Oops They Did it Again...

I’m beginning to see that Seattle Police are a lot like the Border Patrol in Texas, specifically El Paso. They both seem to only acknowledge inappropriate incidents occurred once it’s been caught on video, and both seem to assault teens who “illegally cross,” and they both claim to be “threatened” and therefore resort to violent means. Both have polished professional spokespersons speak on their behalf and speak of investigations and inquiries and needing more evident before jumping to conclusions.

In both places, communities want change and authorities who conduct themselves with professionalism and trained in de-escalation techniques. In both situations, the victims are people of color. A Seattle office punched a young black teen in the face. A Border agent shot a brown teen for throwing a rock.

I remember when I first got here there was another case involving a Deputy Sheriff assaulting a teen in her cell because he claimed he felt threatening by the teen. He first claimed the teen assaulted him, but surveillance video revealed that in fact the officer wasn’t in the cell at all and that he was indeed the first to push, slam against the wall, punch, then slam the girl to the floor. The video reveals the threat was that she crossed her arms and kicked her shoe off. Check it out. By the way, she too is a young teen of color.

Indeed, this is why it is hard to feel safe when la placa drives by, when they turn up behind you, when you’re chillando at the park. Maybe this is why I have never ever said, “oh great, a peace officer is driving behind me and now I feel safe.” It’s usually a “chingado, did I do something wrong, is the music too loud, did I stop enough at the stop, or am I looking too Chicana today?”

When I’m in town and la jura is present, I tell my friend Luz or whomever is with me to not leave my side because in Seattle, la chota likes to kick Mexican piss out of brown people (even if they're not Mexican, apparently). I think the exact quote was “I’m going to kick the Mexican piss out of you homey. You feel me?” He was already handcuffed and on the floor. I'm sure he felt it. Being a Messican, not a Messican’t, and not wanting to deliver a “can’t we all just get along” speech before the media, swollen and bruised, a subsequent trial where no one is found guilty, I keep my distance from them, like I did with El Paso chotas and La Linea Keepers del paso del norte.

I’m more fascinated, however, with language, and not just because I’m a poet. That is, despite the many moves I’ve made, the many cities I’ve lived in and regions I’ve visited, people of color share more in common than not, and officials too. Words and phrases have meanings and semantic nuances, poetic liberties and leniency for exaggeration, but when you combine them with “reality” images, it's hard to find the words to justify authority’s use of power in the name of the law. Words of interest: escalation, felt threatened, trained to protect, paid leave pending an investigation, Urban League, Hispanic leaders, unjustified force, victims, injury, arrest, once again in the news, trouble, teens, no respect, youth, them, those people...back in the day, people knew their place...

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Police: Officer under review after punching incident caught on camera
By Gabriel Falcon, CNN
June 16, 2010 2:52 p.m. EDT
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/16/police.jaywalker/index.html?hpt=Sbin





Border Patrol bears increased criticism over death
By the CNN Wire Staff
June 9, 2010 8:32 p.m. EDT

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/09/mexico.border.shooting/index.html?iref=allsearch