Urban Thought Collective

The shooting death of Black postal worker Kevin Wicks by Inglewood, California police officer Brian Ragan has created a fire storm of controversy in African-American community. It also continues a disturbing trend that Black America continues to face nationally: the devaluing of Black lives by law enforcement. It appears that we are all too often confronted with trigger-happy police officers who have a “shoot first ask questions later” mentality. There have been at least five shootings of Black men, resulting in two deaths by this very same police department in a span of less than two months.

The shooting death of Wicks becomes more troubling based on the facts of the case. Wicks, a 19-year postal office employee with no criminal record and single father of two, was home alone when Inglewood’s finest banged on his door at 1:30 am in response to a domestic violence call. Wicks, obviously under the impression that someone was trying to break in, went to his door armed with his legally registered gun.

According to preliminary statements from witnesses, Officer Ragan shouted to Wicks to show him his hands because he could not see them through the cracked door. Wicks complied and raised his hands, and then is blown away by officer Ragan.

And if you thought it couldn’t get worse it, does.

Ragan is already under investigation and was placed on administrative leave for his role in the May 11, 2008 shooting death of Michael Byoune and wounding his two friends. People, these were all unarmed Inglewood teens. Ragan and his patrol partner officer Roman Fernandez shot at them by mistake after hearing gunfire from a different direction. They shot all three teenagers while sitting in their patrol car through the front windshield. Which would be the most comical event in law enforcement I’d ever heard of except for the fact that it is a true story – a true tragedy. How can someone justify this cop being back on the streets? For what?

Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrook is the first African-American police chief in Inglewood history. She stood grim faced as she faced the wrath of hundreds of outraged community members, leaders, and the Wick’s family at the City Council meeting four days after the killing. Many supported a demand that I made earlier that day and calling for her resignation.

I actually met Seabrook in a private meeting in her office a week before the Wicks killing to welcome her and to discuss the rash of shootings of unarmed Black men in her city by her officers. She was professional and seems to take the issue of police brutality seriously. Which is why her lack of leadership, communication and accountability to the community was so disturbing.

In the Wicks case, it took her several days to come forward and speak to the family and community. Her silence was as if she was essentially spitting in the face of a grieving family. If she can’t improve the department or do better in her management skills then she needs to step down and resign. I’m proud that a sister has the job and indicated that when I met with her. But the community always comes first. We can’t support anyone based on race or gender when it’s about being competent. Especially when lives are at risk. We owe it to the memory of Kevin Wicks and others who have been the innocent victims of police brutality resulting in their deaths to stand up and fight because they can’t do it for themselves.

The issue of police brutality is not just an Inglewood issue, it’s a national issue. Its time that our nation take a stand to implement true, real and lasting changes to help curtail possible abuse by rouge officers who give the 98% of good police officers a bad name.

Najee Ali is Executive Director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E, a national civil rights organization that advocates for the human rights of oppressed people regardless of race, gender or religion. He was selected by Wave Newspapers and Our Weekly Newspaper as one of the 25 most influential black leaders in Los Angeles. More information is available at: www.islamichope.org.