A Boise Police officer who Tased a handcuffed man and threatened his genitals

More reasons for Congressional Hearings and Investigations into Taser Abuse in America.

Check this out, A Boise Police officer who Tased a handcuffed man and threatened his genitals with further electric shock, is back on the beat after an unspecified disciplinary action sometime in May.

• Boise Police Department
• Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson

Boise Police Chief Mike Masterson, told BW this week that the officer's actions were "conduct unbecoming of an officer."

"It is one of the most serious charges that an officer can face," Masterson said. "It is an offense that is very likely to lead to termination."

But the officer was not charged with any crimes nor terminated in this case and is back on the street, Masterson said.

A few days after his arrest on charges that police refuse to release, citing a pending court case, the victim of the Tasing e-mailed Boise Community Ombudsman Pierce Murphy. He recounted the disturbing use of the Taser. Murphy met with the man 10 days later and within 24 hours had notified Masterson and the City Attorney's Office that he would be investigating the incident.

"I thought there was an indication of potential criminal activity, so that's when I notified the police department," Murphy said.

His notice initiated an internal investigation, assigned to the Idaho State Police. The State Police referred their investigation to the Ada County Prosecutor's Office, which declined to charge the officer.

On Wednesday, Murphy released his 51-page report, which describes in detail the Feb. 14 incident and its aftermath.

"At the time that he was Tased on the buttocks, the Complainant was handcuffed and lying face-down on the floor. Officer #1 was holding the Complainant's head and upper torso down with a knee across his shoulders. Officer #4 was positioned near the Complainant's waist preparing to search the Complainant, and Officer #3 was situated near the Complainant's legs and feet ... Based on what he observed, Officer #2 saw no need to assist Officer #1, Officer #3, and Officer #4 in controlling the Complainant. According to Officer #1, the Complainant "mellowed out" after being handcuffed," Murphy writes. MORE HERE

Tortured While Black at A Police Station

Southern Justice
Selma man tasered at police station

AAPP says: Maybe the President can sit down with the cop and the victim at the White House.

Joshua Layhew tasered Gary Sanders, above, after he was asked to leave and allegedly pushed Layhew.

Rebecca Piscopo, reports Selma patrolman Joshua Layhew tasered a Micro man in the police department parking lot on Webb Street last Wednesday.

Prior to being tasered, Gary Sanders, 40, 320 Trailer Park Rd., in Micro, pushed Layhew away, and had his fist balled to throw a punch, according to Layhew’s report.

Sanders came to the Police Department at 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday, which also happened to be his birthday, looking for paperwork for an incident, which happened earlier in the year, according to arresting officer David Nielsen.

Officer Tomeka Moore explained to Sanders he would have to go to the Magistrate’s Office for his own paper work.

He was then asked by Moore to leave because she said he was intoxicated and “agitated,” according to the report. Nielsen then came out of the department, and said he needed to leave.

Sanders allegedly cursed at Nielsen using the f-word. He then went to his car where there was an unknown female whom Nielsen said he believed to be Sanders’ mother.

“Officer Layhew asked her to remove him,” Nielsen said. Sanders turned to Layhew and reportedly cursed again, but this time at Layhew.

The police then asked Sanders to get out of the car because he was under arrest.

As Layhew and Nielsen removed him from the vehicle, Sanders, who was intoxicated, allegedly pushed Layhew away. That was when he said he noticed Sanders’ clenched fist. More HERE

Oppose Obama Health Care, Even in ‘Casual Conversation,’ the White House Wants to Know About It

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/



There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

Black Intellectuals Decry White House

AAPP: I have been wondering for some time if I am one of the few black folks that "get it" regarding Barack Obama's lack of effort in addressing the needs of black folks in this country. Not until last night when I read the article "Black Intellectuals Decry White House 'Beer Summit'; Say Notion of a Post-Racial America is a Myth by Zenitha Prince in the special article for NNPA from the Afro-American Newspapers, did I realize that some people are getting it.


AAPP: This Cambridge Police officer could care less about Henry Louis Gates.
He and his family got a free trip to the White House and a grand tour for his deeds
Great Job Barack Obama!

You see Zenitha Prince writes in many ways about how I also feel when she wrote that; Despite the overwhelming election of President Barack Obama, the inherent prejudice against people of color remains alive and well in American society, said a panel of Black intellectuals, critics and activists last week.

