“Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor shot and killed Justine Damond, an Australian woman living in Minneapolis, on July 15 after Damond called 911. The same people who demonize black victims of police shootings accept and support the standard police narrative — he followed the police shooting protocols; the police officer feared for his life; he puts his life on the line every day. Yet Noor has been treated differently.’Somali immigrant cop Mohamed Noor, who shot Justine Damond, was ‘highly celebrated’ by Minneapolis mayor in 2015.”

What’s so interesting about this headline from Fox News U.S., a right-wing-nut media outlet, is that it encapsulates the general reaction and mood of all media, police leaders and the community at large. In this headline, we learn the identity and ethnicity of the officer who shot a civilian earlier this month. A presumption of innocence is not there. The headline has an “I told you so” or “gotcha” ring to it. The immigrant cop, imagine, was “highly celebrated” by the Minneapolis mayor when he joined the force in 2015. Forget about all those heroes who protect us from evildoers — the mantra we hear all the time when the shooter is a white police officer.

Continue reading The Police Shooting, is not a Black and White →