Where police reform has worked?
A recent article in the New York Times; My comments within are in bold type.
It can often feel like nothing changes with police killings. Gruesome, high-profile cases keep coming — Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, now Manuel Ellis — and the annual number of killings nationwide remains at about 1,100.
In several big cities, however, things have changed. Really!? Police departments have adopted new policies, and, while problems remain, the number of shootings and deaths have fallen significantly. At least shootings by police, but what about the safety of the rest of us?
It’s happened in Los Angeles, where fatal police shootings have declined in each of the last four years, down to 12 last year. And it’s happened in Baltimore, Chicago, Philadelphia and Phoenix, Samuel Sinyangwe, a data scientist and activist, writes for FiveThirtyEight. “Many of these reforms were initiated in response to protests and public outcry over high-profile deaths,” he adds.
End of article.
Beginning of new article just published online:
The weekend’s toll surpasses the tally from the same weekend in 2019, when 52 people were wounded — 8 fatally — in citywide gun violence.
Chicago, IL. This most recent weekend alone: This is a war zone!
Sunday, May 31
The latest fatal shooting happened Sunday night in West Garfield Park on the West Side.
Officers responding to a ShotSpotter alert for gunfire found the 18-year-old shot in the right side of her head at 10:51 p.m. in the 4200 block of West Van Buren Street, according to Chicago police. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Several hours before that, a man was killed and two other people were wounded in Austin on the West Side.
They were standing outside with a group about 8:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of West Madison Street when someone fired shots, according to police. The 27-year-old man was hit in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital. He was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An 18-year-old woman was also shot three times in the leg and a 21-year man was hit in the foot, police said. Both were taken to Mount Sinai in fair condition.
Another man was killed about half an hour earlier in Burnside on the South Side.
He was driving about 8 p.m. in the 900 block of East 93rd Street when someone in a dark-colored Grand Prix started shooting, police said. The man was hit several times in the head and crashed his vehicle in the same block moments later. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Earlier that evening, one man was killed and another was injured in the Back of the Yards on the South Side.
They were in a vehicle at 6:43 p.m. in the 4600 block of South Marshfield Avenue when someone fired shots, police said. A 26-year-old man was hit in the chest and taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other man, 20, was shot in the leg and taken to the University of Illinois Hospital in fair condition.
Several hours before that, a 28-year-old man was shot to death near Greater Grand Crossing on the South Side.
He was standing about 4:43 p.m. in the 7100 block of South Vincennes Avenue when a male in a red Chevy Impala opened fire, police said. The man was shot multiple times and was taken to St. Bernard Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Less than 15 minutes earlier, a man was shot to death Sunday in South Austin on the West Side.
Robert English, 24, was shot to death about 4:30 p.m. in the 4800 block of West Flournoy Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Chicago police said English was riding in a vehicle when someone opened fire, striking him in the head. He was pronounced dead at Loretto Hospital.
Minutes before that, an 18-year-old woman was fatally shot in West Englewood on the South Side.
She was shot during an argument with a male suspect about 4:25 p.m. in the 5900 block of South Carpenter Street, police said. He sped off in a dark-colored sedan.
The woman was taken to St. Bernard Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified her as Keishanay Bolden. Autopsy results found she died from a gunshot wound to the torso and ruled her death a homicide.
About an hour before that, a man was killed in Back of the Yards.
The 18-year-old was shot in the chest about 3:20 p.m. in the 4500 block of South Ashland Avenue, according to police. He was dropped off at Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A man died after being dropped off at a West Side hospital with a gunshot wound less than an hour earlier.
The 25-year-old was taken to Norwegian American Hospital, 1044 N. Francisco Ave., about 2:40 p.m. with gunshots to the right side of his neck and his upper back, police said. He was pronounced dead. It was not immediately clear where the shooting occurred.
About 50 minutes earlier, another man was found shot to death in East Garfield Park on the West Side.
