A
black Cincinnati police officer posted a public Facebook message which
said that 'white officers were looking for a reason to kill black men'.
Officer
Freddie Vincent also gave advice to his African American friends in the post,
telling them that if they are encountered by a white officer, they should
'comply to all of their commands' and to 'never resist'.
He
added: 'I'm so tired of cops using these famous words 'I was in fear of my
life.' I'm praying for Louisiana that could have been my nephew in B.R.'
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Following the series of police shootings of black
men, there have been daily Black Lives Matter protests across the country
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Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said in a statement Thursday that the post
is being reviewed under the department's 'social media procedure and our rules
and regulations', according to Cincinnati.com.
Vincent
has sent a stream of Facebook posts over the last fortnight, reflecting on the
recent police shootings of black men, many of which suggest that there is
systematic racism within all US police departments.
One post
sent July 7 includes a photograph of Ku Klux Klan members with a burning cross,
along with the words 'the KKK has infiltrated U.S. police departments for
decades' along with a link to a site called Alternet. He wrote above it:
'Knowledge !!!!!'
Another, posted on July 12, includes an illustration on '10 rules of survival
if stopped by the police' above which he has commented that while it isn't 100
per cent true, it is '85 % to 95 %' accurate and may make the difference
between walking home safely or being shot.
Police
Chief Isaac said that the Cincinnati Department 'strives to maintain a culture
of professionalism, as well as transparency and accountability for our actions'
and added that he was proud of 'the work of the men and women of the Cincinnati
Police Department and our efforts to work collaboratively with the
community.'
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Alton Sterling (left and right) who was a
father-of-five - was killed by a white officer outside a Baton Rouge
convenience store where he was selling CDs on July 5.
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The following day Philando Castile (left) was shot
and killed in St Paul, Minnesota by a white officer after telling him he had a
legal conceal carry license and had a weapon in his car. Just two days ago,
Florida man Charles Kinsey (right) a caretaker who was trying to calm a patient
with autism, was shot in the leg despite telling police that he had his hands
in the air.
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But at a panel discussion on police-community relations sponsored by the
Enquirer held last Thursday, Isaac told an audience member 'I don't think
anyone can say there is not racism inside the department', when asked if the
issue still exists.
A string
of shootings of black men by white officers has brought police - community
relations to the center stage, as well as raising questions over the systematic
racism that many believe to be infecting police forces across America.
Alton
Sterling - who was a father-of-five - was killed by a white officer outside a
Baton Rouge convenience store where he was selling CDs on July 5.
The
following day Philando Castile was shot and killed in St Paul, Minnesota by a
white officer after telling the officer he had a legal conceal carry license
and had a weapon in his car.
Meanwhile,
just two days ago, Florida man Charles Kinsey, a caretaker who was trying to
calm a patient with autism, was shot in the leg despite telling police that he
had his hands in the air.
The
shooting in Florida illustrates the longstanding fear among black men that
almost any encounter with police can go awry with potentially deadly results,
even when a person follows every law enforcement command.
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Vincent has
sent a stream of Facebook posts over the last fortnight, reflecting on the
recent shootings, many of which suggest that there is systematic racism within
all US police departments
|
Following the series of shootings, there have been daily Black Lives Matter
protests across the country, as well as several rallies held across the globe,
including the United Kingdom.
Vincent,
who identifies himself as a Freemason according to his Facebook, has been the
subject of multiple disciplinary actions, according to the Enquirer.
He was
fired from the department in 1999 after pleading no contest to speeding on his
motorcycle and failing to have an operator's license but was reinstated the
following year.
Vincent
has also been the subject of multiple disciplinary actions including
failure of good behavior, neglect of duty for six negligent auto accidents
in a cruiser and dishonesty.
Meanwhile
in 2007, he was lauded as a hero by the former Cincinnati police chief for
pushing another officer behind cover when a man pulled a gun on them both
outside a nightclub.
Source: mailonline
Labels: Black Cincinnati Police Officer writes damning Facebook post about white officers saying they are 'looking for a reason to kill a black man', Black Lives Matter, Officer Freddie Vicent