Q1 2016

By Tina Price

Imagine
that you are an African American male driving down
a dark street. All of a sudden, you lose control of your car.
You crash into several trees. Your car is totaled, and your
only way of escape is to climb out of the shattered back
window of your car. Unfamiliar with the area, you run
desperately to the first house you see for help. A white
woman comes to the door. She feels threatened by you and
mistakes you for an intruder, so instead of helping you, she
frantically calls 911. You see three police officers. As you
approach, one of the officers, a white male named Randall
Kerrick, shoots you in cold blood, not once, not twice, but
twelve times. These are the facts that led to the untimely
death of Jonathon Ferrell, a twenty-four year old, unarmed
African American male. These shocking events took place
here, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Unfortunately according to
North Carolina laws and the laws of the majority of other
states, ?unarmed is not harmless, and a body can be a
weapon.? So if a person appears to be a threat, a police
officer has the right to use any amount of force for his own
protection. In this article, I will first explain the components
and effects of the Stand Your Ground laws. Also, I will offer
suggestions to ultimately remedy the effects of the Stand
Your Ground laws.
The Stand Your Ground laws specific to North
Carolina provided a basis to free Officer Kerrick from the
charges of voluntary manslaughter. Under these laws, a
police officer may kill a person while on duty if he believes
his own life is in danger. The officer?s fear or belief must be
reasonable. The reasonable standard is one of the lowest
standards in a court of law. Therefore, a police officer may
rely upon racial stereotypes to justify unmerited fear of an
African American alleged assailant. Thus, an African American
male may pose a threat merely based upon the color of his
skin. Even if unarmed, he is presumed to be dangerous. He
looks suspicious. He is violent. If he wears his pants below
his waist, he?s a thug; he?s in a gang. If he makes any sudden
move this poses a risk or the possibility of an attack. In 2015,
a jury was unable to decide whether Officer Kerrick should
be found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. As a result, the
District Attorney decided not to retry the case. Therefore,
Officer Kerrick was free to go, and the government did not
hold him accountable for his actions.
We have all seen the news and heard the stories of
police officers shooting and killing countless unarmed and
presumed to be dangerous African Americans. Trayvon
Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Timothy Russell, and
Malissa Williams are all unarmed African American victims
killed by police officers. We all know their stories. We felt
the pain and anger. To make matters worse, the officers in
each case escaped a conviction for their crimes. The officers
in each case supposedly had a ?reasonable? fear for their
own lives. Consequently, the officers?actions were justified
because each officer killed his unarmed victim in
self-defense. There is a need to ease the paralyzing effects
of the Stand Your Ground laws. The recent events have led to
feelings of powerlessness, hopelessness, fear, and outrage.
There is no quick answer or solution. However, if the Stand
Your Ground laws did not exist, police officers would not feel
as if they had the right to kill unarmed African Americans. In
short, the United State?s government should get rid of the
Stand Your Ground Laws. If you think back to the Civil Rights
Movement, the African American community participated in
non-violent protests that ultimately urged the government to
create laws to end racial segregation. There is a need for a
similar movement to remove the Stand Your Ground laws
from the books in many states. The Standard Your Ground
laws have ultimately legalized murder. Based upon the laws,
police officers can racially profile African Americans. African
Americans?lives are at stake, and we do not have protection
under the laws of this country. So police officers can
basically kill unarmed African Americans ?presumed to be
dangerous? without any consequences for their actions.

Actions that we can take...
Unarmed and Presumed Dangerous CONTINUED
Aside from large-scale changes in the laws, there are actions that we can take on a smaller scale to
address the effects of the Stand Your Ground laws. First, there is a need for political involvement by the
African American community. Specifically, more African Americans should vote for public officials that have
the power to change the laws. Additionally, African Americans should participate in jury panels for cases like
Travyon Martin and Jonathon Ferrell?s cases. Second, police departments should engage their officers in
cultural competency trainings, and the departments should implement policies that create a system of
accountability. For example, some departments require that their officers wear a body camera while on duty.
Third, police officers should make efforts to bridge the gap between the community police departments.
There is generally a sense of distrust among police departments and the African American community.
Perhaps if police officers interacted more with the community these interactions could dispel feelings of
distrust. These interactions could be informal, such as neighborhood block parties or a community service
events sponsored by the police department. Despite the current effects of Stand Your Ground laws, people
can take steps to decrease the effects.
In line with our mission, the L.I.G.H.T. Ministry[1] plans to address the effects of the Stand Your Ground laws
through a workshop at Sugar Creek Church of Christ on April 23, 2016 at 11:00 am. Part of our mission is to
educate the community of their rights as they relate to various legal matters. Police officers that kill unarmed
and innocent African Americans presumed to be dangerous is a major legal issue within society. During the
Civil Rights Movement, churches were at the forefront of the movement. Likewise, the Church of Christ should
be at the forefront of this movement. The ?Unarmed and Presumed Dangerous Workshop? is open to the
community as well as members of Sugar Creek Church of Christ. We will address the following in the
workshop: (1) the legal framework in which police officers operate, for example, Fourth Amendment and
Stand Your Ground; (2) individual rights such as the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures;
(3) what to do when engaged or stopped by police officers; and (4) how police departments and the
community can foster stronger relationships. This workshop is a great opportunity for the Church of Christ to
address a societal issue that affects us all. In conclusion, the Stand Your Ground laws have given police
officers a license to kill innocent and unarmed African Americans. There is a need to abolish these laws.
Furthermore, there are measures that the community can take on a smaller scale to address the effects of
these laws.
[1] The L.I.G.H.T. (Lawyers Inspired by God?s Heartfelt Truth) Ministry consists of three attorneys
who are members of the Church, Anthony Burts, Bobby Robinson, and Fatina J. Lorick.
By Fatina Lorrick

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