Why the cliché “you’re anti-cop now, but what about when something bad happens and you really need a cop’s help?” doesn’t mean shit to anyone paying attention
TW:// sexual assault, violence
So I’ve been seeing quite a bit of anti-BLM people present a very flawed argument that I’d like to take a second to address. Since I’m a storyteller at heart, I figured maybe I should tell you guys a story for anyone who thinks these protests are an overreaction to police negligence, brutality, and a complete lack of accountability on behalf of the justice system. Again, this story contains elements of sexual assault and violence, so please continue with caution.
Three women lived in a multistory house on Lamont Street Northwest in the District of Colombia. Two of the women—Carolyn Warren and Joan Taliaferro—lived on the third story, while another woman, Miriam Douglas, lived on the second story.
On Sunday March 16, 1975, two men broke into their home. The men (later identified as Marvin Kent and James Morse) entered the second story, where they proceeded to sexually assault Miriam Douglas. Carolyn Warren and Joan Taliaferro heard the screams and struggle downstairs, and called the police to report a burglary in progress. Dispatch assured them that officers would arrive promptly.
Although a crime in progress should’ve been designated a code 1 assignment, a call was dispatched to the officers as a code 2 assignment.
Carolyn and Joan climbed out of the window and onto an adjoining rooftop to wait for police to arrive. They observed one policeman drive by the front of the property without stopping or even leaning out of the window. Another officer knocked on the front door of the house, but left after receiving no answer. Three officers total showed up, and left five minutes after they arrived.
Carolyn and Joan climbed back into their room where they dialed the police again, reiterating that there was a burglary in progress and they desperately need help. Again, dispatch assured them officers were on their way, except the call was recorded as “investigate the trouble” and no officers were ever sent to the house after that.
Thinking that police might already be inside, Joan and Carolyn called out to Miriam, thereby alerting the home invaders to their presence. At knife point, the three women proceeded to be beaten, robbed, and sexually assaulted for fourteen hours straight.
This is a tragic story. However, during the next few months, while the police department could not change the mistakes they made that night, the court system could potentially provide some form of justice for the horrors those women suffered through.
A court case was filed against the police department for negligence. In a 4-3 decision, the District of Colombia held that police do NOT owe a specific duty to provide police services to citizens based on the Public Duty Doctrine. This ruling has never been overturned.
So, to any American followers I have who believe this doesn’t affect them, that the police are there to HELP and PROTECT, the United States justice system blatantly disagrees with you. If the courts refuse to hold their policemen to the lowest standard you can possibly hold a policeman to (providing police services to citizens) we’ve essentially armed a group of people and given them free reign to enforce laws and issue orders without any legal obligation whatsoever to actually protect the citizens of this country. This is not just at the local or state level, this is a complete and total systematic failure and an overwhelming detriment to our safety as Americans.
This lack of accountability on behalf of the executive branch of government (rubber stamped as completely legal by the judicial branch) coupled with the institutional racism running rampant has resulted in some of the most heinous, disgusting miscarriages of justice this country has ever seen. This is especially clear when seeing the police response to the BLM protestors. Segregation ended 56 years ago. Which means about 20% of Americans alive today have used segregated water fountains. This is not ancient history, this is not something we can shrug off and excuse by saying things are different now.
If the law refuses to look out for the safety and well-being of Americans, then we as Americans must do that for each other. Please take a moment to donate to these bail funds.
Implement real consequences for police actions or inactions.
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