Hello Faithful Reader,
Welcome to another edition of the Black Birdseye View (BBEV), where today's focus is on "Killer Cops in Wake County, NC. and the framing of black people" Over the past decade, there has been a concerning lack of accountability and transparency within the Raleigh Police Department regarding officers committing crimes. Despite this, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman has failed to charge any RPD officer with murder, kidnapping, corruption, or other crimes that may fit, leaving many questioning her capability. This article will shed light on how RPD officers can easily take the lives of unarmed individuals and frame individuals without consequence. It is a weighty subject that requires attention and action.
KILLED BY RPD
Keith Vidal:
In 2014, a 911 call led police to the home of Keith Vidal, a teenager with schizophrenia. The situation escalated, and an RPD police officer (Bryon Vassey) fatally shot Vidal. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman's office declined to bring charges against Vassey, citing the officer's belief that he was acting in self-defense. The circumstances surrounding Vidal's death are deeply troubling. According to reports, Vidal was experiencing a mental health crisis when the police arrived at his home. Despite assurances from Vidal's family that they could handle the situation, the police forcibly entered the house. One officer reportedly used a taser on Vidal while Vassey fatally shot him.
Akiel Denkins:
In 2016, Akiel Denkins, a 24-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by an RPD Police officer (DC Twiddy) during a foot chase. The details of the incident are disputed, but what is clear is that Denkins was unarmed at the time of the shooting. The officer involved claimed that Denkins was armed and that he feared for his life. Evidence later revealed that Denkins did not have a weapon.
Tariq Bridges:
In 2018 Tariq Bridges, a 22-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by a Raleigh police officer during a traffic stop. There is a disagreement over the circumstances surrounding Bridges' death, but what is clear is that he was unarmed at the time of the shooting. The officer involved claimed that Bridges had attempted to flee the scene and that he feared for his life. Still, evidence at the scene contradicted this account.
Soheil Mojarrad:
In 2019 Soheil Mojarrad, a 30-year-old Iranian immigrant, was shot and killed by a Raleigh police officer (W.E. Edwards) during a confrontation. The circumstances surrounding Mojarrad's death are disputed, but what is clear is that he was unarmed at the time of the shooting. The officer involved claimed that Mojarrad had threatened him with a screwdriver and that he feared for his life. Still, evidence at the scene contradicted this account.
Kobe Whitehead:
In 2020 Kobe Whitehead, an 18-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by a Raleigh police officer during a traffic stop. The circumstances surrounding Whitehead's death are disputed, but what is clear is that he was unarmed at the time of the shooting. The officer involved claimed that Whitehead had attempted to flee the scene and that he feared for his life. Still, evidence at the scene contradicted this account.
Despite witnesses on the scene of the crimes mentioned above disputing the accounts of the officers and accusing the officers of using excessive force and despite discrepancies in the cases above, Freeman's office refused to bring charges against ANY of the officers involved, citing a belief that they had acted in self-defense out of fear.
FRAMED BY RPD
Blake Banks
Blake Banks was taken into custody on December 20, 2019, after being accused of selling heroin to an RPD confidential informant. The arrest occurred while Banks was driving with his family in the car. RPD officers falsely charged Banks with selling large quantities of heroin, putting his bond at $150,000. Despite his family raising around $12,000 for his release, Banks was not released until roughly December 30, 2019. In February 2020, the City-County Bureau of Identification ("CCBI") Lab revealed that the heroin had tested negative and was not a controlled substance. Consequently, all charges against Banks were dismissed on June 30, 2020. However, Banks lost his job as a truck driver due to his arrest and subsequent incarceration.
