A host of community organizations and community leaders
joined forces Saturday to form a watchdog body that would
oversee the Stanley Miller Police Beating.
Participants included Danny Bakewell, Los Angeles Sentinel
and Brotherhood Crusade, Councilman Bernard Parks, NOI Minister
Tony Muhammad, the Black Women Lawyers Association, Khallid
Shaw, Stop the Violence, Increase the Peace and many more.
The forum and rally convened by the Los Angeles Sentinel and
KJLH radio, was very much appreciated. There was a
concrete plan laid out (see audio clip below) and a retired
judge from Pasadena who went through the beating frame by frame
to show us what was legally wrong with the way the officers
handled the suspect was clear and concise. Finally, there was a
clarion call from all of the speakers to get involved, report
negative interactions with the police and other specific calls
to action.
Bakewell, speaking for the group is seeking changes,
including the use of the flashlight as a weapon and the change
with the Board of Rights. Please click the
video link
below.
This reporter did not plan to cover the event, only to
support it, but once it was clear it was not just rhetoric,
thought it a duty to share the information. The audio is a
bit echo-y as it did not come directly from the podium, but turn
up your speakers, and you should be fine. Plus, it gives
us an opportunity to try something new here at Expo Update.
By the way, Najee Ali brought to our attention the article in
the Wave Newspaper and a clip on CBS News of him holding a clip
which has yet to e aired but reportedly shows the police beating
Miller AFTER the media cameras were thought to be off. You
can see the Wave Newspaper's article by Betty Pleasant by
clicking here. (Story
will change next week, so you may have to do a subject search
depending upon when you read this page.)
Further, we heard the initial broadcast by Steve Harvey (On
KKBT-The Beat) with Tony Minister Muhammad about comments made
by Chief Bratton. and saw on TV where as a guest on Jacquie
Stephens L.A. Speaks out her apologized. (You can hear a
clip below of an interchange between Bratton on Councilman
Bernard Parks.) He had plenty to apologize for.
So, we at ExpoUdpate
thank all of our media partners (we are sure there are more)
for speaking out and becoming the true voice of the people on
this issue. Speaking truth to power is not always easy but
it is most necessary.
