Tulsa, Oklahoma had to take on the awareness things were terribly wrong. They refused the stereotypes and saw a man with a history of public service be charged with murder and they witnessed for themselves the unnecessary death of Eric Harris. The Harris Family was now without a relative due to wrongful behavior with a gun. Tulsa, Oklahoma is different today and they don't want to go back.
The chase was never necessary. The camera picked up every bit of information, including the money paid for the gun. That information would validate charges a police officer could swear out an arrest warrant. With an arrest warrant Eric Harris could have been picked up at his place of residence without violence. He might have run, but, knowing he would need a public defender because of his income the entire issue could have been avoided.
Police need to realize their methods are deadly when they don't have to be. A public defender could be the first contact with a person charged with a crime and bring them in. Police do not have to put themselves in perceived danger in order to have a person served. If governments would assume most, if not all their warrants will be served on people unable to afford a lawyer; having them served through a public defender's office is far better than high speed chases or a chase that ends in death of the person that will never have a fair hearing in court.
Currently, police and sheriff and deputies are acting as judge and jury. Our criminal justice system is broken. It has to be viewed in that reality.
Unless the police officer is intervening to prevent danger to citizens, I don't consider petty theft of Cigarillos as appropriate for a death sentence. The owner of the store just had to file a complaint with the police department. With that a public defender could be assigned until it is known through affidavit one is not needed. If every arrest warrant was given a public defender assigned with reaching the defendant to explain to him or her their civic responsibilities to move any complaint to resolve with a court date. Once the defendant was reached by the public defender, representation begins to file an affidavit for continued assistance in representation.
It will be an asset to those defending their rights to at least be met with a public defender for the initial right to council. They can answer simple questions even if they don't qualify for a public defender. Sometimes that is all that is needed. Facing a warrant to be arrested is a devastating reality. Citizens should be empowered to act swiftly to make a court appearance with confidence to the direction they are seeking relief from the crime, if there was a crime at all.
I don't think, considering the militarization of the police, a warrant has to be served by anyone other than a public defender. There has to be a city interested in attempting this paradigm of justice that can accurately report to it's ability to reduce police deaths and injuries and resolving outstanding complaints. Public defenders care about the people they represent. They can begin mediation of any criminal charge with a sentence that might actually begin with attendance at meetings of Narcotics Anonymous.
There are too many people falling through the cracks and the police are too dangerous to apprehend any defendant, especially young black men.
March 27, 2016
By Corey Jones
Shooting death sparked a string of revelations that have left mark on family, community. (click here)
