24 Cops Injured After Rioters Don't Wait for Facts To Come Out in Officer-Involved Shooting
While many Americans were watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, the violent aftermath of an officer-involved shooting in Memphis, Tennessee, left at least 24 officers injured, in addition to several reporters.
Brandon Webber, 20, was shot and killed by agents with the United States Marshals Service — Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force in an encounter outside of a home.
There were reportedly multiple felony warrants out for his arrest.
Citing a source, WMC-TV reporter Janice Broach wrote on Twitter on Thursday that the suspect was shot after he drew a rifle on at least one marshal.
Source says Marshal’s service was serving a violent charges on a suspect. The suspect pulled a rifle on Marshal and at least one marshal fired back @JBroachWMC
— Janice Broach (@JBroachWMC) June 13, 2019
And the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released an official statement Thursday on the events leading up to Webber’s shooting.
“Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 7 p.m., multiple officers with the United States Marshals Service – Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force encountered a male, wanted on multiple warrants, outside of a home in the 2700 block of Durham Street as he was getting into a vehicle,” the statement read.
“While attempting to stop the individual, he reportedly rammed his vehicle into the officers’ vehicles multiple times before exiting with a weapon. The officers fired striking and killing the individual. No officers were injured.”
TBI Agents Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting in Memphis https://t.co/duWkKuuctK
— TBI (@TBInvestigation) June 13, 2019
The intense standoff caught the attention of the north Memphis-based Frayser community, as angry crowds quickly formed near the scene.
The situation then went viral on social media, which drew more angry locals, some of whom started throwing concrete rocks and other objects at police, according to The Associated Press.
At least 24 officers were injured, six of whom had to be hospitalized, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Thursday, CNN reported.
Several officers have received minor injuries due to individuals throwing bricks/rocks at the officers. Officers are being check by paramedics. This is still an active scene. MPD officers are securing the area so that TBI can make the scene.
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) June 13, 2019
And it wasn’t just police officers who were hurt.
“At least two journalists were injured, multiple police cars were damaged, a fire station’s windows were shattered and a concrete wall outside a business was torn down, [Strickland] said,” the AP reported.
Had to change locations. Guy just ran up, hit me on the side of my head and knocked me to the ground. @3onyourside
— Luke Jones (@LukeJonesTV) June 13, 2019
The crowd at Overton Crossing was too volatile. My photographer sadly was hit by someone in the crowd. Thankfully he is okay! We have now moved to Durham Street—where tonight’s officer-involved shooting took place. We’re live at 10. @LocalMemphis
— Rebecca Butcher (@Local24Rebecca) June 13, 2019
But the angry mob appears to have decided to riot before all the facts were out.
Liberal activist Tariq Nasheed took to Twitter in an attempt to fuel the fire by saying Webber was “executed by race soldiers.”
Right now, it’s going down in #Memphis tonight. Earlier today, a young Black male named #BrandonWebber was executed by race soldiers. And the citizens of Memphis immediately took to the streets to oppose this racial injustice. pic.twitter.com/cniqE0zcSR
— Tariq Nasheed ?? (@tariqnasheed) June 13, 2019
Instead of waiting for sort of facts to come out, the race-baiting Nasheed immediately tried to make the situation much worse than it already was.
False information like that can undoubtedly play a role in whipping an already irrationally angry crowd into a frenzy, which leads to first responders being injured.
We’ve seen this exact same sequence of events happen far too many times.
Perhaps even worse — at least in the long run — is that these violent clashes between cops and the community lead to further (and many times unfair) lack of trust from residents.
The relationship between police and a community is understandably important, no matter where one lives.
Because activists — like many in the Black Lives Matter movement — label these officer-involved shootings as examples of “institutional racism” before considering any facts, members of the community apparently feel like attacking cops in a fit of unjustified anger is completely acceptable.
One of these times, riots of this nature will result in even more loss of life.
That blood will at least partially be on the hands of people like Nasheed and other online activists who’ve mastered the art of manipulating communities through the use of social media.
America still has deep wounds to heal when it comes to the subject of racism.
However, attacking police every time an African-American person is killed by law enforcement is not the way to go about fixing the situation.
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