Dancing While Lying Dead in the Street

[KamaAina]

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/25642-dancing-while-laying-dead-in-the-street

We thought about that line and the history of lynching as we read about the police shooting of Mike Brown, an unarmed college bound black young teenager, last Saturday in a St. Louis suburb.

Though his death was not a “lynching” (in the literal sense of the term), his body was left in the streets for all to see for hours. Historically, the lynching of Black men was used as a form of terrorism targeting other American citizens and as a way to send a message to other Black Americans, of what can and will happen if you decide to exercise your rights — your right to vote, your right to an education, your right to own property or even your right to address someone whose skin color didn’t match yours.

Lynching became something all to commonplace in America. A body would hang for hours, sometimes with tags placed on the body, warning others to not cut it down. These tactics were used to spark fear in the hearts of Black Americans everywhere.

So what message does leaving the body of a slain unarmed Black teen in the suburban streets for hours send? What message does arresting the couple that videotaped the death of Eric Garner (Chrissie Ortiz and Ramsey Orta) send? What message is being sent when police officers call other Black American citizens “animals”?

[Lee-Lee]

1. Geeze- they are really stretching now

You leave things as they are so the scene can be fully documented and investigated.

I don't know how the chain works in MO, but in NC any officer involved shooting gets investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation. So as soon as the scene is secure you pull everyone away and leave it until they get there to document it.

[jwirr]

5. That is what chalk is used for. Bodies are not left in the street. They are chalkmarked and removed

in a dignified way. Are you telling me that in NC in all that heat they leave bodies laying around for more than 4 hours?

[Lee-Lee]

7. Yes, sometimes they do

Depending on how long it takes for the medical examiner and SBI to arrive and complete their processing of the scene.

Figure at least an hour for them to both get there, factoring how long notification takes and then depending on location and how far they have to travel.

I've been on scene of an apparent suicide waiting 4 hours just for the ME to show up because there was only one for the county and she was on another call.

Chalk was fine 30 years ago but the more advanced forensics gets the more evidence that can be destroyed by moving anything.

[7962]

12. I've seen it before. The body was covered, but it was there for over an hour. I'm not in NC though

It was a robbery victim.

[whistler162]

19. Lets see what the google has

to say versus the TV show lurnin'

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2300/do-crime-scene-investigators-really-draw-a-chalk-line-around-the-body

[jwirr]

22. So they use a more sufisticated way but they did not say anything about leaving bodies laying in the

hot sun for 4+ hours.

[Hooked_n_Looped]

28. Chalk outlines are for TV...

Forensic evidence is not preserved if you haul the body away and draw a a squiggle around it.

[Triana]

6. In NC the Teabag governor is trying to move the SBI from under control of AG (a Dem)

to operating under the control of the Governor's office. Nothing to do with your post really - just a side note about the slime covering NC now.

[Lee-Lee]

8. Yeah, it's a shame

SBI has always been a very professional bunch on the street, but the mess with the crime lab lately makes me shake my head.

[KamaAina]

25. Ah yes, McCrony

and Pope the Dope.

[blackspade]

13. No.

Not a stretch in the least.

[Duppers]

14. 2 things

1. I read they did not even checking for a pulse or call an ambulance immediately.

2. Brown was not covered for a long while according reports and photos.


Damning info imo.

[Lee-Lee]

17. What's damming?

In a case of obvious death, I have seen accounts the last shot hit him on the top of the skull and exposed his brain so that would be obvious, you don't call EMS- you call the medical examiner and other investigators. Calling EMS for obvious death just risks them contaminating the scene.

They should have covered him as soon as the investigating authority cleared them to.

[Live and Learn]

16. Nobody was investigating a thing for the majority of time.

And having the family there for all that time and not letting them even get near the body was just heartless.

I realize you used to be in law enforcement but even you must realize these procedures are immoral and wrong (lawful or not). And please don't pretend that the same procedures are applied universally to black and white or rich and poor.

[Lee-Lee]

18. Of course the don't let the family near the body

That would be the worst way to screw up any investigation.

If a family member was allowed access to the body than anything at all found as evidence on or about it becomes questionable in court. As soon as he died his body, his clothing and anything in his possession became evidence, and that means chain of custody has to be kept as direct as possible and everything handled in the proper fashion.

You want a proper, thorough investigation? That started right there on the street. You with no background in this see the delay in removing the body as disrespect. I see it as a department at least appearing to treat it seriously and allowing a proper, by the books processing of the scene.

The same people complaining about this would be screaming how there wasn't even a proper investigation at the scene had the police done everything they want- called EMS for an obvious death, let officers from the same agency cover him up, moved the body right away, let family access the body. Because no matter what they do people find reasons to complain.

I can't speak for how departments all over do it differently based on race. I responded or was present at 3 officer involved shootings in my career, only one was my agency in the lead, and all 3 were white males so my sample based on experience is pretty skewed one way.

[Live and Learn]

20. Oh sure, you can't let the family near the "body" because

they might discover their loved one isn't actually dead. Can't have that happening.

But you sure the hell could at least have a coroner on the scene quite quickly so that you could do the moral thing and at least cover the body. From what I have seen,
the only reason any bodies are left like that is because the authorities don't think the person matters or are trying to justify what they did.

I am a bit confused about your career or careers since I have seen you claim both to be a law enforcement officer but also to have expertise in the courtroom. Were you both a police officer and a lawyer? Or does all your expertise come from being an ex-police officer?

[Lee-Lee]

21. I've never claimed to be a lawyer

But every cop is trained on how to handle evidence.

It certainly is desirable to have a medical examiner and investigators on scene fast, but that doesn't always happen because they can be tied up on earlier calls. I sat and waited 4 hours for the ME on a suicide because she had a call across the county that came in first.

[malaise]

23. Oh FFS

Bodies are supposed to be covered

[Rex]

24. Not according to the sudden legal experts showing up on DU.

Everything has an excuse...my how predictable.

[WhiteTara]

26. That's what covers are for...to give dignity to the dead

and still preserve the evidence.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. They didn't even cover him for 30 minutes

"Look here, Canfield Green. Look what we can do."

[AngryAmish]

3. Or burning Dorner out?

[jwirr]

4. Well said. Thank you.

[Iggo]

9. "So what message does leaving the body...send?"

The exact same message.

[Tommymac]

10. K & R

[rickyhall]

11. I, myself was thinking last night how much like a lynching this was.

The British used to hang and leave to rot criminals from London Bridge as a warning. They did the same with pirates. That was also a reason for crucifixion.

[LloydS of New London]

15. Good point

K&R

[azmom]

27. One thing for sure is

That the act of not covering the body was very distressing for people that were there. Yesterday, I heard that someone even offered a sheet from their home. To me, the lack of response to their distress shows how little the police care about that community.