By Mansfield Frazier
It didn’t take gazing into a crystal ball for anyone to prognosticate that more militant members of the black community would mount a protest claiming that justice wasn’t served, and demanding that the other 12 Cleveland police officers involved in the infamous “137 shots” heard virtually round the world be indicted.
But, thankfully, the flag waving crew that protested in front of City Hall within days of the indictment of Michael Brelo (for two counts of voluntary manslaughter) and five other police sergeants (for misdemeanor dereliction of duty) received little attention.
The fact is, such demonstrations could hurt more than they help in the long run in terms of bringing about a fair and just adjudication to the criminal proceedings against the officers. They could create an unintended white backlash that results in the exoneration of all of the officers.
Certainly, given the history of police brutality — both locally and nationally — it’s not the least bit surprising that most blacks (activists or not) view any and all law enforcement decisions vis-à-vis the conduct of officers while carrying out their duties with great skepticism. In virtually every case — from the Rodney King incident on down — if the system doesn’t outright whitewash abhorrent police behavior by ruling any and all behavior “justifiable,” juries are all too quick to exculpate officers of wrongdoing no matter the facts … or how egregious their conduct.
While it’s understandable that police officers be granted a bit of leeway in carrying out their responsibilities … often under stressful conditions … decades ago the pendulum swung too far in the direction of no accountability whatsoever, which all too often results in police behavior that goes beyond the Pale. Cops, for one main reason, feel they can get away with anything — and that reason is, they’ve always been able to.
It’s past time for the pendulum to swing back into the direction. America has to live up to her ideals of fair play and equal treatment in every iteration and circumstance, and justice in this country starts right there on the curb when a citizen interacts with law enforcement.
The case at hand offers an opportunity to start down that road to accountability. In pushing for the indictments that were handed down by the grand jury, County Prosecutor Tim McGinty — to the surprise of many, including yours truly — has done the right thing, and he should be applauded for it, not castigated.
Could he have attempted to have others indicted? Of course, and I would suggest the police psychologists who signed off on allowing Brelo to carry a badge and a gun be first among those who should be held criminally accountable. Additionally, whoever didn’t equip Cleveland police cars with those puncture strips that can be placed across a road to flatten a vehicle’s tires could also be charged. The fact is, the list of people who could — and perhaps should — have been indicted is indeed long, but to what end?
What has happened — six police officers being indicted — is unprecedented hereabouts, and virtually unheard of anywhere in the country. All of our efforts should be focused on obtaining a fair and just jury verdict when Brelo goes on trial. And staging protests calling for more indictments hurts that cause.
Those loud folks with the bullhorns should have noticed the positions taken by the families of the victims; they’ve all stated they are grateful the system is working well so far, and all of the lawyers representing the families are of the same opinion. Indeed, they won’t even give any on-the-record interviews … not even to me.
What everyone should know is this is going to be a very tough case for prosecutors to win at trial, and if members of the black community come off as ingrates (not satisfied no matter what the system does) we’re going to be giving jury members —the majority of whom will be white — just the reason they need to acquit Brelo.
The police union and Brelo’s lawyers are going to attempt to play this case out in the media, to whip up white fears and outrage; they know it’s the only way they can win. And they’re hoping and praying that black nationalists keep staging demonstrations; demonstrations, which beg the question: whose side are these demonstrators really on? Or, put another way — just how stupid can they be?
From Cool Cleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available again in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author by visiting http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.com.