Well, it was only a matter of time before one of these stories popped up.
Be sure to watch the video. Considering the man gettin the bidness is sixty-four years old, this is actually pretty comparable to Rodney King. At least there was some inkling of reason to believe that King was on dust. This is a drunk old man, and they beat him like he stole from the government. And by something, I mean like the Colonel’s secret Original Recipe. Something that crucial.
But the cops are going to get suspended? You’ve got camera, man. The word for the day is fired. Even if New Orleans city officials don’t think this was a firable offense, you gotta cut these cats loose for PR. You can’t have your cops beating up old men on camera and then beating up producers for major news outlets. What’s the excuse on that one?
Cats are stressed–and really, who wouldn’t be?–and that’s understood on a human level. But as I’ve said for years, cops aren’t allowed to be humans when on the job. Is that a lot to ask? Absolutely right. However, it’s a fair trade for the deification they receive for simply being on the force.
(EDIT–that link above has just been added. It’s a piece of mine from the early days at Africana. This piece is actually being used illegally, so I would like to remind you not to do nothin’ like this. However, it ain’t in the online archive no more, so their larceny’s the best I can do.)
But for all the racism that has been undeniable in Katrina’s aftermath, the last thing the city needed was this. Clarence Ray Nagin, you better handle this one properly. Believe dat, slick.
(ANOTHER EDIT–no way in the world that the “we lost control” excuse will work. Somebody had enough control to wait until the horse pulled up to beat the dude. That’s called premeditation.)