Joe Biden has called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, moments after shocking police video was released showing an Illinois officer fatally shooting Sonya Massey after she called police fearing a home intruder.

In his first public statement since dropping his bid for re-election, Biden said the shooting of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman, by white Sangamon county sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, in her home in Springfield, after a dispute over a pot of boiling water, “reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not”.

Biden, who is recovering from Covid at his home in Delaware, said Massey, “a beloved mother, friend, daughter and young Black woman … should be alive today”.

  • Carrolade@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Just glad they’re not messing around with this one, and went ahead with the three charges of first degree murder.

    • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      And wouldn’t you know it, it’s thanks to bodycam footage that we have irrefutable proof of this clear and unquestionably excessive use of force against an innocent victim.

      The bodycam footage that thousands of police departments throughout the US are still pushing back against because they want people to think it impedes their ability to appropriately deliver justice, when it is actually, finally, allowing justice to take place. The necessity of which was caused primarily by police brutality against people of color, just like this situation, where there was no witness account other than the cop’s side of the story.

      If this happened ten years ago, back before bodycams became more widespread, the cop would have gotten off with a short paid suspension and no other punishment, because all there would be is the cop’s one-sided account of how she clearly assaulted him with a deadly weapon and reached for his gun.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        If I were a cop I’d be happy to have a body cam because it would help me cover my ass in case someone accused me of something.

        But this attitude is probably why I’m not a cop.

      • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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        5 months ago

        Are body cams really providing justice? Where is Sonya’s justice? Hailing body cams as the ultimate police reform is the type of thing I’d expect a cop to say. For people who have been experiencing this racist police violence for generations, it’s clear that body cams are at best a half measure, and at worst a means of documenting all of the brutal murders that pigs continue to carry out on innocent people while body cams are running. The answer isn’t in body cams, but in comprehensive police reform. So long as the pigs are running around with sus norse tattoos, toxic masculinity (“nah im good” -cop who just developed a tremor in has hand after holding in the brains of a gasping woman for 5 min), guaranteed firearms, no psychological training, gang support via departments, body cams aren’t really going to do shit to protect at-risk people.

        I am very critical of this ultra pro body cam discourse. It seems like a distraction. Make no mistake, there is no justice today because of the body cams present for Sonya’s execution.

        • Stovetop@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          I suppose the definition of justice is flexible, between preventative justice and restorative justice and so on, but in this case I am referring specifically to holding guilty people accountable for their actions. There will be no making right what happened here, not by any stretch of the imagination, and there is still a lot more work that needs to be done to make sure this sort of thing never happens again. But while I am sure it is of little consolation to Sonya’s family, her murderer is going to prison.

          I know there are long-standing charicatures in media of the “corrupt cop” type of character shooting some innocent person and then planting a knife or drugs on them to make it look like self-defense, but that wouldn’t exist if there wasn’t some grain of truth to it.

          With the body cam footage that had been released, there is no question of his guilt. There’s no way for the police to cover this up by painting another innocent victim as a criminal, dragging her name through the mud, just to keep this racist scumbag on payroll and free to keep terrorizing the people he’s supposed to protect. The racists don’t have to gather in droves to protect this monster and put a community through hell to further some disgusting agenda or another.

          It doesn’t fill the void, but it is some degree of justice which is better than none.

  • BetaBlake@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    6 departments in 4 years, this cop shouldn’t have had a job period. This department is partly liable for this just by employing him

  • 2ugly2live@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    That was worse than I was picturing. She immediately dropped to her knees while saying sorry (twice, panicked) , with her hands up and they shot her. She had released the pot the moment they got aggravated. It’s such a shame that this keeps happening and the only response police have is “more money please.”

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Just tired of reading about this shit while our DOJ twiddles its thumbs and our legislature waves little “Blue Lives Matter” flags in the faces of the survivors.

    • xenoclast@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      There’s a reason ACAB is a thing. They’re the most destructive gang in the world.

      Start at the top, every chief, superintendent and supervisor should be on trial. They should all serve time and lose their chance to police…

  • مهما طال الليل@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    I saw the video, the cop had absolutely no justification for it. I don’t care what his religious believes are, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” is not a valid reason. What’s heartbreaking is what her last words were: “I’m sorry”.

    In a just world the cop would get a minimum of 20 years and possibly even a life sentence or capital punishment.

    • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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      I’m confused. I may have missed it, but why are religious beliefs even in this conversation? Did he say that he shot her for Jesus or something?

      I agree that this POS should rot, the video just shows a murderer murdering an innocent person.

      Edit: I missed the part of the video where the lady says the Jesus stuff. I see what you are saying now.

