The Unchecked Power of Police in America: A System Rooted in White Supremacy

The recent arrest of CNN journalist Omar Jimenez during a protest in Minneapolis highlights the stark contrast between how police treat white and racial minority individuals. Jimenez, who is African American and Hispanic, cooperated with the police and yet was still arrested and led away in handcuffs. In contrast, his white colleague, Josh Campbell, was asked politely to move and was not arrested. This incident and the tragic death of George Floyd serve as a reminder that the US has two separate systems of justice, one for white people and another for racial minorities. The lack of accountability and consequences for police violence is a major concern, with only 150 of the 15,000 people killed by law enforcement since 2005 facing charges, and the majority being found not guilty or having charges dropped.

Key Takeaways:

• The US has two separate systems of justice, one for white people and another for racial minorities, with police being more likely to use force against individuals of color.
• Omar Jimenez, a black and Hispanic journalist, was arrested and led away in handcuffs despite cooperating with police, while his white colleague, Josh Campbell, was not arrested.
• The police killed about 1,000 people a year, with rarely any consequences, and since 2005, fewer than 150 law enforcement officers have been charged with murder for killing civilians.
• The majority of officers charged with homicide in the line of duty have been found not guilty or had charges dropped.
• The police have vast authority to detain and humiliate racial minority individuals, often without an actual reason or cause.
• The incident highlights the continued dehumanization of people of color in America, with police treating them as less than human.
• A simple reform would be to not allow the police to make arrests for non-violent crimes, as they have proven to be incapable of independent judgment and have abused their power.

Statistics:

• US law enforcement kills about 1,000 people a year, compared to the UK, where in 10 years, law enforcement took a total of 23 lives.
• Since 2005, roughly 15,000 people have been killed by US law enforcement officers, with fewer than 150 officers being charged with murder.
• Only 1% of police officers who have been charged with homicide in the line of duty are convicted.
• The officers responsible for George Floyd's death were booked more than 4 days after the incident.
• The police arrest about 12,000,000 people a year, with racial minorities being disproportionately represented.

Sources:

• [i] Paul Butler is the Albert Brick professor in law at Georgetown University. A former federal prosecutor, he is the author of Chokehold: Policing Black Men
• [ii] Photograph: Christian Mang/Reuters