Shem Walker came out on his stoop in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn to find a man sitting on it. He apparently asked the guy to move. The guy didn’t respond. Walker apparently tried to move him with physical force. Turns out the guy was a cop. The cop shot and killed Walker.
Clinton Hill isn’t what it was in the 80s, but I know the neighborhood, and I could easily see myself in exactly that same situation. The hood consensus, among responsible adults, is that if someone’s sitting on your stoop who you don’t know, they need to get moving. And quickly. Otherwise, you might find yourself mixed up in someone else’s drug bust. It’s the same thing when you see kids leaning on your car. They need to keep it moving, less you get tangled up in their business.
What continues to amaze me about these cops, is how they seem to, all at once, lack basic street sense and basic training. Why are you sitting on some dude’s stoop, in Clinton Hill, in the first place? With earphones on, no less? You’re just asking for beef. Why are you pulling out a gun and shooting someone over a fist fight? You’re a cop, for God’s sake. Why do you think pulling a gun and saying “Freeze, police!” but not showing any fucking ID, is gonna work? Don’t they know that any drug dealer could do the same thing? (tnc)
the views expressed on this site are the author's and the author's alone. they do not reflect the views of her employer or any professional organization with which she is now or has been affiliated.
i'm the leftist liberal you've been warned about - the one who genuinely supports the expansion of the welfare state. i love politics and data and graffiti and street art and am far too lazy to use my shift key. if you need to reach me, you can email to abbyjean at the google email service.