Messiah Howard and Krystal Hamlett
Krystal Hamlett was taken into custody by RPD officers on or around December 12, 2019, at her residence in front of her three young children. The officers claimed they were looking for her partner, Messiah Howard. RPD officers took Hamlett's dog to the pound. However, after being held in an RPD squad car for about two hours, Hamlett was released without charges. On or around March 10, 2019, Howard discovered that he had an arrest warrant and turned himself in at the RPD. He was accused of selling large quantities of heroin to an RPD confidential informant. Howard's bond was set at $500,000. Still, in February 2020, the City-County Bureau of Identification (CCBI ) Lab reported that the alleged heroin tested negative and was not a controlled substance. Eventually, on March 31, 2020, Howard was released after his bond was reduced to $6,000. On June 30, 2020, all charges against him were dismissed. Nevertheless, the false arrest and incarceration prevented Howard from receiving cancer treatment for his lung cancer.
Curtis Logan
Curtis Logan was apprehended on January 2, 2020, while driving with his two young children. He was accused of selling heroin to a confidential informant. RPD alleged that he sold 20 grams of heroin for $400. According to RPD, the street value of this amount of heroin would have been around $2000. Despite the field test conducted on the alleged substance indicating that it was not a controlled substance, RPD still charged Logan with trafficking heroin, and his bond was set at $500,000. However, on February 17, 2020, the CCBI lab confirmed that the alleged “drugs” contained no controlled substance. After being in custody for some time, Logan was released on June 1, 2020. Finally, on July 1, 2020, all charges against him were dropped.
Jordan Miles
Jordan Miles was apprehended on January 28, 2020, after being accused of selling heroin to an RPD confidential informant. RPD alleged that Miles had sold over 8 grams of heroin to an RPD confidential informant. Consequently, he was charged with trafficking heroin, with his bond set at $150,000. However, on May 20, 2020, the CCBI lab revealed that the alleged heroin contained no controlled substance. Despite this development, Miles had to wait until June 23, 2020, for his bond to be reduced to $5,000 and to be released from custody. Eventually, on June 30, 2020, all charges against him were dropped. However, Miles suffered significant consequences due to the false arrest and incarceration, as he lost his construction job and was separated from his three young children for almost five months.
Gregory Washington
Gregory Washington was taken into custody on February 28, 2020, after being accused of selling heroin to an RPD confidential informant. RPD alleged that Washington had sold 6 grams of heroin to an RPD Confidential informant, resulting in him being charged with trafficking heroin. His bond was initially set at $500,000. However, Washington had no prior criminal record. After five days, his bond was reduced to $300,000, which his family could pay, leading to his release from custody. On June 5, 2020, the CCBI lab reported that the alleged heroin contained no controlled substance. Consequently, all charges against Washington were dismissed on the same day.
Keith Green
Keith Green was taken into custody on March 17, 2020, after being accused of selling heroin to a confidential informant. RRD alleged that Green had sold 8.5 grams of heroin to the confidential informant, with RPD Officers Gwinn and Rattelade present during the arrest. Gwinn stated that the suspected heroin resembled brown sugar. At the same time, Rattelade conducted a field test that indicated the substance did not contain any controlled substance. Despite this, Green was still charged with trafficking heroin, and his bond was $250,000. The CCBI lab later confirmed that the alleged heroin contained no controlled substance. Finally, on or about July 30, 2020, all charges against Green were dropped, and he was released from custody. Nonetheless, Green had to go without a job for around four months due to this false arrest.
Connell Wilson
Connell Wilson was apprehended on May 15, 2020, after being accused of selling heroin to a confidential informant. RPD falsely claimed that Wilson had sold a trafficking amount of heroin to the confidential informant, resulting in him being charged with trafficking heroin. Wilson's bond was set at an amount that he could not pay. However, the CCBI lab later confirmed that the alleged heroin contained no controlled substance. Finally, on July 30, 2020, all charges against Wilson were dropped, and he was released from custody.
David Mitchell
On May 15, 2020, David Mitchell was arrested for allegedly selling heroin to an RPD confidential informant. RPD falsely claimed Mitchell sold an RPD confidential informant a trafficking amount of heroin. Mitchell was charged with trafficking heroin, and his bond was set at an amount he could not pay. The CCBI lab reported that the alleged heroin tested negative for a controlled substance. On or about July 30, 2020, all charges against Mitchell were dismissed, and he was released from custody.
