"Between The Lines"
Anthony Asadullah Samad

---

Who's Afraid Of A Big Black Man???
120 Shots Later…We Know What's Contagious

Just when we think we've seen it all in Southern California law enforcement, some new form of exaggerated (mis)conduct comes to light to confirm how certain liberties are taken with Blacks when it comes to policing, that somehow hardly ever arise with other citizens. Stuff in L.A. is so outrageous that it never fails to make the national news. So when you hear that fired 120 shots into a car, hitting the driver only four times [sic] but putting themselves and a whole neighborhood at risk, policing black communities in L.A. County (this shooting took place in Compton) have gone from the ridiculous to the sublime. The excuse for this "bang-fest" free-for-all that it was a case of "contagious fire," a situation where when one shot is fired and the police don't know where it came from, they assume it came from the suspect and everybody on the scene (in the case, 10 deputy sheriffs) empty their guns, or as Slick Rick once said-"Rat-a-tat-tat and all the cops scattered." At the end of the day, the shooting of Winston Hayes, an unarmed man whose only offense may have been that he didn't stop soon enough when enraged Los Angeles County Sheriffs tried to pull him over because his truck "fit the description" on a radio call, represents just another episode in this contagious demonstration called, "Negrophobia" that makes law enforcement act in the most extreme manner when encountering a black man. What would make cops, whose only threat is a rolling (not speeding) car-and we've been here before, choose to shoot into the car rather than move out of the way? No one saw a gun. They only heard a shot, and they started shooting at the car, shooting at each other (one cop was shot by "friendly fire"-what was friendly about the situation), shooting into houses. Clearly, it was a "panic" situation that you would expect in a shootout, only one side was shooting and that didn't stop the panic. Itchy trigger fingers, loose batons, flashlight reflux, attitude disorders are all a function of hiding some kind of fear that agitates those officers ability to act rationally in tense situations. Being a cop is a tense occupation anyway, but restraint in tense situations is part of the job. No one wants panicky cops on the street. Particularly, those susceptible to contagious behavior. If you're that nervous, get out. Retire.

However, that's not what this situation is really about. Former NBA Star and commentator, Charles Barkley has a new book out entitled, Who's Afraid of a Big Black Man? which is supposed to be a discourse on race in America. Racial attitudes, and racial animus, manifest themselves in very inconvenient times. Hayes is a big 6 foot plus, 200 pound plus black man, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The sheriff's department have publicly admitted to not having a planned approach to the situation, running around like keystone cops (with guns), then one deputy slips-the others assumed he was shot and start firing like they were in a gun battle, when the one thing they were battling was each other. Again, I can't imagine a similar situation happening any place else. It is a miracle (and God's grace) that Hayes survived this escapade. He'll have a helleva testimony when he gets out the hospital. The Sheriff, in the meantime, are engaged in their same ole "damage control" mode that suggest we all need to be conscious about crime and safety. The crime committed was by the sheriff department, and safety for the public went out the window when ten deputies paranoia turned to fear-and fear, not of the situation but who was in the situation, an unsuspecting black man, turned contagious. How do you cure Negrophobia, Sheriff Baca? How do you keep other officers following other Negrophobes?

It's outrageous to expect that this shooting can be explained away. It's more outrageous to suggest that this same situation could not repeat itself. Things like this happen when you're afraid of "the big black guy." Negrophobia tends to make policing encounters with certain citizens a little less friendly, and confrontation a little more contagious. From there, anything can happen, and 120 shots later…folks are still standing around trying to explain it. Excuses tend to be contagious also.

---