NO ARRESTS MADE.
ONE OFFICER FIRED LONG AFTER THE
FACT.
IT WAS JUST THIS WEEK.
THESE CALLS ARE COMING AMID
OTHER SHOCKING REPORTS OUT OF
NORTH CAROLINA WITH THREE
OFFICERS IN WILMINGTON, WERE
JUST FIRED AFTER A SUPERVISOR
DISCOVERED A NEARLY TWO-HOUR
LONG RANT WITH RACIST STATEMENTS
AND THREATS.
IT WAS APPARENTLY ACCIDENTALLY
RECORDED.
A PATROL CAR CAMERA CAPTURING
ONE OF THE OFFICERS SAYING THE
COUNTRY NEEDED A QUOTE, CIVIL
WAR TO WIPE BLACK PEOPLE, QUOTE,
OFF THE MAP.
AN OFFICER TALKED ABOUT
SLAUGHTERING PEOPLE BASED ON
THEIR RACE.
THE OFFICERS USED RACIAL SLURS.
AND WE WILL NOT NOTE OR REPEAT
IN OUR BROADCAST.
WILMINGTON’S POLICE CHIEF, A
BLACK AMERICAN WHO IS IN HIS
FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB,
RESPONDING BY SAYING THIS.
>> WHEN I FIRST LEARNED OF THESE
CONVERSATIONS, I WAS SHOCKED,
SADDENED, AND DISGUSTED.
THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THIS
BEHAVIOR IN OUR AGENCY OR OUR
CITY, AND IT WILL NOT BE
TOLERATED.
>> WE’RE JOINED NOW FOR A
SPECIAL DISCUSSION WITH JANELLE
ROSS.
AND ISAAC.
HE WAS CONVICTED FOR A DRUG
OFFENSE.
HE BECAME A PARALEGAL IN PRISON
WORKING WITH OTHERS ON HIS OWN
EXONERATION.
HE IS NOW A LICENSED ATTORNEY IN
NEW JERSEY AND WE SHOULD NOTE
THE ABC SHOW FOR LIFE IS
ACTUALLY BASED ON HIS
EXPERIENCE. SO IT MAY BE FAMILIAR TO SOME.
SO IT MAY BE FAMILIAR TO SOME.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
>> WE’LL GET TO ALL OF IT.
WHAT YOU SOMETIMES FIND UNDER
THE HOOD, AT LEAST IN SOME
DEPARTMENTS.
>> WELL, TWO THINGS.
MAKING USE OF THE TECHNOLOGY
THATLE POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN
OUTFITTED WITH.
LISTENING TO TAPES AND NOT
RELYING ON WHAT POLICE
THEMSELVES REPORT.
>> I THINK POLICE ARE A
MICROCOSM OF THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC.
SO YOU’LL FINDS POLICE SAYING
MANY OF THE SAME THINGS THAT
PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY SAY.
SO I THINK NOT SHOCKING.
IS IT DISTURBING?
YES.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE, THEY
ARE ARMED AND THEY’VE BEEN GIVEN
LICENSE TO ENFORCE THE LAW UP TO
DEATH, RIGHT?
SO IT IS CERTAINLY SCARY THAT
THIS IS THEIR GOAL OR EVEN
CASUAL CONVERSATION.
BUT WHAT WE CAN EXTRAPOLATE FROM
THIS, BEYOND THESE PARTICULAR
OFFICERS, IT IS PRETTY HARD TO
SAY.
>> YES, YES.
>> I THINK ONE OF THE MAJOR
TRAGEDIES WHEN YOU LOOK BACK,
AND YOU LOOK BACK AT AMERICAN
HISTORY, FOR SOME REASON, YOU
KNOW, WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COME
IN AND PROTECT US.
I MEAN, SINCE RECONSTRUCTION,
WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COME IN
AND PROTECT US.
IT IS A TRAGEDY.
THAT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
THE STATES WERE GIVEN THE POWER
TO NOT ONLY POLICE ITS CITIZENS
BUT PROTECT ITS CITIZENS.
FOR SOME REASON, WE’RE REPEATING
THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.
SO WHEN YOU HEAR THESE COMMENTS
BY THESE POLICE OFFICERS.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE RACIAL SLURS.
I AGREE.
THAT’S NOT A SURPRISE.
THAT’S SOMETHING THAT IS DEEP
ROOTED IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
THAT IS SOMETHING DEEP ROOTED IN
AMERICAN CULTURE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR LEADERS WHO
HAVE CONSISTENTLY FAILED TO DO
ANYTHING.
THEY’RE SENDING AN IMPLICIT
MESSAGE TO THE POLICE.
AS LONG AS YOU’RE NOT CAUGHT,
IT’S OKAY.
BUT WHEN YOU DO GET CAUGHT, YOU
KNOW, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A
WAY TO PUNISH YOU OR TO DEAL
WITH THE ISSUE WITHOUT MAKING
MAJOR CHANGES.
AND IT BRINGS US BACK OVER AND
OVER AGAIN TO THE SAME CYCLE AND
THAT’S WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
>> AND YOU GET THIS FAR TO
CREATE EVIDENCE, AKA FACTS, THEN
YOU HAVE LEADERS WHO ARE SO BENT
ON AVOIDING IT.
THEY ADMIT, WE DIDN’T LOOK AT
THE EVIDENCE.
THAT’S A TELL.