This one is amongst the more egregious, and mysterious, of police horrors that's occurred in the last few years. And yet, it hasn't gotten quite the attention (much less resolution) it deserves. Then again, it's so damned hard to keep up - they are all egregious!
This time a year ago, Sandra Annette Bland was criminally kidnapped, forcibly detained, and ended up dead in a Texas gulag. Previous coverage of this case can be read: here and also: here. But for now though, is a brief recap: On July 10th 2015, Bland, a resident of Naperville, IL, has just finished a successful job interview at Prairie View A&M University, to which she was an alumni. PVAMU is a historically Black college located in Prairie View, TX. Bland graduated from there in 2009. She was driving through Waller County, TX, not far from her alma mater, when she was pulled over by pig state trooper Brian T. Encinia for allegedly failing to signal during a lane change. This is probably the most minor traffic violation there is. What began as a routine inconvenience/racial pretext stop quickly escalated, when Encinia violated Bland's civil rights, demanded she exit her car (under threat of lethal force), and then arrested her. Bland was taken to jail where she was falsely charged with assaulting an officer, and held for several days. On July 13th, Bland's body was found in her cell. She was hanging from a bathroom partition with a plastic trash bag tied around her neck. Results from an initial autopsy at that time listed cause of death as "suicide". Bland was 28 years old. She is survived by her mother Geneva Reed-Veal and four other sisters.
Here are the basics of what's happened over the past year and where this case lies today: In the immediate wake of Bland's death, national outrage ensued. Dash cam footage from Encinia's patrol car was made public, showing the 30 year old trooper being hostile towards Bland, violating her Civil rights, and with taser in hand, threatening to "light her up" if she did not exit her vehicle. Video footage from a by-stander's cell phone was also made public, showing Bland on the ground with Encinia on top of her. In the days following Bland's death, the Texas Department of Public Safety launched an investigation into the situation surround's Bland's arrest. Encinia was placed on "administrative duty" (paid vacation). However, the TX DPS eventually found that Encinia indeed violated traffic stop and courtesy protocols, as well as LIE on an incident report about Bland being "combative" and "uncooperative". Even though the Waller County D.A. initially investigated Bland's suspicious death as a homicide, in December 2015, a TX grand jury failed to bring any charges against any of the staff at the jail where Bland had died. Waller Co. jail was cited for negligence, but nothing ever came of that. In August 2015, Bland's family filed a wrongful death suit against the Waller Co. sheriff's office, jail officials, and the TX Dept. of Public Safety. That trial is scheduled for January 23rd 2017 and will probably take place in Houston. In March 2016, a perjury charge was brought against Encinia, for LYING on police reports about his encounter with Bland and his "justification" for having arrested her in the first place. Shortly afterwards, He was formally fired as a state trooper. If... IF convicted of the perjury charge - a class A misdemeanor - Encinia faces [up to] one year in prison and a $4000 fine.