He was found with multiple gunshot wounds about 1:50 p.m. in an alley in the 3900 block of West Madison Street, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ten minutes before that, two men were killed in Calumet Heights on the South Side.
The men, 39 and 31, were driving about 1:40 p.m. in the 1600 block of East 95th Street when someone in a dark-colored SUV pulled up and opened fire on their vehicle, police said. Both men were shot in the head and pronounced dead on the scene.
Earlier Sunday afternoon, a Dolton man was killed and a teenage boy was critically wounded in a shooting at a Gresham store.
Several people entered a store about 12:30 p.m. in the 8100 block of South Halsted Street and began taking items, Chicago police said. One suspect got out of the back office of the store and started shooting as the group ran out the store.
The 32-year-old man, who had a face mask on, left the store and tried going back in with a 15-year-old nearby him, police said. They were both struck by bullets and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
The man, identified by the medical examiner’s office as John Tiggs, was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said. The boy was in critical condition.
Two people were taken into custody in relation to the shooting, and charges are pending, police said.
A 37-year-old man was found shot to death Sunday morning in a Marquette Park home on the Southwest Side.
He was found about 10:05 a.m. inside a residence in the 3300 block of West 71st Street, with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation.
About 20 minutes before that, a man was found shot to death in the Gold Coast on the Near North Side.
He was found with multiple gunshot wounds about 9:45 a.m. in the 200 block of East Huron Street, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Nearly five hours before that, another man was killed in Austin.
Someone in a vehicle pulled up beside the 25-year-old man and shot him multiple times about 5:25 a.m. in the 1200 block of North Mason Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 36-year-old man was fatally shot earlier Sunday in Englewood.
Someone in a vehicle pulled up and shot him in the chest and leg about 12:37 a.m. in the 6800 block of South Laflin Street, police said.
The man, identified as Angelo Bronson of Ashburn, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center at 1:11 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Saturday, May 30
On Saturday night, a man was shot to death in River North amid downtown protests.
Bernardino Mercado, 26, was walking on the sidewalk with another male about 11 p.m. in the 100 block of West Hubbard Street when he exchanged words with a male suspect in a car, authorities said. The suspect then got out of the car and started hitting the male with a handgun. He then shot Mercado in the chest before continuing to hit the other person with the gun. The suspect eventually got back in the car and drove away.
Mercado, who lived in Avondale on the Northwest Side, was pronounced dead at the scene, police and the medical examiner’s office said.
Five other people were injured in downtown shootings during the protests.
Earlier Saturday night, a man was killed in a shooting in Belmont Central on the Northwest Side.
Fernando De Leon, 34, was shot twice in the chest at 9:51 p.m. in the 2300 block of North Meade Avenue, authorities said. De Leon, who lived in Belmont Central, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Less than three hours before that, a 26-year-old man was shot to death in Chicago Lawn on the South Side.
Officers responded about 7:19 p.m. in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street and found him with multiple gunshot wounds, Chicago police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Noel Dominguez of Berwyn.
Earlier that morning, a man was killed in Austin.
Officers found David L. Green unresponsive about 8:30 a.m. in the 800 block of North Lorel Avenue, with a gunshot wound to the left side of his body, under his arm, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Several hours before that, another man was fatally shot in West Pullman on the Far South Side.
Gregory A. Lewis, 21, was riding in a vehicle at 2:54 a.m. in the 500 block of East 115th Street when someone shot at him from a passing car, authorities said. Lewis, who lived in West Pullman, was hit in the neck and chest and driven to Roseland Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Minutes earlier, a woman was shot to death in Avalon Park on the South Side.
Danyal P. Jones, 30, was standing on a front porch about 2:50 a.m. in the 8100 block of South Woodlawn Avenue when a male walked up and fired shots, authorities said. Jones, who lived in Gresham, was hit in the chest and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Friday, May 29
The weekend’s first homicide left a 23-year-old man dead Friday in Englewood on the South Side.