''This whole notion of a post-racial society is ridiculous, we need to stop saying it, we need to stop even talking about it,'' said BET's Jeff Johnson. ''Let's be honest about the fact that many of us from all races are racist…. We've lied about progress.''

The statement was part of an assessment of the ''State of Black America,'' an annual conversation held at the yearly convention of the National Urban League, which produces a report of the same name.

Johnson's statement emerged out of a conversation that revolved around – you guessed it – beer.

Even here at the Urban League, the media's binge on the Thursday tête-à-tête between President Barack Obama, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates and Cambridge, Mass. Police Sgt. James Crowley to discuss the officer's arrest of Gates in his own home and the president's resulting criticism continued.

But unlike some in the media who saw the meeting as a significant step forward in resolving the issue of racial profiling and the underlying prejudice, many on the panel thought it was a mostly empty gesture.

''It is a significant brouhaha [but] I'm not sure it gets to what 'ales' (ails) us,'' commented George Washington University professor Michael Eric Dyson. ''The real problem is still on the streets where disproportionate numbers of Black and Latino men and women are subjected to arbitrary forms of police power.'' Johnson agreed in even starker terms.

''I'm offended by the discussion at the White House,'' the political commentator said, ''because if they were serious about solving this problem, Gates would be there, Crowley would be there, but so would Tyrone and Shaniqua and other young people who have dealt with this kind of psychosis from the police; they are not represented in this conversation.''

Asked by moderator, CNN special correspondent Soledad O'Brien, about Sgt. Crowley's questioning of Gates' anger at being asked to produce several IDs and the professor's lack of gratitude for the officer's presence, MSNBC political analyst Michelle Bernard said she hoped the White House talk would foster better understanding.

''I think the most important thing that has to come out of this meeting today is an understanding of where each person is coming from—that's what's missing from the debate,'' she said. ''I don't think other races have a fundamental understanding of why we feel the way we do [about police].''

She continued, ''[But] if we're going to talk about a quote unquote 'post-racial America' – I still don't understand what that means – it's not just talking about history, it's talking about what it is that people feel when a White man shows up at your door and you've worked very hard to get where you are and they say, 'Show me your ID.'''

Where Gates was coming from is a history of Black men like Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo, who have been shot and killed by police, and longtime criminal policies that disproportionately target Black and Hispanics, several on the panel said.

And those structural inequities would not be addressed by looking only at individual cases like Gates'.

''We're looking at a macro problem through micro lens,'' said Schott Foundation President John Jackson, who said the larger problem was the law enforcement environment created by former President Ronald Reagan.



''In 1980, the Reagan administration institutionalized new criminal justice policies [and] you began to see a 70 degree spike in the number of incarcerations for Black males,'' Jackson said. ''So we can't have this conversation without talking about the systemic policies and practices. And you're not going to solve that macro challenge by just tipping back a few beers at the White House.''

Johnson said solving that overarching problem of deep-seated racism is something that has to happen on a personal level, he's more concerned about acts of discrimination within government agencies.

''I don't care if you're racist or not…I am concerned with the way you do your job,'' he said.

Calling for the federal government to withhold funding from police departments that practice racial profiling and for the empowerment of citizen review boards to conduct reviews of police behavior, Johnson said it will take the coordinated effort of community organizations to push for those changes.

Saying progress lies in the election by communities of politicians that represent their interests, Dyson added that Blacks also need to hold those lawmakers responsible – beginning with President Obama.

''I'm a lover of that brother … but you've got to call him on the stuff he's not doing right,'' Dyson said, pointing to what he saw as Obama's unnecessary ''non-apology apology'' for his criticism of Gates' arrest. ''You shouldn't expect more from the president of the United States because he's Black, but you [darn] sure should not expect less of him.''

AAPP: I agree with Dr. Dyson, ''You shouldn't expect more from the president of the United States because he's Black, but you [darn] sure should not expect less of him.'' My question iswhen are we going to call it like it is and stop expecting less of Barack Obama when it comes to black folk?

Read more thoughts by African American Political Pundit HERE

Read the full article HERE

Coming To America - Multi Shot Taser Guns

H/T to Tim King over at the Salem-News. For his report on the Multi Shot Taser Guns.