Details about this infuriating saga are now known, that were not a year ago. Between TX and IL (but mostly TX), Sandra Bland had been arrested and cited numerous times. ALL of these police run-ins had been for minor, pissant infractions: speeding, not having liability insurance, expired tags, possession of tiny amounts of marijuana, etc. The marijuana charges, in particular, aren't even an arrestable crime in many states! Unfortunately, TX has some of the most draconian and inhuman laws on the books for drug offenses - including pot. TX is also a state with a cruel "poor" tax. What that basically directly means is that, if you are in TX and you get arrested for any reason, and you are poor - too poor to pay for bail, pay for decent legal representation, pay fines, pay off cops, etc. then you will pay DEARLY. TX also has no state income tax. That might sound nice at first, but all that means is the STATE will extract its pound of flesh via other means. And that always means that poor people pay a much higher tax burden... especially if they are arrested. Bland's various arrests in TX came not only with fines, but with extra taxes tacked onto those fines! $25 "record management" fees, $15 "judicial fund" fees, $15 arbitrarily tacked onto every bond, and so on. And if you don't pay your fines, then the state issues warrants for your arrest. So debtor's prisons thrive in TX. This sort of legal extortion is very common all over this country, but especially in TX and in small, rural, largely Black communities (Prairie View, the city in which Bland had been arrested, is 93.51% Black. The city's police, Waller Co. sheriff's dept. and state troopers are mostly all White. YOU do the math). Sandra Bland suffered from depression throughout her adult life. At least one suicide attempt has been documented, referencing several unified slash wounds across her inner left forearm. According to her medical records, Bland became pregnant in 2014, but lost the fetus due to severe complications. And though she graduated in 2009 with a degree in animal science, the country was in the iron grip of a financial depression (and largely still is). Despite having been well educated, Bland suffered a very hard time finding dignified employment. Her misdemeanor convictions (minor as they all were) made work searches even more difficult. Plus being a Black woman in America... that she was on her way from a fresh job interview at her former college when she was unjustly arrested speaks to a pattern of inescapable racism and economic depravity. There's only so damned much one can take. And it is quite possible Bland was driven to utter despair within her last hours on Earth. Thing is, even if Bland had committed suicide that day, she was driven by her jailers, the pig who arrested her, and the larger system every bit as much as by her own hands. She never should've been ARRESTED in the first goddamned place!
In early 2015, Bland was becoming more conscious, more aware of the dire plight of Black people in the country. She was becoming more out-spoken on injustice issues, posting videos to her facebook page which she titled: #SandySpeaks, aligning herself with the Black Lives Matter movement. These would come to be her final selfless and defining acts on Earth. To this day, family and supporters keep Sandy's voice alive, by aligning her to that greater cause she so stood up for. In large part, that is what this very blog is about. So, I hope to do my part to keep Sandra Bland's name alive and unforgettable, however I can here.
Sandy deserved much more, she was worth much more. Even in the wake of an apparent suicide (still unconfirmed), she was a stronger human than most of us.
As mentioned in the last entry, a local lunatic went all ham recently, placing many innocent people in harm's way. Thankfully, no one was killed this time, including the perpetrator himself. White privilege goes a long way...
The week of July 3rd - 9th has been pretty active. First were the twin police murders of two innocent Black men - Anton Sterling in Baton Rouge, LO on Tuesday July 5th. Then the murder of Philando Castile in St. Anthony, MN on July 6th. These two horrendous acts of police terrorism resulted in nation-wide outrage and protests. One such action took place in Dallas TX on July 7th. It was here where five gang members of the Dallas Police Gestapo(DPG) were subsequently purged by military vet, marine, and hero Micah Xavier Johnson. That same day, actions were also taking place here in Portland, OR. An emergency rally had been organised by Don't Shoot Portland and local Black Lives Matter activists, to address the murders of Sterling and Castile earlier in the week.
A "counter-protester" was also present at this event. Local right-winger, Donald Trump boot-licker, and white supremacist Michael Strickland had been agitating the crowd, attempting to provoke a violent confrontation. When the dirtbag's tactics were appearing to not have their desired affect, that's when Strickland pulled out a loaded gun and pointed it at unarmed people.
True face of terrorism: Mike Strickland seen here, pointing his glock at unarmed protesters during actions Thursday afternoon.
This alarming and potentially deadly incident was all captured on video, which can be viewed here. Several people had gotten Strickland away from the crowd, potentially saving lives while putting their own in harm's way. Strickland, who was also carrying several extra clips on him at the time, was arrested and taken into custody by Portland police a few minutes later. Surprisingly, these officers did not fill Strickland with dozens of bullet holes on sight... oh wait, Strickland is WHITE! Never mind! No one was harmed during this otherwise peaceful action. Strickland himself is a self-described "freelance journalist" who really just goes around with his video camera, recording people and starting shit. He's a neo-fascist libertarian right-winger who's been known to stalk, harass, and menace citizens during progressive and leftists street actions in the NW for years. He's had a particular hard-on for BLM activists, demonstrating his racist tendencies. Strickland also has a youtube channel called "Laughing At Liberals" where he posts his videos, and has gone by the same handle as a commentor on various news articles, including Willamette Week. That channel can be viewed here.
