Switching up your story? That’s how liars do (now with twice the beating)

In case you’re just tuning in, earlier this month: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK1B6LgUOBc

I said previously that the official story of a fourth shooter who ran off may have been BS.  Well, maybe they realized that the ‘fourth person’ trick was already used recently in the Sean Bell case.  So they needed a fresher cover up story.

They now proclaim that there was no fourth person, even though they said they had observed said fourth person.  The shooter is said to have returned to the vehicle despite no weapon being found in the car or in the area where they now say one of the three had run off to drop it.

Excellent reporting by Wendy Ruderman and Dave Davies. All quotes (italicized text) come from today’s Daily News story, Police change account of 3 arrests, beatings.

As the defendents’ lawyer, D. Scott Perrine said:  ”It’s absurd. These are highly trained surveillance officers and they claim they can’t even count the number of people who emerge from a car.”

The article goes on to explain:  The absence of a fourth suspect makes even more perplexing the fact that police didn’t recover the gun used in the shooting. Ramsey said police “never lost contact” with the three, “so they are the ones involved.”

In addition we now discover that the shooting victims never saw the car the police say the suspects got out of and returned to and witnesses place the defendants at another location at the time of the shooting.

The craziest bit of news to emerge?  Philly’s “finest” also beat on the shooting victim!  Does brutality, ignorance, unprofessionalism, and an “us vs. them” mentality know no bounds?   This one goes out to all of the people who think the suspects deserved to be beaten.  Crazy.

Brandon Crow, 24, was shot four times. He said he and his friends were hanging on the corner when about 10 guys and at least one girl approached, apparently coming from a memorial for Coach. One of the men asked if they knew anything about Coach’s death. Deangelo White, who was shot once, said “no” and the shooter didn’t believe him and opened fire, Crow said.

Both White and Crow said they didn’t know who shot them and didn’t see a Marquis in the area.

But Crow and his father, Donald Crow, don’t rule out that the arrested men may have been the shooters.

Brandon Crow said he took off running when the first shots rang out. He said that he collapsed a few blocks away and police officers descended upon him, striking him with pistol butts and kicking him in the area of his bullet wounds. Then they realized he was a shooting victim.

 

 

 

New Small Eyez music – Do.The.Bright.Thing – We Are All Sean Bell

over a borrowed 9th Wonder beat.

from the emcee himself on the okayplayer boards:

“Dedicated To…YouSeanDialloThomasEleanorTimothyEveryManWomanAndChild.”

http://www.zshare.net/audio/11413781dc743b4d/

http://chesing.blogspot.com/2008/05/small-eyez-dothebrightthing-long-live.html

Lyrics:
Kill A Man Where He Stands So its No Future/
Conceived it All in Advance So its No Flukes But/
Back Track To The Night before, When Life Was Pure/
He’s Staring At his Wife like Girl I Can’t Wait Til 2morrow!/
Or The Next Day, Til We Both Get Grey/
Ok, Flash Forward, Move Fast Toward, As The Blast For/
A Bullet Soars Thru More Than Flesh of Just One Man/
It’s That Brother on the Block Wit A Sun Man/
Its That Mother on The Clock Getting Funds Fam/
It’s That child Wit A Dream to Be Bigger Than What Anyone Conceives/
Closing His Eyez Just Hoping That He Never Bleeds/
Trapped in A Country Infested wit Disease/
Plaguing The Mind, Inherited Never To Leave
It’s Inevitably, The Undoing of The Unjust/
Never Need To Draw Heat, Cuz I Sun Trust/
They Gon Bust Til They Aint Got The Power Too/
I Hope The Words That I Spit Will Empower/
Don’t Let The Anger In Your Heart, It Devours You/
If Amadou The Bright Thing Like Diallo/
The Voice of The Truth Speaking Thru Them Drums Thats Hollow/
Radio Raheem Say Scream On Em!, Sean Bell Say Gleam On Em!, Pac Say King On Em!/
Turn Up The Light & Let The Beat Beam On/
Let The Heat Steam On!/

Blogarhythms and The Roots weigh in on the Sean Bell verdict

El Keter (rhymes with ‘better’ not ‘beater’ who knew? not I. knowledge is power folks) dropped a nice entry on the Sean Bell verdict. Good insights and reminders for turning our outrage into something productive.

Check out Blogarhythms.

The Roots ripped it on the Late Show with David Letterman. They performed Rising Up from the new album Rising Down. The song features Chrisette Michele and Wale. Both artists turn in great guest performances.

The crew repped justice by donning all black. ?uestlove sported a custom black tee reading “NOT GUILTY?!!!” Some members wore pins also.

The Late Show performance

Did the Roots kill this performance or what?

Official video

Cop that new CD! In stores, today!

Been bumping it since Saturday (pre-order copy came in the mail early, direct from the Okayplayer store).

New Alluswe music – follow up to last Sean Bell blog

Briefly mentioned this song ‘Inflation’ in the last blog and that it wouldnt be heard….well, here it is.

