The Land of Milk and Cookies

Around 30 years ago and not far from where I live, California Highway Patrolman Craig Peyer made a traffic stop. It was of a beautiful young woman and she did not survive. (Our cops here do have special stop and frisk practices for good-looking women and some have gone to prison for the practice. Some remain there.)

At home, we discussed and agreed that if Mrs. Hylton was being stopped by a cop, at night, she would proceed to a gas station or some heavily trafficked place; a place with people. We agreed that in doing so she would risk being shot at while trying to get to that place. (I do not recall any such discussion where I was concerned.) Nowadays neither of us go out at night, at least not alone. I rarely do so at daytime either.

So now, if I did not misread your article,  we have cops complaining that they can't shoot every Black that they come upon after traffic stops; for fear of the press and the public. What is the world coming to?

According to accounts –including one coming from the police and from television coverage–this man, this convicted felon, was allegedly driving erratically on a freeway and somehow made his way to a place where people were; a place with pedestrian traffic. Various accounts show that many of those people had camera phones. They are sometimes called witnesses. Some had access to milk and cookies.

Cynicism compels me to conclude that the accounts and outcome would be different if the motorist had not used the Hylton strategy.

The account, from the union leader and that of the victim, is that the cop did not shoot and consequently was sucker-punched, overpowered and pistol-whipped by the “un-shot motorist”, who came into possession of the gendarme's weapon. The motorist elected not to shoot (and so has been charged with attempted-murder? I swear!) 

The disarmed cop claims that he (and his idiot union leader agrees) did not shoot because he was afraid of media attention. In short, shoot or face media scrutiny were his only choices. I daresay that he made the correct choice, but for the wrong reason. At the same time, the Birmingham PD bemoans the lack of assistance from passersby and takes umbrage to comments that were posted on social media. One post mentions that milk and cookies were placed alongside the unconscious policeman along with a naptime comment. I bemoan the waste of milk and cookies.

That the police earned and enjoy community contempt is evident. Read some of the Twitter and Facebook traffic. Malcolm X said something about roosting chickens.

The police union and others continue to use the hackneyed 99:1 good cop/bad cop claim, together with descriptions of the dedication of the majority. This is unnecessary and unacceptable. Unnecessary and unacceptable because it tries to convince us that we must accept the 1%.

I fear for the community when this policeman returns to duty. Perhaps, the retribution has already begun and I daresay it shall not be coming from the 99%.

Birmingham used to be famous for church bombings; Black churches; Black baby girls dead.

As for Craig Peyer he remains in prison.