Historic Cases “Just a Friendly Game of Baseball” according to the rap group Main Source

Abner Louima Situation: Louima is at a night club in NYC as a fight breaks out between two females. Police are called to the scene. As one of the arriving police officers, Justin Volpe was struck in the head. Louima was identified. On the ride to the police station the arresting officers beat Louima with their nightsticks. At the police station, Louima was stripped naked and beaten further. According to the testimony Volpe cuffed louima, grabbed his testicles then inserted a plunger in a certain area of the body. Outcome: Volpe was sentenced to 30 years in prison Charles Schwarz was convicted on June 27, 2000 for helping Volpe assault Louima Conviction overturned claiming an unfair trial. Louima did get 8.7 million in a lawsuit

What is your gut reaction? What do you do if you are the police officer? What do you do if you are the victim? What do you do if you are on the jury?

Amadou Diallo Wk Wk Situation: An unarmed West African immigrant with no criminal record was killed early yesterday by four New York City police officers who fired 41 shots at him in the doorway of his Bronx apartment building, the police said. Michael Collins, a police spokesman, said that investigators who went to the scene of the shooting did not find a weapon on or near Mr. Diallo. Two of the officers, Sean Carroll, 35, and Edward McMellon, 26, emptied their weapons, firing 16 shots each, the police said. Officer Kenneth Boss, 27, fired his gun five times and Officer Richard Murphy, 26, fired four times. A pager and a wallet were found lying next to the body, a police official said, adding that it was unclear whether the officers could have mistaken the pager for a weapon. Outcome: Four New York City police officers were acquitted today of all charges in the death of Amadou Diallo, the immigrant from Guinea who was fired on 41 times as he stood, unarmed, in the vestibule of his apartment building in the Bronx. The jurors -- four blacks, including the forewoman, and eight whites -- deliberated for three days before reaching their verdict. Their lawyers laid much of the blame for the shooting on Mr. Diallo himself, saying he had behaved suspiciously and had not obeyed the officers' commands to stop.

What is your gut reaction? What do you do if you are the police officer? What do you do if you are the victim? What do you do if you are on the jury?

Latasha Harlins Situation: A 15 year old enters a store and places an orange juice in her bag. She proceeds to the counter at which point the clerk Soon Ja Du says “you tried to steal the orange juice.” Latasha says, Bitch I’m trying to pay for the orange juice. Soon Ja Du grabs the bag at which point Latasha and her get into a scuffle over the counter. When the two stop, Latasha looks at the Soon Ja Du and turns around. Soon Ja Du pulls a gun from the counter and shoots Latasha in the back of the head. Latasha dies instantly. Outcome: Soon JA Du gets probation. The family has been robbed numerous times by Black and Latino in the past and the family was on the edge and very suspicious of the two groups. The store was located in a predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood. Start at 1:48

What is your gut reaction? What do you do if you are Soon Ja Du? What do you do if you are the victim? What do you do if you are on the jury?

Reflection 1.What is the common trend? 2.What motivates the officers or Soon Ja Du? Prior experience with Blacks in America? Feelings during the incident? 3.Should Black families have the “Black Talk” with their children? If so at what age? 4.How would you engage in that conversation with your kid in the future?

The Current Mayor of NY De Blasio "I couldn't help but immediately think what it would mean to me to lose Dante. Things would never be the same again,” the mayor said after a grand jury declined to issue an indictment in the death of Eric Garner. He added, "(Wife) Chirlane and I have had to talk to Dante for years about the danger that he may face … how to take special care in any encounters he has with the police officers who are there to protect him." De Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, is black, and their children, Chiara and Dante, appeared in his campaign ads during the 2013 race for mayor.