This is basically a demo we recorded on an iPod microphone in a rehearsal room, 4/15/07.

Lorne Behrman on guitar
Terrence Jones on bass
Myself on the sloppy, drunken drums. Apologies to Kevin “TheGoodReverendDrJ” Nicholson who also drummed in this session. This was a recording we made before he got to the session. The recording we made with J had my scratch vocals all over it so couldn’t really use it.

Looped up and EQ’d what I could, added the keys this weekend and recorded a cleaner version of the lyrics (see previous blog).

Left the long intro so you could get a feel for the loose nature of this recording and also could sit in the session with us.

Emcees….there’s a blank 2nd verse there…. and the track is available for download from last.fm. Would love for you to collaborate and to hear you speak out on this situation.

We’ll post up every version we get sent in.

Inflation (demo)  free download

Sean Bell verdict one more travesty *update* RALLY

All 3 detectives who murdered Sean Bell were acquitted on all charges. There was no jury. As I heard it described, the judge didn’t even bother reading each count for the verdict.

Liliana Segura wrote a succinct and on point recap on Alternet. When you revisit the details of how Mr. Bell was treated, the verdict is very hard to stomach.
http://alternet.org/blogs/peek/#83525

From an Alluswe track for Sean Bell that will probably never see the light of day….from 41 shots on Amadou Diallo in 1999 to 50 to take down Sean Bell in 2006.

Inflation

41 to 50, what a price to pay
7 years, 7 years
things that change, remain the same
call them errors in a system
made to function just that way
shots of heat, wet concrete
falling to the ground like heavy rain
the sound of the beast
is the sound of a beating in the street
of a heart stopped beating in the street
of a foot on the neck of a people in the street

illegitimate force
not the use of, just illegitimate
its inflation on the price of a life
unnecessary force
necessary to keep shit in place
lies and covers cheap as always

illegitimate force
not the use of, just illegitimate
its inflation on the price of a life
unnecessary force
necessary to keep shit in place
lies and covers cheap as always

I can not say that I am disappointed, as that would imply this type of miscarriage of justice is unthinkable. I am shocked, and yet I am not. The great Gil Scott Heron brilliantly noted that “America leads the world in shocks.” He said that in regards to Nixon and Vietnam, and it is true today for Bush and Iraq. It is true today for the NYPD, for the flawed ‘justice’ system, for the city as a whole. I am shocked that the city seemed peaceful when I arrived from Philadelphia this morning. The verdict was just getting out at that time however. Maybe there will be unity, and marches, and more.

But we’ve seen this time and time again. What I am, more accurately, is angry.

I will, and I hope that we will, find a type of grace in that anger. One that spurs us to action. Today and tomorrow. I call to mind the quote by St. Augustine:

Hope has two daughters
Their names are Anger and Courage.
Anger at the way things are and
Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.

*update*

RALLY

http://www.myspace.com/peoplesjustice
www.peoplesjustice.org

COME OUT: APRIL 25th at 5:30 pm

@ the Queens DA’s Office

125-01 Queens Blvd. (between Hoover Ave & 82nd Ave.)

E or F train to Union Turnpike

The NYPD’s murder of Bell and attempted murders of Benefield and Guzman are NOT isolated or random events. They represent the continued targeting of communities of color by the police and the lack of accountability for police misconduct and abuse.

Endorsers (list in formation): Allianza Dominicana, Audre Lorde Project, Black Radical Congress-NY, CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, Center for Constitutional Rights, Congress for Korean Reunification, Critical Resistance, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), DJ Chela, Domestic Workers United (DWU), El Puente, FIERCE, Fr. Luis Barrios – St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (West Harlem, Manhattan), Free Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition (NYC), Hasan Salaam, Hip Hop Caucus, Immigrant Justice Solidarity Project, Iglesia San Romero de Las Americas, International Action Center, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), Justice Committee, Lynne Stewart Organization, Make the Road by Walking, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Mano a Mano, May 1st Coalition, National Hip Hop Political Convention, New Abolitionists, Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, October 22nd Coalition, Parents Against Police Brutality, Party for the People, Rebel Diaz, Regeneracion, Revolting in Pink (R.I.P), Rights for Imprisoned People with Psychiatric Disabilities (RIPPD), Sylvia Rivera Law Project, VAMOS Unidos. War Resisters League, Where We Live Radio Program/WBAI-FM NY.

For more information about the April 25th rally/community speak-out, Peoples’ Justice, and other cases of police violence go to: peoplesjustice.org and myspace.com/peoplesjustice or email info@peoplesjustice.org. *Peoples Justice is no longer calling for an auction the day after the verdict. If the judge goes back on his word and chooses to delay handing down the verdict, COME OUT on April 25th at 5:30PM and go to peoplesjustice.org and myspace.com/peoplesjustice to find out about the next steps.

Flyer: http://peoplesjustice.org/site/images/stories/seanbell/PJ_Rally_On_Day_Of_%20Verdict.pdf