officers - The Black Vault

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about it." . . , . described all four ~s "very, very vi-
George Mallory, a former city at- cious criminals" and "hoodlums."
torney and past president of the ·. :'This is ail opporiunity.f9r them
·predominantly African-American to do what they do all the time, as­
)ohn M. Langston Bar Associl;ltion, sault peop~e, rob people, ana tliis;l
said there are -distinct differences supposed they felt allowed them
between the two cases, · · free rein," he said. "It's no different
"The big difference is that any- from what they have been doing in
time you have police officers who .. all the years they have been :in
are acting under color of authority, gangs." .. _ . : · ·. ·
then under those circumstances, African".American leaders said
~you probably l}eed more evidence," the. chiefs words ,and actions re1ri­
Mallory said. , -~ ; · ' · forced the community's perception
[. "Und_er no circumstances are_ c!t- that the system is weighted. against .
1zens generally -able to engage m African-Americans .-· ·
street justice," h~ said. · · . "I resent it" th~t (Gates) calfs
, M~llory, -~h?· condemned both these people Jtoodlums and doesri't
fbeatmgs, said the. ~ases ~ould !Je call the police who beat 'Rodney
more ~ol?parab\e If the dtffe:e~ces King hoodlums,,. said .the Rev.
iwere hmited to race.. · Leonard Jackson of the First Afri-
"If you told rp~ there were four· can Methodist Episcopal Church:»
'l?lack police officers who took . .. ; ;, . "
Denny out of the truck and they . Its a~surd, .Ja~kson sat~. rhe
were indicted faster than the offi- w~unds m the neighborhood are
.cers in the Rodney King case, that stlll open and you throw ~alt on the
would raise some questions," he ~open wou!ld and you cant ~el.P b!Jt
:said., ~ reac.t. s.o~tety's alre~dy lost fat~h.tp
In the King case, federal prosecu- the JUdtctal system. · . · .
tion took a back seat to the state's Troy Smith, executive director of
:case against the four officers. The the Greater. Watts Justice Center,
U.S. Attorney's 'Office did not em-· said that African-Americans suppanel
a grand jury to investigate the port the prosecution of people who
Ki~.s cas~ un~il ~fter the acquittals broke the l~w during the rio~. .
~nd ensumg nots. . . . . . . But he said the chiefs actions
In the Denny case, federal reinforce a belief in the community
charges were brought at the same that justice is swift and sure when
time the state filed its ~ase, a~d fed- the suspects are African-Ameri,can
eral·agents accompamed pohce of- . and the victim is white- but not
fleers in making the arrests. : · guaninteed :when the roles .are re-
L~PD Chief Daryl F._ .Ga'tes' vers~d. . "' . .• . . , ~
reaction !O the DeiJ-nY ~ssault also.· "He wanted to make a· big point
contrasts. sharply_ wtth hts. resp~nse about law and order, about getting
t~ the Km~ beatmg - h1s dtstmc- the bad guys. But in many peopl~~s
-!Ions focusmg ~,n the men accused minds, it was because the perpelram
each case. . . , . . . tors are black and the victim was
Gates p~edged ~ full mv~stlg~tlon white " Smith. said. . . ~ . ; ·
of the pohce beatmg .of Kmg at the . " ', . . · . . .. _ .
outset, but he ~cautioned against· · He s remforcm~ a double .standrawing
premat~re conclusions. dard. ~ver ~0 Afn~an-Amenc~ns.
Later Gates defended the offi- were killed (m the nots), some·viocers,
saying 'th~Y: h!ld "lost control" let;ttl~, and so~e looting," Smith
but were "not c!vil human beings. said. . Why not arrest all the :other
They. do not have· shady pasts p'eople who _kille~ v.iolently?_
·(with) childhoQds as delinquents. There's ·a. perceptiOn probl.em
'These are peopl~ with. character." ~!.:":·_ :' .. :'£;-: '· ·· · · :;. ··· · ·: ~J :·~
· In the Denn~ case, Gates made
the extraordinary move of ~ccompanying
the ar~est te~m on Tuesday's
pre-dawn raid. He personally
.hand. cuffed. .O@ pf t~ suspec!s~t:td