Also H/T to The Telegraph in Great Britain who are following the big change that is coming in police Taser guns for the U.S. and the U.K. Get this, as if the U.S. does not have enough problems. As Tim king reports, As the controversy surrounding the use of these police weapons on people heats up, the company in Scottsdale, Arizona that manufactures the Taser has a new model out that will allow police to fire multiple barbed wires charged with electricity at one or more people, more like an automatic weapon.

The new Taser gun will fire three times.

Police say the older Taser stun guns have to be reloaded after one shot, and that creates a problem for officers who miss their target, though they are used at very close range. The company stated that the new Taser can strike more than one person simultaneously.

It is the first time in six years that this Arizona company has released a new model. It was shown to hundreds of police and distributors at Taser's annual conference. It isn't available yet, and the company stated that they will announce the release date next month.

The multi shot Taser guns will sell for $1,799, which is $1,000 more than the current model, Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle told The Telegraph.

Salem-News.com has reported several times that Tasers are used under questionable circumstances on American citizens. So far this year, police have killed two minors with Tasers. Records since June 2001 indicate that Tasers have caused 351 deaths so far in the United States.

In spite of reports from human rights groups, the company that sells these to police, says Tasers do not cause heart attacks.

The Taser spokesman says the company has gone to court over 97 wrongful-death lawsuits, and won 96 of them. It is important to note however that it is very difficult to ever find a case where a police officer is adjudicated over killing a suspect in the line of duty.

Still, those numbers indicate how lethal Tasers truly are. YouTube is also loaded with footage of police seemingly torturing people with Tasers.

Here are some examples:

Florida cop Tasers argumentative customer at Best Buy, (see: Officer Uses Taser To Tame Best Buy Shopper)

Police kill confused and jet lagged foreigner in Canada with Tasers, (see: Another Taser Death - Daniel Johnson Salem-News.com)

In Missouri, a 16-year old was Tasered 19 times after falling 30ft and breaking his back, (see Police taser teen with broken back)

Cop Tasers 72-year old great grandmother in Texas, (see: Texas Cops Support Taser Strikes on 72-Year Old Great Grandmother - Political Perspective by Tim King Salem-News.com)

Multiple Taser shots fired at a Baptist minister in Arizona. (see: More Videotape Released in Alleged Border Patrol Checkpoint Beating of Preacher - Tim King Salem-News.com)

A Taser was involved in a recent story involving the death of a man in Salem, (see: Suspect Dies After Being Tased During Arrest - Salem-News.com)

On Tasering as torture | TheLoop21.com

Act Against Police Taser Abuse

Afro-Netizen: Indictment sought for police Taser death in Louisiana

New Taser stun gun can shock 3 at a time - Salon.com

A Day of Blogging for Justice – Against – Extra – Judicial

African American Political Pundit's Page - Black Talk Radio Network™

Taser Death in Winfield, Louisiana - August 14, 2008

Black Couple Tasered While Shopping (December, 2007)

Dallas Area Man Tasered after he calls 911 - (December 2007)

Wichita Police Taser Deaf Man (December 2007)

Black Man Tasered in Austin on Traffic Stop (video:December 2007)

Pregnant Woman Tasered (video: November 2007)

Electrocuted While Black: Tasered While Black Internet Radio Show

Read more HERE

Enough of the Taser Torture In America - It's time for a call for Congressional Hearings.

Black Folks Feuding - Black Radio and CBC

Why are black folks fighting each other? Why is there a bitter feud between black radio, CBC over royaltie?