Shakari Ore
Shakari Ore was apprehended on April 9, 2020, after being accused of selling heroin to a confidential informant. RPD falsely claimed that Ore had sold a trafficking amount of heroin to the confidential informant, leading to him being charged with trafficking heroin. However, Ore's bond was set at an amount that he could not afford to pay. Later, the CCBI lab confirmed that the alleged heroin contained no controlled substance. Eventually, on or about July 9, 2020, Ore was released from custody. On July 17, 2020, all charges against him were dropped. Nevertheless, due to this false arrest and incarceration, Ore lost his job and could not see his newborn daughter for approximately three months.
Isaiah Walker
Isaiah Walker was taken into custody on April 8, 2020, after being accused of selling heroin to a confidential informant. RPD falsely claimed that Walker sold a trafficking amount of heroin to the informant, resulting in him being charged with trafficking heroin. His bond was set at $300,000. However, the CCBI lab later confirmed that the alleged heroin contained no controlled substance. On or about July 9, 2020, Walker was released from custody, and on July 17, 2020, all charges against him were dropped.
Mario Jamal King
Mario King was taken into custody on October 21, 2019, after being falsely accused of selling marijuana to an RPD confidential informant, even though King had never met the confidential informant. King was held in jail for roughly one week before paying his bond. Finally, on or about March 2020, all charges against King were dropped.
The city of Raleigh settled a 2-million-dollar lawsuit that alleged that several RPD officers and a confidential informant willfully framed over a dozen black men. Attorney Abraham Rubert-Schewel, from the law firm Tin Fulton Walker & Owen, has represented 29 black people (23 males and six females) who were affected by the group of officers involved in this case. Fourteen of them were wrongly incarcerated for some period and later released.
The dismissed lawsuit named the following officers:
Lieutenant Jennings Bunch
Sergeant William Rolfe
Officer Rishar Pierre Monroe
Officer Julien David Rattelade
Officer Meghan Caroline Gay
Officer David Chadwick Nance
Officer Jason Gwinn
Omar Abdullah (who was terminated and indicted for obstruction of justice)
The lawsuit also included allegations against a confidential informant named Dennis Leon Williams, Jr.
Moral:
A society where killer cops and cops who frame black people don't get charged is one where law enforcement officers are effectively above the law. In such a society, police officers who commit violence or murder against unarmed or innocent individuals are rarely held accountable for their actions. This lack of accountability creates an environment where police officers are encouraged to act with impunity, knowing they will likely face no consequences. In this type of society, there is a sense of fear and mistrust among the public towards law enforcement officials, as they are seen as a group that can act without fear of repercussions. The justice system is viewed as flawed and biased towards those in power, leading to a lack of faith in its ability to deliver justice. Furthermore, this society is likely to be divided along racial and socio-economic lines, as marginalized communities are more likely to be the victims of police violence and less likely to receive justice. This creates a cycle of oppression and fear, perpetuating existing power structures and reinforcing systemic inequalities. A lack of justice, equality, and respect for human life characterizes a society where killer cops go unpunished. A society where law enforcement officers can frame black people without consequence, results in a breakdown of the rule of law and trust in law enforcement. The affected communities likely become more distrustful and resentful towards law enforcement, leading to a breakdown in police-community relations. Making it more difficult for “good” police officers to effectively do their job and maintain law and order in those communities. This type of society should lead to protests, civil unrest, and a sense of injustice among the affected communities. Ultimately, a society in which the police act with impunity towards black people is one where there is little respect for the fundamental principles of justice and equality, leading to a breakdown of societal cohesion and stability. What’s worse is that it demonstrates a blatant lack of respect for black lives.
CONTACT:
Robin Ess
Online Editor and Columnist / Carolina Call Newspaper
Editor-in-Chief Black Birdseye View
robiness@blackbirdseyeviewnews.us
(919) 395-0398
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