from-previous-post-for-racism
randys1
(16,286 posts)Gidney N Cloyd
(19,847 posts)Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)whathehell
(29,103 posts)Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)I'm sure he can be trusted on issues of racial justic---
oh, wait.
http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Pastor-says-Waller-DA-threatened-him-5525581.php
prayin4rain
(2,065 posts)Beaverhausen
(24,475 posts)Who keeps hiring these people after they have shown they an unfit for the job?
MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)In this case, the town he was fired from for being a racist POS is in the county that elected him sheriff.
progressoid
(50,013 posts)It's like when pedophile priests are moved from parish to parish
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6980138
REASON FOR ALERT
This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.
ALERTER'S COMMENTS
Thus post seems to be a slam at the Catholic church, Priests and pedophilia have nothing to do with this topic. Therefore, this post is disruptive, hurtful, and rude.
You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Jul 16, 2015, 11:45 AM, and the Jury voted 0-7 to LEAVE IT.
Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: It's an ANALOGY
(uh-nal-uh-jee)
noun, plural analogies.
1. a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based.
Sorry if it offends the followers of the RCC, but it is a very apt analogy. Get over it.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Seems like an analogy to me and a valid one.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I have no idea why this was alerted on.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This is not a slam at the Catholic Church. It is a statement of fact, and is a relevant comparison.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: It is a valid comparison.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: The practice of moving pedophile priests is well-documented, abhorred by most Catholics, and making an analogy between a wrong committed by some officials the Catholic church (acknowledged by all responsible parties as such) and a wrong committed by some government officials (protecting officers who have betrayed the public's trust) is apt, and is no more a slam on the church than is pointing out the issue in the OP a slam on government.
Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.
Beaverhausen
(24,475 posts)glad I was backed up by the jury!
progressoid
(50,013 posts)Sometimes it works!
City Lights
(25,171 posts)Unfortunately, it's par for the course.
What is it gonna take to make it stop?
uponit7771
(90,371 posts)... the coroner should check bleeding of the brain and it swelling up.
uponit7771
(90,371 posts)MohRokTah
(15,429 posts)The evidence stacks up.
And these cops will be allowed to get away with murder.
uponit7771
(90,371 posts)whathehell
(29,103 posts)That entire police station needs a THOROUGH investigation if not a Lockdown.
uponit7771
(90,371 posts)whathehell
(29,103 posts)about an hour west of me.
This is unfuckingbeliebable. How can this happen?!
I'm heart sick and enraged for her and her family..
So glad the FBI is investigatimg...I signed a petition from Colorofchange.org for AG Loretta Lynch to look into it.
They have to nail these basrards and nail them good.
lostnfound
(16,198 posts)Last edited Fri Jul 17, 2015, 07:12 AM - Edit history (1)
Blands demise is similar to the 2012 death of another Waller County Jail inmate named James Harper Howell IV. The Houston Chronicle reported at the time that Howell, like Bland, was arrested for assaulting a police officer.
On the day he was found hanging, the paper reported, he had been sitting in the day room by himself watching television. Jailers had routinely checked on him. He spoke with jailers and gave no indication he would engage in suicidal behavior. In Howells mugshot, he can be seen with what appear to be bruises to his face. That death, which was ruled a suicide, was also investigated by the Texas Rangers.
rladdi
(581 posts)radical and extreme. TX breeds the criminals and get them into politics.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)morans.
mountain grammy
(26,666 posts)dorkzilla
(5,141 posts)Do they think were not watching?? Who would hire this twatwaffle after his last job? So many questions. And chances are, these murderers will get away with it.