At the time of this entry, Strickland remains in custody at the InJustice center here in Portland on $250,000 bond. He faces several criminal complaints, including menacing and disorderly conduct. The glock 27 handgun Strickland pulled out is reported to have been legally registered to him. Time will tell whether he loses his concealed permit, as well as the weapon itself.
The mainstream corporate whore media will have YOU think that America's greatest threats are posed by:
A) Islamic extremists
B) Scaaary Black men
This is horseshit, of course. And if you're reading this, then you most likely know this as well. No, the TRUE threat to this country (other than globalist imperialism) are ARMED CONSERVATIVE WHITE MALES! Don't let false-flag shootings in Orlando fool you - most mass murders in America are carried out by White men! Typically, these men range in age from late teens to late 50's. Most of them are conservative, homophobic, hateful of women, of immigrants, of progressives, and thoroughly racist to their rotten core. Most seem to have an extensive presence on-line, even the less sophisticated ones. Strickland, 36, fits this profile to a tee! Like many others of his kind, he has been egging on a confrontation for years, and is well documented as doing such. On Thursday July 7th, he crossed a line, but he is not going to stop there, mark my words! Strickland may be in jail at the moment, but he is still ALIVE. He is being protected, he is afforded due process, an attorney, and his dates in court. This is all much more than can be said for:
Trayvon Martin - crime: wearing hoodie, walking, ??? punishment: DEATH.
Eric Garner - crime: selling loose cigarettes. punishment: DEATH.
John Crawford - crime: shopping. punishment: DEATH.
Tamir Rice - crime: playing with toy gun in playground. punishment: DEATH
Michael Brown - crime: walking. punishment: DEATH.
Aiyana Jones - crime: sleeping. punishment: DEATH.
Aaron Campbell - crime: doing EXACTLY what police were telling him to do. punishment: DEATH.
Samuel Dubose - crime: not having a front license plate on his vehicle. punishment: DEATH.
Sandra Bland - crime: asserting her rights. punishment: DEATH.
Darrien Hunt - crime: cosplay. punishment: DEATH.
Freddy Gray - crime: running for his life. punishment: DEATH.
Walter Scott - crime: running for his life. punishment: DEATH.
Alton Sterling - crime: selling cds. punishment: DEATH.
Philando Castile - crime: driving, perfectly obeying the law. punishment: DEATH.
None of these cases and many countless others have ever received due process, nor benefit of doubt, nor presumption of innocence. You get the point. This goes on and on...
It has been a heavy week, to say the least. Starting with the senseless police murders of two (more) Black men and ending with the sniper killings of five Dallas pigs, such events have had people openly speculating an impending race war. Add to that, a presidential election season that's gone full-retard, and a tense situation here in Portland, OR in which a right-wing terrorist pulled a gun on peaceful BLM protesters. All that said, Summer 2016 is promising to get very hot... and I'm not talking about the damned weather!
Where to even start? How about those two murders, yes? On Tuesday, July 5th, Alton Sterling was murdered by cops in Baton Rouge, LO. Sterling was selling cds when he was tackled by cops, taken to the ground, and executed at point-blank range. Sterling was 37 years old. His killers have been identified as officers Howie Lake II and Blane Salamoni - both gang members of the Baton Rouge Police Gestapo(BRPG). Sterling's murder has been captured on graphic video, which has since gone viral. An anonymous cop-caller summoned 911, claiming that Sterling had been waiving a gun and menacing passer's by. However, the owner of a convenience store in front of which the murder occurred, insisted that Sterling never pointed a weapon at anyone and was not causing any trouble. Sterling died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and back. The two vile pigs responsible for his death are currently on paid vacation, and the incident is under investigation. We'll see where that one goes...
RIP: Alton Sterling seen here.
