Body cams seem to be working
When the debate erupted over whether all cops should wear body cameras, it was pitched as a way to hold police officers accountable.
And it is.
But a lot officers told me they welcomed the cams, because it will clear them of false accusations, as well.
The President of the Timmonsville NAACP is coming under fire after body camera footage released by Timmonsville Police appears to contradict a Facebook post he made last month alleging that he was racially profiled by the officer who stopped him.
On April 13, JJ Moultrie posted to Facebook: “TONIGHT I WAS RACIALLY PROFILED By Timmonsville Officer CAUSE I WAS DRIVING A MERCEDES BENZ AND GOING HOME IN A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD.”
Moultrie then recounted the traffic stop, alleging that the officer immediately said to him: “I am stopped you cause you fail to put on a turn signal and do you have any drugs in the car.”
A copy of Moultrie’s Facebook post, which has since been deleted, was provided by Timmonsville police, who also provided a copy of the body camera video of the officer who stopped Moultrie.
The footage shows that the officer made no mention of drugs, and appears to conflict with Moultrie's account of racial profiling and misconduct by the officer.
It comes less than a week after a similar accusation was made against a North Carolina cop, and which was similarly debunked when the body cam footage was released.
More locally, the Asheville Citizens/Police Advisory Committee will NOT be disbanding, after all.
A police advisory board whose usefulness was widely questioned, but which recently served as a public sounding board after revelations of a police beating of a black pedestrian, will not be dissolved, the City Council said Tuesday, reversing plans to eliminate the body.
The decision by the council came in a regular meeting after nearly a dozen members of the public spoke in favor of keeping the Citizens/Police Advisory Committee, including the president of the local NAACP, the leader of a police officer advocacy group and a former CPAC member.
Also, still no local reporting on the fact that Asheville Police Captain Mark Byrd has been placed on Investigation Suspension.
Florida man opens fire at Trump club
Early this morning a man attacked a Trump Golf Club in Doral, Florida.
From ABC News:
Florida police shot a man early this morning who opened fire at a Miami-area golf resort owned by President Donald Trump, authorities said.
The man, armed with a handgun, was overheard yelling about Trump and had a U.S. flag draped over a counter in the lobby of the Trump National Doral Golf Club, according to police.
He was shot multiple times after exchanging gunfire with responding police officers, authorities said.
Five officers were injured.
Keep on eye out for all the stories and quotes from the media and political elites about how inflammatory rhetoric contributed to the attack. We'll be seeing tons of coverage about how nasty attacks are dehumanizing Republicans, creating safety concerns.
Just kidding.
You won't see any.
The only time a shooting is blamed on political speech is when the target is a leftist.
Can Democrats break free from racial identity politics?
Probably not. But progressive writher Matthew Yglesias at Vox.com says Sen. Cory Booker could help it happen, in his run for President.