Deonte Fleming was on the sidewalk about 7:08 p.m. in the 1200 block of West 70th Street when someone in a vehicle shot him in the chest and side, authorities said. Fleming, who lived in Scottsdale on the Southwest Side. was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center at 7:37 p.m.
The weekend’s nonfatal shootings included a person shot while protecting an Avondale liquor store on the Northwest Side Sunday amid widespread looting in the city and suburbs.
The male was protecting the Binny’s Beverage Depot about 10:30 p.m. at 3934 W. Diversey Avenue when gunshots rang out, according to police. He was hit in the right arm and taken in good condition to Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Teen victims
Several teenagers were also among the weekend’s victims.
A man and a 17-year-old boy were shot Sunday night in Englewood.
They were sitting in a parked vehicle at 10:51 p.m. on Peoria Avenue when someone fired shots, police said. The teen was hit in the left arm and back while the 24-year-old man was shot in the right arm. Both were taken in good condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Saturday night, another 17-year-old boy was wounded in Ravenswood Manor on the Northwest Side.
He was riding in a vehicle about 3:15 a.m. on Montrose Avenue when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the arm, police said. The driver took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition.
On Friday evening, another teen was shot in Austin.
About 6:23 p.m., the 17-year-old was on Corcoran Place when someone got out of a blue vehicle and fired shots, police said. The teen was struck in the foot and taken to Rush University Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized, police said.
More than 30 others were hurt by gun violence across Chicago between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
Last weekend, Chicago saw its deadliest Memorial Day weekend in five years with 10 shot dead and 39 others wounded.
Early Monday, the Chicago Police Department announced that it would be delaying the release of its crime statistics from the month of May “in light of recent activity and to ensure we have the most accurate statistics.”
End of article
Delay alright, to prevent the horrific numbers from fueling more rage. Not of shootings by police but rather the sheer numbers of people killing people, blacks killing blacks, blacks killing whites, and typically the lowest number, whites killing blacks.
If we avoid having a strong police presence, a presence that actually confronts the criminals, and yes that creates more potential shootings by police, then the citizens are put in more danger. They are left to defend themselves rather than the police actively eliminating the threats.
Is this the best long term solution? Not hardly, but the real cure cannot come from government or any law enforcement. It must come from within the hearts of the people and the Lord our God. The love and fear of the Almighty Creator must dwell in the souls of everyone. This requires a major thrust from those who are already filled with the Holy Spirit. We can no longer sit back and watch as Satan has free reign in our world. We cannot do this through force, we cannot do this anger and we certainly cannot do this through the legal system.
It can only be achieved through showing the loving kindness of Jesus to all the people of our communities. Deliberate Planned Acts of Christian Kindness (PACK) where you go out to busy public places and perform simple practical acts of kindness totally for free (no donations accepted) and present the recipients a Connect Card that gives Jesus all the credit & glory. In doing do they also receive a little taste of what God’s grace through Jesus is like as neither can be earned or bought at any price. On the back of that card invite them to your church/school/youth activity…. Places where they can learn more about Jesus. Get PACK started and never quit. Every month we have been doing some type of PACK event for over 25 years. Keep touching hearts for Jesus, not just those with physical needs, but all people. Give the Holy Spirit a chance to transform souls of all walks for each one of us has unique untapped gifts of our time, talents & treasures that can be put to good use for His glorious Kingdom. In the process of doing so faith is strengthened and His Kingdom grows larger.
We have been truly blessed over the many years we have continued to do PACK so we know you will too. For confirmation of this just turn to God’s word:
Malachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (God is not just talking about food tithing here, but rather all of our gifts that He has graciously provided to us, (our time, talents & treasures)).
The PACK Program is totally free with no donations accepted for it as this is the very message it is intended to deliver. Please go to www.acts18.org to get your free download link. We will follow that up with additional helpful tools and tips to make your PACK experience a true blessing! Thank you and God bless!