Calvin Kyle was lucky. He may end up paralyzed for life, but he is not dead, like so many others.
Calvin Kyle, 26, had been pulled over, handcuffed and put in a police cruiser after he was seen riding a stolen motorcycle near County Road and Marlboro Pike in District Heights, law enforcement officials said. But as District Heights Police Sgt. Johnnie Riley attended to other matters, Kyle got out of the cruiser and began to run, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
That's when Riley shot Kyle in the back, the officials said.
Manuel Diaz was shot dead while trying to escape... from an officer who had investigated him because he was standing next to a car talking to the people inside in broad daylight.
Ramarley Graham was shot dead while trying to escape... by an officer who chased him into his own home.
Derrick Gaines was shot dead while trying to escape... by an officer who stopped Derrick and his friend because they were "engaging in suspicious behavior."
Across the country, scenarios similar to this have played out day after day. Every forty hours another black person is shot and killed (or beaten dead) by the police or security personnel, many unarmed, some mentally ill.
Here in Oakland, California the case of Oscar Grant got tremendous publicity. He was not shot while trying to escape, rather, he was shot while lying on the ground face down beneath a BART police officer.
Another, more recent case, has not gotten the publicity that Grant's murder did. Perhaps because there is no stunning video of the execution, perhaps because Oakland has become more and more resigned to the deaths by police violence of young men that happen on a regular basis.
But make no mistake about it. Alan Blueford, 18 years old, was also shot dead trying to escape.
Why did he run that dreadful night of May 6th when approached by Oakland's Police? We'll never know. But we do know that the officer who killed him with three bullets to the chest and arm subsequently shot himself in the foot, lied about what he did and lied about what Alan did. We know that the Oakland Police then attempted to demonize Alan's past, and repeatedly lied to his parents about Alan's fate. We know that the officer who killed him had previously been in the employ of NYPD, where he had tased, beaten and tortured a defenseless man in a prison cell. (RAFAEL SANTIAGO v CITY OF NEW YORK, POLICE OFFICER MIGUEL MASSO, ET AL)
We know this is but one of many incidents in Oakland's sordid past...
...
In 2007 unarmed Charles Davis was shot in the back and paralyzed...
In 2008 unarmed Jody Woodfox was shot dead while trying to escape...
In 2009 unarmed Oscar Grant was shot dead lying flat on his back...
In 2010 unarmed Derrick Jones was shot dead while trying to escape...
In 2011 unarmed Raheim Brown was assassinated in his car...
...
You can help SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE MADNESS.
To close, a few tweets from two Kossacks involved in the Justice 4 Alan Blueford Campaign
Mollie @missmollie33
Alan Blueford had a mom and dad who love him. OPD took Alan away from his family. Help demand #Justice4AlanBlueford
Mollie @missmollie33
Alan Blueford was 18yo when OPD murdered him for the crime of running from OPD while being black. #OO #Oakland
Alyssa @alyssa011968
OPD murders with impunity- The police r nothing more than paramilitary serves2 protect 1% while it exploits and pillages- #OO #OccupyOakland
Alyssa @alyssa011968
@missmollie33 thanks 4 #Justice4AlanBlueford shirt! wearing it today- #OO #OccupyOakland How is it that everyone doesn't know what happened
Alyssa @alyssa011968
OPD Miguel Masso murdered unarmed high school senior- yet he continues 2 be paid w/our tax $s #Justice4AlanBlueford http://wp.me/... via
Sign the Change.org petition demanding Justice For Alan Blueford.
Visit the Justice Alan Blueford Website