  • Juigi@lemm.ee
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    5 months ago

    Start with getting rid of qualified immunity and make cop training more like it is in civilized countries.

    • BobGnarley@lemm.ee
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      5 months ago

      Right? Let’s just pass another bullshit bill with a victims name instead of doing anything like that that will actually help the problem though.

        • BobGnarley@lemm.ee
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          5 months ago

          The president today in one hour could end qualified immunity. Tell me what isn’t true about that? In fact, even states could make their own legislation to make their states police forces not have it either.

          I mean the entire precedent is based on a court case Pearson v. Callahan which can be overturned just like Roe v. Wade was. (Also Harlow v. Fitzgerald)

          Bit please do educate me on how anything I said isn’t true and bless me with your knowledge of this “government” you speak of.

  • Clbull@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    “Away from the hot steaming water? Oh, I’ll rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” was apparently enough for a white police officer to pull out his gun and shoot an innocent black woman three times.

    What the fuck?

    This is legitimately worse than what happened to George Floyd. Like… I genuinely feel angry for the relatives of this poor woman after watching that bodycam footage.

  • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    5 months ago

    I’m not trying to victim blame but please please everyone in america, stop calling the police when you need help.

      • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        5 months ago

        It should be bad advice! But sadly, all too often american police just escalate the situation and people and dogs end up dying. They kill over 1000 people per year in this country.

        • DandomRude@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          I am quite aware of that from the US news. Nevertheless, please be aware that there are people who take social media at face value. So please don’t make any recommendations that go against common sense.

            • DandomRude@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              What you do is not critical thinking at all. I don’t think you’ve ever read up on that. What you do is not in any way better than Trump and his minions do. It’s just polemics with no substance whatsoever.

              • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                5 months ago

                I’m not claiming to be doing any critical thinking with any of the posts I’ve made in this thread. I’m saying that anyone reading that shit should add that opinion to their personal collection of information and make their own decisions on what to do with it.

                For example, you took that information and decided to piss and moan. That’s your choice, I’m not judging.

                Most other people, with the “common sense” you speak of, nodded and kept scrolling.

                In any case, if you find yourself in america and you hear somebody fucking around at your window and maybe you’re not white, you can decide what to do with all that gathered information you’ve been collecting.

      • wildcardology@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        If you’re in the US and a person of color that’s good advice. I’m from third world country and I find the police in my area courteous, of course there are still bad apples out here but they are becoming a minority.

  • TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    Does the proposed bill ensure American police get like three years training to become community-oriented and not a power tripping police officers?

    • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      The way he behaved after he shot her is what seals the deal. He didn’t want to waste the bandages from his first aid kit on her.

      He’s a complete psychopath.

    • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      He even starts the enocunter aggressively outside. Like he’s angry he had to look outside and is taking it out on her.

      • WhyFlip@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        The tone of his voice, his body language, and everything about this man screams psychopath.

    • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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      Police suffer from paranoid delusions that they are the “thin line” between good and evil and that they are the ultimate example of virtue. They justify their own actions as for the greater good. It is a job that requires you lack critical thinking skills and officers are brainwashed into enforcing a certain ideal puratain society where one must be obedient to authority and work hard and suffer to be a moral and good person.

      • 5oap10116@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        Essentially: Cops are taught that everyone and everything is trying to kill them and anything that seems remotely dangerous is a lethal threat they need to “neutralize”. Also, as soon as you let your guard down, you’re dead. This leads to overreactions and unjust killings…

        Now, that’s not entirely wrong as police frequently deal with higher levels of unknown dangers but in this case…holy shit wtf?

        • SirDerpy@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          I fully support others spending a half hour learning about what law enforcement are taught. If you’ve not seen something like this before then it’s definitely worth your time.

          I want to add that Park Rangers are law enforcement. They’ve exceptionally high standards for hiring. And, the pay sucks.

          I’ve broken rules in many parks, sometimes with good reason and sometimes without, usually very safely but once or twice definitely not. I’ve been “busted” about a dozen times by Park Rangers.

          Every single time I’ve been treated with dignity, respect, and honoring the spirit of justice over the letter of the law. I’ve not been punished when I thought I should be, then been told that’s the reason there’s no punishment. And, when I’ve been punished I’ve agreed with the severity and nature of it wholeheartedly. It’s quite literally the opposite of what I’ve experienced as a colored man in big cities.

    • Bernie_Sandals@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      What federal law did these cops break that the DOJ could prosecute?

      He’s doing about the entirety of what he can do right now by urging congress to pass this bill, he’s already signed several executive orders on police reform.

  • retrospectology@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    That’s rich coming from a guy who just hosted a genocidal, racist fascist at our capitol. Fuck Genocide Joe and his psuedo-concern about human rights.