BLM and Gender

 The tangle of racism and misogyny is well documented. Here are two observations from the BLM movement:

• The overwhelming majority of police officers who kill unarmed black men are male. The percentage is far greater than the general preponderance of men in policing.
• The overwhelming majority of police officers who kill unarmed black men are found by prosecutors or courts to be reasonably discharging their duty.

Okay, now name a police officer who was charged recently for manslaughter or murder in the death of a black man.

• Derek Chauvin
• Kim Potter
• Amber Guyger

 Do you find it curious, that even though it is male police officers who are doing almost all of the shooting of unarmed black men, there are two women among the very few police facing consequences?

 

Let's compare Amber Guyger and, say, Daniel Pantaleo. Both claimed they used reasonable force in what they saw as a dangerous situation. Daniel Pantaleo strangled Eric Garner on a street corner, with the assistance of several other police officers (all male), on video. Amber Guyger shot a man, alone, without back up, without witnesses, believing she was in her own home. Amber Guyger is doing a minimum of five years in prison. Daniel Pantaleo, coincidentally, kept his job as a police officer for five years. He was never charged.

Is it not strange that we hold a woman to account for her actions defending herself when she is alone, while we absolve a man for using lethal force when he had extensive back-up and support? Eric Garner did not assault a police officer. He was standing on a street corner when surrounded by police, and then Daniel Pantaleo came up behind him, put him in an illegal chokehold, and continued to choke him when he collapsed on the ground. This was judged to be the unfortunate result of legitimate police action in a dangerous situation. But the woman alone, (believing herself) facing an intruder, we judged a murderer.

 

Now, we've charged Kim Potter with manslaughter for mistakenly using her pistol instead of her taser. Do we see a pattern here?

 

Now, certainly there were circumstances around the Amber Guyger case. The fact that Bo Jean was still seated when she shot him means that she was clearly not in immediate danger. She felt threatened, yes, but she could have safely taken a few seconds to understand her situation. That she didn't does make her criminally responsible. But, GLORY! Daniel Pantaleo had five MINUTES to observe that Eric Garner was struggling to breathe and helpless on the ground, and maybe he should stop choking him. Not one second. Not five seconds. Five minutes.

 

This is what it smells like to me: we are uncomfortable with women using force. Police officers are supposed to use force with criminals. Women aren't supposed to use force. When a woman police officer kills someone, she has already stepped outside of her expected role. She is, by definition, suspect. Her judgement is questionable. So prosecutors and the courts are ready and willing to judge her. But a police MAN who uses force is just doing his job. It's a hard and dangerous job, and a thankless society that would judge him for it. That's what it smells like to me.