- The resulting explosions ignited a fire that eventually destroyed approximately 65 nearby houses. The firefighters, who had earlier deluge-hosed the MOVE members in a failed attempt to evict them from the building, stood by as the fire caused by the bomb engulfed the first house and spread to others, having been given orders to let the fire burn. Despite the earlier drenching of the building by firefighters, officials said that they feared that MOVE would shoot at the firefighters. Eleven people (John Africa, five other adults and five children aged 7 to 13) died in the resulting fire and more than 250 people were left homeless. Ramona Africa, one of the two survivors, stated that police fired at those trying to escape.
Then we get into Waco where the police used an armored vehicle to end the 51 day seige.
We can also talk about the over militarization of the civilian police force, but that conversation won't happen. We can also talk about how the war on drugs ramped up the siege mentality of police agencies in inner cities during the 80's and 90's.
I now, through a twist of fate, have cop acquaintances. Sort of weirds me out to think about it. Mention Community Policing and you can see the rectums constrict. But as I see it from where I sit, unless there is a push to demilitarize, teach de-escallation as a first response, push community policing to make the cops a part of the neighborhoods and end the war on drugs, this nonsense is going to continue.
Sadly, a lot of people are going to get killed before anything changes. On both sides.
De-escalate may be the mantra we need. I've been trained in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention methods for managing Emotionally Impaired Children. De-escalating the raw emotions of a tense situation is always the greatest portion of managing a peaceful resolution. Physical force is only used to prevent a student from hurting themselves or others.
I highly doubt that blowing up a suspect with a drone was the only option available in Dallas, as the Chief claims. Did they send the robot in with tear gas or flash bombs first? Did they try to wait him out until his food and/or will ended? Or did they just choose to escalate things by using hand me down military equipment and tactics? MOVE is a Philadelphia-based, self-proclaimed black liberation group founded by John Africa in 1972. The group lives communally and frequently engages in public demonstrations against racism, police brutality, and other issues. In 1981, MOVE relocated to a row house at 6221 Osage Avenue in the Cobbs Creek area of West Philadelphia. After the move, neighbors complained for years that MOVE members were broadcasting political messages by bullhorn at all hours and also about the health hazards created from piles of compost. After the complaints as well as indictments of numerous MOVE members for crimes including parole violations, contempt of court, illegal possession of firearms, and making terrorist threats, then-Mayor W. Wilson Goode and police commissioner Gregore J. Sambor had begun classifying MOVE as a terrorist organization. On May 13, 1985, the police, along with city manager Leo Brooks, arrived in force with arrest warrants and attempted to clear the building and arrest the indicted MOVE members. This led to an armed standoff with police, who lobbed tear gas canisters at the building. MOVE members fired at the police, who returned fire with automatic weapons. Commissioner Sambor then ordered that the compound be bombed from a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, Philadelphia Police Department Lt. Frank Powell proceeded to drop two one-pound bombs made of FBI-supplied water gel explosive, a dynamite substitute, targeting a fortified, bunker-like cubicle on the roof of the house. They bombed a residential block. The resulting explosions ignited a fire that eventually destroyed approximately 65 nearby houses. The firefighters, who had earlier deluge-hosed the MOVE members in a failed attempt to evict them from the building, stood by as the fire caused by the bomb engulfed the first house and spread to others, having been given orders to let the fire burn. Despite the earlier drenching of the building by firefighters, officials said that they feared that MOVE would shoot at the firefighters. Eleven people (John Africa, five other adults and five children aged 7 to 13) died in the resulting fire and more than 250 people were left homeless. Ramona Africa, one of the two survivors, stated that police fired at those trying to escape. Mayor Goode soon appointed an investigative commission called the PSIC (aka MOVE Commission), chaired by William H. Brown, III. Police commissioner Sambor resigned in November 1985, reporting that he felt that he was being made a scapegoat by Goode. The MOVE Commission issued its report on March 6, 1986. The report denounced the actions of the city government, stating that "Dropping a bomb on an occupied row house was unconscionable." Following the release of the report, mayor Goode made a formal public apology. No one from the city government was charged criminally. In 1996, a federal jury ordered the city to pay a $1.5 million civil suit judgement to survivor Ramona Africa and relatives of two people killed in the bombing. The jury had found that the city used excessive force and violated the members' constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure. Philadelphia was given the nickname"The City that Bombed Itself."
How on earth did they get away with this when the entire situation was caused by the police in the first place? It's not like MOVE was holding hostages or threatening anything before the cops showed up.No one from the city government was charged criminally.
You cannot forget the Kent State Shootings, how little things change in 46 years.
The post Civil War labour movement is full of the FREAKING ARMY killing strikers. PInkerton, the security company, was given government permission on Colorado and Wyoming to kill people with no consequence. This nonsense is nothing new, and that is very sad.