Killer cops: Sterling's murderers seen here.
The very next day, July 6th, Philando Divall Castile was gunned down by cops. This police terrorist murder happened during a routine traffic stop in St. Anthony, MINN, a suburb of St. Paul. Castile was in the driver seat when he was shot. His girlfriend, Lavish Reynolds, recorded her partner's murder on her cell phone. Reynolds was in the passenger seat, the couple's young daughter seating in the back. That video also went viral and again, is very graphic. The pigs involved in this ruthless murder have been identified as officers Jeronimo Yanez and Joseph Kauser, both of the St. Anthony Police Gestapo(SAPG). Same story: paid vacation for killers, horrific death for victim, investigation, outrage, protests, etc. Castile was 32 years old. He was absolutely innocent.
RIP: Philado Castile seen here.
Watched him die: Castile's partner Lavish Reynolds seen here.
Killers: pigs Joe Kauser(l) and Jeronimo Yanez seen here.
In response to overall police genocide of Blacks, including these latest twin murders, one citizen in Dallas, TX decided to take matters into his own hands. On Thursday July 7th, a sniper took out five members of the Dallas Police Gestapo(DPG), and injured at least seven other cops. This Act of Valor occurred during a BLM protest, which itself had been in response to the two aforementioned murders of Sterling and Castile. The sniper was Mikah Xavier Johnson, and military veteran, marine, and trained tactician. He had no ties to the BLM Movement, nor any other political group. He simply acted in accordance to his moral code, and instead of murdering innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan, doing the Empire's bidding, neutralized some real terrorists instead. Johnson was martyred when a robot-controlled device was exploded near him. Like Christopher Dorner before him, Johnson is a hero and a martyr - he died in action while performing his TRUE duty: protecting the American public from both existential and internal threats.
At the same time here in Portland, OR, a less deadly incident occurred, when a local right-wing lunatic pulled a loaded gun on activists during a protests in down town. On Thursday July 7th, protests were being held in front of the InJustice Center in dt Portland, organised by Don't Shoot PDX and BLM activists. This action was also in response to the murders of Sterling and Castile, as similar actions had been taking place all over the country (including Dallas). A "counter-protester" identified as Michael Strickland, 36, had pulled a gun on the unarmed protesters. Thankfully, no one was harmed and Strickland was promptly arrested. Strickland is a local right-wing racist thug, Trump supporter, and so-called "journalist" who's been known to harass and menace BLM protests in the past. He is also a youtuber who goes by the handle "Laughing At Liberals". Who's laughing now? His yt channel can be seen here. No harm came to Strickland, despite his wanton criminal acts, but he is facing multiple charges. More on him later.
REAL terrorist threat: right-wing thug/Trump-supporter Mike Strickland seen here. Mug shot below.
That is it for now. Stay safe, stay vigilant. Lock and load.
The senseless murder of Akai Gurley was initially covered here back in late 2014. It had been a watershed year in terms of the slayings of innocent Black people at the hands of sadistic cops. The highly publicized murders of Eric Garner (July 17th) and Michael Brown (August 9th) that year, among several other barbaric police killings, was what gave rise to a sustained cause known as the Black Lives Matter movement. While most other cases have been frustrated by an almost complete lack of cop accountability, one murder from that year has received considerably more justice - Gurley killer Peter Liang has been found GUILTY!
