by Jeff Crouere
The different treatment meted out in the deaths of Ashli Babbitt and Daunte Wright speaks volumes about a two-tiered American justice system.
On January 6, a U.S. Capitol Police officer killed decorated U.S. Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt. She was among the crowd of protesters who entered the U.S. Capitol and was shot as she attempted to climb through a broken door outside the Speaker’s lobby, an area that leads to the House Chamber.
Babbitt was unarmed and should not have been considered a threat by police officers. She was not a convicted criminal. Instead, she was a military hero. Babbitt served in the U.S. Air Force for over 12 years in various capacities, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the United Arab Emirates (twice). Babbitt received medals for her service in the Iraq Campaign and the Global War on Terrorism.
Last week, the Department of Justice announced that it would not charge the officer who killed Babbitt. While this officer was being exonerated, Kim Potter, a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota police force, was charged after she mistakenly shot and killed Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old with a criminal record.
Potter, along with two other officers, pulled over Wright’s car because of an expired license plate. Once the officers determined that Wright was wanted on an outstanding warrant, they attempted to arrest him. Wright resisted arrest, reentered the vehicle, and tried to leave the scene. To stop him, Potter yelled “Taser,” and fired. Sadly, Potter used her weapon by mistake, tragically killing Wright.
Wright’s troubles with the law started in December 2019 when he was arrested for an aggravated armed robbery attempt. At that time, Wright reportedly pulled a gun on a woman and demanded $820 in cash. When she resisted, he allegedly choked her and tried to take her money. She started screaming as Wright choked her again. Eventually, Wright and an accomplice left without the money.
After the victim identified Wright, he was arrested and released on $100,000 bail. Bail was revoked in July 2020 when he violated its terms by possessing a fireman and losing contact with his probation officer. When the police pulled Wright over, he knew he would be going to prison, so he tried to flee the scene.
Potter was charged with second-degree manslaughter and put on administrative leave, after which she resigned from the police force. In her letter of resignation, she said that she “loved every minute of being a police officer and serving this community to the best of my ability.”
Former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said Wright’s death was an accident. He was forced to resign last week after claiming that Potter “had the intention to deploy” her Taser but mistakenly “shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet.” According to Gannon, the fatal shooting appeared to be “an accidental discharge.”
After being arrested, Potter was released after posting a $100,000 bond. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. Her life will never be the same and her 26-year record as a police officer will be completely disregarded. The mistaken shooting has led to protests throughout the country, calling for Potter to be convicted.
The media focused on the fact that Potter is White while Daunte Wright was Black. Of course, there was no media coverage of the fact that the officer who killed Babbitt, a White victim, is Black.
The media often consider race when the victim is Black, and the officer is White. When the roles are reversed, the media give shootings almost no attention.
The Department of Justice is protecting the identity of the officer who killed Babbitt and is not charging him for her death. According to federal prosecutors, there was “insufficient evidence” to prove that Babbitt’s “civil rights were violated.” Prosecutors also stated that the unidentified officer’s actions were “reasonable.” But was it “reasonable” to shoot without warning Babbitt, a small woman, who could easily have been stopped with a Taser? Why did the officer use his weapon to shoot an unarmed woman?
While Potter has been charged and is no longer a police officer, the U.S. Capitol Police officer has returned to his job following a short administrative leave. He has been totally cleared of wrongdoing and has faced limited backlash for his questionable actions.
Why the difference in how these two cases were handled? Some believe it is another example of the double standard of justice that exists in our country today. While Republicans and conservatives, such as Roger Stone, former Lt. General Michael Flynn, and many other associates of former President Donald Trump have faced severe consequences for their actions, Democrats are often unpunished.
The list of Democrats who have received lenient treatment from the Department of Justice includes Hillary Clinton and all of those involved in the Russian collusion hoax. The lackluster “Durham” investigation into this matter has been ongoing for years and has produced almost nothing of value.
Recently, we learned that the FBI took possession of Hunter Biden’s laptop in December of 2019. In the last 16 months, despite the scandalous material on the laptop and the sordid allegations against him, the DOJ has not filed charges filed against Biden and will not update the status of that investigation.
While the FBI has vigorously pursued those involved in the breach of security of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, there has been little enthusiasm to prosecute those left-wing agitators involved in the 275 riots last summer or the ones participating in the ongoing riots in Portland, Minneapolis, and many other cities.
The FBI Director claimed he is investigating Antifa, but the organizers and main benefactors of that terrorist organization have not been brought to justice.
This leads many to conclude that American justice is no longer blind. It can see, but it only sees conservatives.
To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and his award-winning program, “Ringside Politics,” airs nationally on Real America’s Voice Network, AmericasVoice.News weekdays at 7 a.m. CT and from 7-11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990-AM & Wgso.com. He is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance, and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and on Crouere.net. For more information, email him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
Source: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/04/a_tale_of_two_shootings.html
No comments:
Post a Comment