CNN.comBy: David A. Love, Progressive Media Project
Issue date: 10/28/05 Section: Opinion
Hurricane Katrina does not justify police brutality.
Many Americans were shocked to view the videotaped beating of Robert Davis, a 64-year-old retired black schoolteacher, by three white New Orleans police officers. The Rodney King-style beating, while disturbing, is sadly nothing new in New Orleans.
On Oct. 8, Davis went to Bourbon Street in the city's French Quarter to buy cigarettes. He was in the city to inspect his property in the Upper 9th Ward.
An Associated Press television crew videotaped the beating. One of the officers is seen hitting Davis at least four times. They wrestle him to the ground, and the cops pile on top of him. A few minutes later, he is sprawled on the ground, handcuffed, with his arms behind his back and covered in blood. One of the officers is seen shoving an Associated Press producer against a car after telling him to stop the tape.
Davis was arrested for public intoxication (although he said he hasn't had a drink in 25 years), assault, resisting arrest, battery on a police officer and public intimidation. He suffered fractures in his cheek and eye socket.
The three officers, Lance Schilling, Robert Evangelist and Stewart Smith, were arrested the following day and charged with battery. Smith was also charged with roughing up the Associate Press producer. They were suspended without pay. A federal investigation is pending.
Their attorney, Frank DeSalvo, contends the video doesn't tell the whole story, and that the officer "performance was perfectly within the realm of reason."
Those who would try to rationalize the behavior of these cops, or blame it on the pressure police officers faced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, simply miss the point.
While Katrina affected the New Orleans police as it did other residents-with many losing their homes, 250 of them deserting and several even committing suicide-no circumstances warrant what happened to Robert Davis on Oct. 8.
New Orleans is no stranger to police brutality and corruption.
At least 50 New Orleans officers were arrested for felonies- including rape, robbery and homicide-between 1993 and 1998, according to Human Rights Watch. In 1991, the city had the highest ranking of citizen complaints of police brutality in the nation.
In September 1995, Officer Antoinette Frank was convicted of robbing a Vietnamese restaurant, executing a brother and sister of the family that owned the restaurant and killing another cop who was moonlighting as a security guard.
In April 1996, Officer Len Davis - a drug-dealing cop nicknamed Robocop - was convicted of ordering the murder a woman who had filed a police brutality complaint against him.
Last year, eight officers were arrested over six months on charges ranging from shoplifting to theft to conspiracy to rob a bank.
In 2004 and 2005, several officers have been charged with kidnapping, extortion, sexual misconduct and rape.
As Hurricane Katrina reminded us of the underbelly of racism and poverty in America, it also shed light on the disparate treatment that poor communities and communities of color face at the hands of law enforcement.
Such treatment must stop.
(c) 2005, David A. Love Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