Check out the article by Alexander Bolton at the Hill.com

A battle over music royalties has pitted members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) against the owners of black radio stations, sparking a rare public fight between African-American powerbrokers that could work against lawmakers used to easy reelection. The debate has become so intense that the NAACP, the civil rights group that has spent nearly a century advocating for black Americans, has stepped in to call for a truce. Leading the charge against the lawmakers is Cathy Hughes, the founder and chairwoman of Radio One, the nation’s largest black-owned broadcast company. She has aired a series of radio ads targeting black lawmakers, with the most recent round questioning the ethical integrity of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), the chief sponsor of the legislation calling for radio stations to pay royalties to musical performers, and seeking to connect him to federal bribery-related charges to which his wife recently pleaded guilty. The fight has divided the liberal civil rights community, with the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) supporting Conyers while black leaders such as the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson line up with Hughes, Radio One and other black-owned stations. Radio One’s ads have also criticized Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and three other members of the CBC: Reps. Mel Watt (D-N.C.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.). These lawmakers support Conyers’s legislation, which was approved in May by the Judiciary Committee and would require AM/FM radio stations to pay royalties to performers, such as Dionne Warwick, who didn’t compose some of their most popular songs. Under current law, stations only pay copyright royalties to artists who compose hit songs, not those who perform them. Other media, such as satellite and Internet radio, must pay royalties to performers. The owners say a law requiring them to pay additional royalties would bankrupt their stations. The barrage has begun to take a toll on lawmakers who come from traditionally safe districts and are accustomed to cruising to reelection. “We’ve been dealing with this for months now and it’s been creating a number of headaches when we want to focus on healthcare reform,” said Andy Phelan, communications director for Johnson. “It keeps churning and churning and churning. They’re running a lot of negative ads not just against my boss but Mr. Conyers, Mel Watt, Sheila Jackson Lee and Bobby Scott.” Radio One operates stations in or near the districts of Conyers, Jackson Lee, Johnson and Scott, according to its website. In a new round of ads running on Radio One, Hughes highlights a recent ethics complaint filed against Conyers by the Landmark Legal Foundation, a conservative watchdog group. Hughes describes Conyers’s “role in writing a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency that supported a waste project tied to his wife, who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery while she served on the Detroit City Council.” Hughes then goes on to quote from the complaint: “John Conyers could not have written the letter without knowing something, and it is crucial that he be questioned under oath under penalty of perjury. MORE HERE

The lack of a "black agenda" in America

There is a great article in the LA Times regarding the The lack of a black agenda.

The writer, Erin Aubry Kaplan writes about how Barack Obama finally showed up.


Erin Aubry Kaplan writes; On the centennial anniversary of the NAACP last month, the president took the microphone at the organization's convention in New York and, for the first time since his inauguration, spoke directly to black Americans.

Noting that it was "good to be among friends," he went on to deliver a clear, sometimes informal and impassioned speech on the state of the race -- his race. He unselfconsciously used the terms "us" and "we." He charted the victories of the black past and described the present as much more paradoxical: Civil rights was the battle of the previous generation, he said, but persistent inequality is the fight of the present one. He even said that American society suffers from "structural inequality," a phrase loathed by conservatives and plenty of liberals too.

The appreciative audience shouted amens and hooted with pride. It was in part because of the work of the NAACP, Obama acknowledged, that he was able to stand before the organization on its 100th birthday as the 44th president of the United States, an astonishing development.

And yet, today, the fate of black folk is far from certain and is in some ways less secure than at any time in the last 100 years. Why? Blacks don't have an agenda. They have no lobby. More HERE

AAPP:
I have been talking about this issue on my Blog Talk Radio Program and on this blog for some time. But I'm not the only one. The Black Agenda Report has been addressing the need for a Black Agenda for some time. I urge all of my readers to take visit and read The Black Agenda Report. They address many of the issues, Erin Aubry Kaplan writes about in his article.

Check out these other articles:

• Post-racial America? Dream on|guardian.co.uk
• President Obama on what black America needs|cnn.com
• Jackson: Black Leaders Want To Engage More With Obama|huffingtonpost.com

Join African American Political Pundit's BlogLog

You can always check out what I have to say about current political issues on my Blog Talk Radio Program.

Bay State Banner Is Back In Business

Good News! The Bay State Banner will be back to business on Aug. 6

Yes, my home town Black Newspaper is back in business after a brief suspension of publication. I'm glad to here that the Bay State Banner will return - both on the Internet and in print - with the issue of Aug. 6, 2009.

The publisher of the Bay State Banner says the overwhelming support of regular Banner readers and the Boston community has enabled management to restart publication in record time. Starting Aug. 6, readers can once again expect the same independent, informative and well-researched journalism that has characterized the Banner for 44 years. More HERE »

Zeitgeist - Religion - The Greatest Story Ever Sold

Check out this video it's long but it's worth watching. Let me know what you think.



Here is the long version: