Detroit police chief.. culprits of mass shooting 'urban terrorists'

[lostinblue 1,989]

Detroit police chief criticized for calling culprits of mass shooting 'urban terrorists'

DETROIT, MI -- Detroit Police Chief James Craig agitated activists by calling those involved in shooting a dozen people Saturday, one who died, "urban terrorists."

"We want to make it very much known that the young people who are causing the violence in our community are not terrorists," said the Rev. Charles Williams, president of the Detroit National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton. "They are not urban terrorists, they are the products of bad urban policy.

"They are products of bad education policy, where our young people are used as products, versus being educated. They are products of the fact that you are dealing with a city with high poverty numbers, so to relate these young people as terrorists is wrong."

The Detroit police chief addressed media from the basketball court where upwards of 400 people gathered Saturday for a community party and cookout before gunshots rang out.

Pools of dried blood were visible along the perimeter of the basketball court. "Rude Boyz," someone wrote with spray paint on one of the basketball backboards. "Dexter" said the other.

Despite the large number of witnesses, Detroit police say most of the community hasn't been cooperative, and the suspects are still at large.

"You will allow this to continue if you do nothing," Craig said Sunday, urging neighbors to speak up and help police. "It must stop now."

Williams says these young people aren't killing out of ideological fervor, it's because they have "no other options" and don't know any better.

"It's far easier in the city of Detroit for them to get a gun than to get a book," Williams said.

Sam Riddle, a National Action Network member who served prison time for accepting a bribe while the chief of staff for ex-Councilwoman Monica Conyers, also spoke Monday.

He said he has a message for "Hollywood Craig."

"Chief, understand something, urban terrorism is when state-sanctioned violence occurs through police brutality ...," Riddle said.

He added that the functional illiteracy rate being near 50 percent, infant mortality rates approaching that of third world countries and a community where 60 percent of the residents live in poverty is the real urban terrorism.

"If you wonder why people are not speaking to you, giving up information, this is the same community throughout Detroit that remembers police did not give up the policeman who killed Aiyana Jones," Riddle said.

Aiyana Stanley-Jones died in 2010 after being shot in the head during a raid. The shooter, Joseph Weekley, was acquitted by two separate juries who couldn't reach a unanimous decision.

Tia Perry, who lives near the site of the mass shooting and has lost two brothers to gun violence, also spoke. Both cases remain unsolved, Perry said.

She feels police should have had a presence when hundreds of people amassed at the courts Saturday and would have if a similar gathering were underway in other parts of the city.

"We feel that the police don't care," Perry said.

Williams also took the opportunity Monday to push for support of increasing the minimum wage to $15, supporting the Dexter-Elmhurst community center and increasing restrictions on guns.

Williams, the National Action Network and other activists plan a march and rally to start from the shooting site at Dexter and Webb at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

A representative for the community center said Detroit police are expected to participate in Tuesday's rally.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2015/06/detroit_police_chief_criticize.html

Rev. Charles Williams, president of the Detroit National Action Network, a civil rights group founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton

Williams also took the opportunity Monday to push for support of increasing the minimum wage to $15,

where functional illiteracy rate being near 50 percent Meaning 50 % in the hood cannot even get hired at a fast food outlet....But Marvin claims it is because their name is DeShawn ....Lets pay $15/hr to someone who cannot even give the customer the correct change back to them ..

That is the best one they have come up with....

Williams says these young people aren't killing out of ideological fervor, it's because they have "no other options" and don't know any better.

. "urban terrorists." sums it up very well.

Despite the large number of witnesses, Detroit police say most of the community hasn't been cooperative, and the suspects are still at large...

Edited June 24, 2015 by lostinblue