Previous entries on the Gurley/Liang case can be reviewed HERE and HERE. For historical purposes, here is a brief recap: On November 20th 2014, rookie pig Liang, along with his pig partner Shaun Landau, were conducting a "routine" sweep of the Louis H. Pink housing development in Brooklyn, NY. Despite instructions to simply walk the perimeter of the building, officers Liang and Landau instead took it upon themselves to enter and traverse the building's stairwell. A "vertical sweep" as cops call it. At around the same time, Gurley, along with girlfriend Mellisa Butler, were leaving her apartment on the seventh floor. Since the elevator was in disrepair at the time, Gurley and Butler had no choice but to take the stairs. Thus, all the pieces for a fatal clusterfuck had been set into place. The two scumbag cops were on the 8th floor of the darkened stairwell, with Gurley and Butler on the seventh floor. At some point Liang heard a noise, and like a scared-ass cop he panicked and fired his service Glock in the direction from which the sound had come. The two civilians heard Liang's gun fire and ran for their lives. The couple had made it down about two flights before Gurley collapsed on the railing of the fifth floor. A single bullet from Liang's weapon ricocheted off the wall, hitting Gurley in the chest. As Butler desperately sought help from another of the building's tenants, pigs Liang and Landau were busy getting their story together. The two pigs spent several minutes arguing over whether to report the shooting to their supervisor - standard police protocol. They were really concerned about whether or not anyone had been injured. Eventually, Liang and Landau descended to the fifth floor... only to find their victim grievously wounded. Even though she had no formal CPR training, Butler was desperately trying to apply resuscitation efforts to Gurley. She was on the phone with a 911 operator (called by a neighbor), receiving guidance on how to aid Gurley. Liang and Landau both had CPR training - at least seven damned hours worth, as mandated for all cops in the state of New York. But instead of lifting a finger to help Gurley, they stepped over his dying body to "talk" to the fifth floor resident who had called 911. The two pigs continued to dick around for an unspecified amount of time.
Around 20 minutes later, emergency medical workers finally appeared on the scene, but by then it was too damned late. Gurley died that night. He was 28 years old and completely innocent. He left behind a young daughter. Pigs Liang and Landau never called 911, never administered CPR per their training, and never called their supervisor per NYC police policy. Liang called his union representative instead... because he was more concerned about losing his sorry-ass job than saving a man's life.
Rest In Power: Gurley pictured below.
Watched him die: Gurley's partner at the time, Mellisa Butler, pictured below.
Fight for justice: The mother of Gurley's young daughter, Kimberly Ballinger, pictured along with her attorney Scott Rynecki. Photo taken in January 2015, as they prepare their case against the NYC Police Gestapo.
Partners in crime: Killer cop Peter Liang (left) and crony capitulator Shaun Landau. On Thursday February 11th, Liang was convicted of manslaughter in the November 2014 murder of Akai Gurley. The next day, his former partner Landau was properly sacked!
On Thursday February 11th 2016, a jury convicted Liang of manslaughter over Akai Gurley's death. The disgraced rookie cop now faces sentencing set for April 14th. He could get up to 15 years in prison, but we'll see. Liang could get lucky like Johannes Mehserle and end up doing less than a year. Incidentally, Liang's former partner and fellow rookie Shaun Laudau was fired the day after Liang's conviction. GOOD! It should seem obvious, but for the record Liang was himself unceremoniously fired, immediately following his conviction. Like the rotten scumbag criminal pig he is, Landau testified against his former partner during Liang's trial. In return, Landau did not face criminal prosecution himself. No honor among cops, it can always be said.
This particular case of police terror has garnered a unique juxtaposition rarely seen: the murder of an innocent Person of Color, at the hands of a cop who himself happens to be a PoC. Disgraced cop Peter Liang is of Chinese decent,which shouldn't matter because a pig is a dirty rotten pig. Unfortunately, this has caused some members of NYC's Asian community to rally in defense of Liang, despite his wanton sadism. Rightly or wrongly, suspicions have also been voiced that Liang is simply an Asian Scapegoat. An easy Mark, swiftly thrown under the bus by his former (mostly White) comrades. Such suspicions aren't unfounded, however. After all, Akai Gurley's murder, however egregious, is no worse than the police murders of many other Black male New Yorkers over the years... including that of Eric Garner. And yet Garner's killer, pig Daniel Panteleo, has never faced criminal charges. He, along with nearly all of his White comrades, walk the streets of NYC to this day.
That given, many others within the Asian community have chosen not to give in to divisionist tactics...
Solidarity against police terror!
