Better Family Life strongly believes that justice was once again abused, betrayed and denied in the not-guilty verdict of former St. Louis Police Officer Jason Stockley rendered on Friday, September 15.
Even in the face incontrovertible evidence, it was not enough to convince circuit Judge Timothy Wilson that Jason Stockley was guilty of pre-meditated, first-degree murder of Anthony Lamar Smith on December 20, 2011 following a high-speed car chase.
The questionable killing of another African American, whose case was suppressed for over five years by city officials, superficially investigated by the FBI and ignored by the Civil Rights division of Obama’s Justice Department is just another example of how African Americans are mistreated by all branches of the criminal justice system.
Since the killings by police of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Gardner, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray and countless others, African Americans and their rainbow allies have grown tired and frustrated with the criminal “injustice” system.
Just like the uprising following the killing of Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, African Americans and others took to the streets. One of their chants was “no justice no peace.” In Ferguson, for nearly two months, stores were looted and burned down, hundreds were arrested and a few people lost their lives. St. Louis was plastered all over the world as an unsafe place. Scores of consequences followed: conventions were cancelled, parents refused to send their children to St. Louis colleges and universities, average citizens felt unsafe, and the divide between blacks and whites widened.
This current eruption of protests, vandalism and arrests attest to the fact that St. Louis still hasn’t learned its lesson. Today’s protests are being orchestrated by a new generation of activists as well as some seasoned veterans and clergy. What is different is how these new activists are responding to what is perceived as injustice and affirming why “Black Lives Matter.” Now, they are chanting, “No justice, no profits.”
They are tired of seeing senseless acts of murder by police officers who use the all-inclusive justification of fearing for their life. They are tired of hearing how powerful institutions of the state such as judges and police, use highly charged racist stereotypes of African-American males such as Darren Wilson’s description of his fear of Michael Brown as a gorilla-like, menacing, 240-pound thug to justify his plea of self-defense.
In the written decision of Judge Timothy Wilson, he characterized Anthony Smith as an “urban heroin dealer” and expressed the fatal words, which many believe was the basis of his not-guilty verdict, “that an urban heroin dealer not in possession of a firearm would be an anomaly.” The judge’s description is equivalent to saying Smith was worthless and deserved to die.
When did police change from arresting suspects to killing them? When an overwhelming number of police officers continue to be acquitted of senseless killings, which led some police officers to feel they can get away with it.
St. Louis’ African-American community has many social and economic problems that we deal with each day. Some of them are what we inflict upon each other that we must be more forceful and intentional in solving. Perhaps our self-imposed violence is a symptom of a larger state-sanctioned violence directed at poor, vulnerable communities.
If St. Louis is to become a progressive 21st century city, the justice system must work for African Americans. The police must exercise extreme care and undergo better training to prevent the wanton killing of African Americans, even those who may commit egregious crimes. Judges must render true justice and not racist opinions that are unjust and inhumane.
The powerful must align with the powerless to rebuild decrepit and deplorable neighborhoods such as those found in North St. Louis. Job training, placement and state-of-the-art schools must be a right not a meager line item in city and state budgets. Economic development must include all sectors of the city, especially in North St. Louis.
Malik Ahmed is CEO of Better Family Life, Inc.
