Arkansas Cop Holds Gun To Unarmed Black Man’s Head [Op-Ed]

Sometimes you really have to wonder if cops understand how scary guns are. They certainly understand it when they even think a suspect might be armed. In fact, they understand the fear for their own lives when a suspect has a gun, or doesn’t have a gun, or is running away from them while having a gun, or while not having a gun, or not running away, or when they’re allegedly driving a car towards them, or not towards them.

Cops default to “I was in fear for my life” whenever they think there’s the slightest possibility that they might be in immediate danger, but it often doesn’t occur to them that civilians, especially Black civilians, are also human beings with the same capacity for fear, and that their actions can exacerbate that fear.

This certainly didn’t seem to occur to a Little Rock police officer who was captured on camera holding his gun to an unarmed Black man’s head inside a gas station earlier this month.

According to ABC 7, this newly obtained surveillance video shows Little Rock Police Officer Thomas Shook holding his gun to the back of the head of 23-year-old Gregory Williams, who had reportedly gotten into an argument with the clerk at the gas station where the incident happened on Aug. 9. A police report says officers were dispatched to the store after a caller reported that Williams had threatened to shoot a store clerk following the argument, which was reportedly over a sale. Williams denied making such threats, and the clerk in question told officers he didn’t wish to press charges. So, why the violent takedown, and why would it be necessary for Cook to hold his gun to the back of Williams’ head when he was already subdued?

Of course, it doesn’t matter what the cop’s excuse would be, because none would justify these actions.

From ABC:

When officers arrived, they found Williams arguing with the clerk and took him into custody in what the report described as a “felony takedown.”

Body camera footage obtained by KATV shows Shook holding a gun to Williams’ head as officers took him into custody. When Shook drew his weapon, Williams was unarmed and lying face down on the floor as multiple officers surrounded him.

Officers searched Williams and his backpack but found no firearms or other weapons, according to the report.

The clerk later told officers he did not wish to press charges.

Again, all of this was over two people having an argument. It might have been a loud argument. Someone may or may not have heard Williams say something threatening that he may or may not have actually said. Either way, Cook’s response and subsequent use of force revealed his lack of humanity and understanding of anyone’s fear besides his own, and provides us with more evidence that cops are simply more aggressive when dealing with Black people, not that we needed more evidence of that.

Anyway, Little Rock police officials confirmed this week that Shook was relieved of duty following the incident and that the department was conducting an internal investigation. It’s unclear, though, if that means he was fired or placed on administrative leave pending the investigation. Earlier this month, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that he had been placed on paid leave.

On Tuesday, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. addressed the incident in a social media post.

“After reviewing the disturbing footage of an officer-involved incident at a local convenience store, I am deeply disappointed in what occurred,” Scott said. “It warrants a complete and thorough investigation into the officer’s conduct. I am grateful that LRPD Interim Chief Miller ordered the investigation and relieved the officer of duty during this process to ensure appropriate action is taken. We appreciate the efforts of other LRPD officers to quickly de-escalate the situation.”

Nick Chowdhury, a representative of the gas station, released a statement about the incident.

“The safety and well-being of our customers, employees, law enforcement, and the broader community are deeply important to us,” Chowdhury said. “We recognize that situations like this can be upsetting, and we understand why people may have questions. We will continue to cooperate fully with authorities and carefully review the circumstances. While we may not have all the answers at this time, we are committed to listening, learning, and doing everything we can to help prevent similar situations in the future.”

SEE ALSO:

San Bernardino Deputies Fatally Shot Unarmed Black Man 20 Times

2 Phoenix Cops Fired, Arrested On Assault, Kidnapping Charges [Op-Ed]

Video Shows Arkansas Cop Hold Gun To Unarmed Black Man’s Head Following Argument With Gas Station Clerk [Op-Ed] was originally published on newsone.com