The shocking death -- literally -- of a black man Tasered nine times by a white police officer in Louisiana last January is a horrific reminder of an inglorious past.
And it's a portent for an ominous high-tech future.
If reports of Baron "Scooter" Pikes' death while handcuffed are accurate, this was more than police brutality or even the worst sort of racism; this was murder, plain and simple.
According to CNN:
"Dr. Randolph Williams, the Winn Parish coroner, told CNN the 21-year-old sawmill worker was jolted so many times by the 50,000-volt Taser that he might have been dead before the last two shocks were delivered."
Police in Winnfield, La., say Pikes, wanted for cocaine possession, wouldn't stop or cooperate with officers. The officer in question, who was since fired, followed procedures, his attorney says.
We'll let authorities there work that out. But we see two lessons to draw from in this case, however it is resolved:
- People should always -- always -- obey a lawful order by police. When people resist arrest or don't cooperate, nothing good can happen.
- Police are beginning to possess weapons right out of science fiction novels. They had better be doggone careful how they use them. Otherwise, our greatest fears about the future will seem real.
It's quite possible Pikes was uncooperative. But the coroner says he was already handcuffed and on the ground when he was Tasered for the first time. And we find it hard to believe that it was necessary to shock him nine times.
Officers report seeing no response from Pikes after the last two shocks.
It's interesting, too, that of the 14 incidents in which the Winnfield department used Tasers in the past year, this particular officer was involved in 10 of the cases; and black citizens were involved in 12 of the 14.
This case is particularly haunting, both for its reflection of past racial injustices and its peek into a possibly frightening future in which citizens are abused by rogue officers with access to high-tech weaponry.
We don't know who the guilty party was in the Scooter Pikes case. But police should be the first to admit it, and condemn it, if it was one of their own.
Police, especially in the South, shouldn't want to remind us of a regrettable past -- or put forth images of a frightening future.
Comments
Thank you justus4, another in a long list of brilliant , well thought out commentaries.
The sadist that committed this murder should have been spotted early enough in his career to prevent this death. This isn't a first incident of overreaction. The department, as well as the officer, should be held responsible.
This monstrous act without a doubt proves that almost any deviant personality can con there way into a passing the hiring requirements of police departments...The people who are looking to police work as a livelihood need to undergo extensive background checks in order to weed out the power hungry men and women who abuse the authority they are entrusted...The person or persons who took part in this atrocity need to punished to the fullest extent of the law...Race should not become a factor as this sort of police brutality affects all races at one time or another...
shocking death - LOL
I guess what everyone forgot was that this man was wanted for cocaine possession. If he was in possession I would be willing to bet he was on the stuff. Funny how the letter writer doesn't expand on the possibility that this fellow was most likely hopped up to begin with. I have seen what that drug can due to people and can understand why this officer might have thought that he needed top shock 9x. If the officer was alone withou backup what were his options beside shooting the guy. I commend him for not just putting a bullet into this guys skull, that whould have been a bloody mess and parents would have had to have a closed casket. When an office tells you to cooperate, do whatever it takes to satify the request.
By some , it will always be someone else's fault.........
When did WANTED for drug charges become a death penalty case. If it was a loved one of yours, I doubt that you and BONE would be joking about it. Great post PatriciaThomas.
If this had been a white man tasered by the cops, would anyone care?? Why hasn't Jesse Jackson come to the rescue and spoken out on national TV. Oh yea, the Chronicle had a guest editorial calling him Mr. Irrelevant because he is such a hypocrite for using the N word on national TV. I guess Jackson was busy hanging his Confederate flag in his living room - the hypocrite.
Chris Rock said it very clearly..."when you run from the police and they have to come and get you they are bringing an [filtered word] whooping with them." In most countries, if you run from the police you get shot. In most Islamic countries if you commit a crime you get your head sawed off. When Islam becomes the dominant religion in America during the next 40 years it will be a lot easier to go back to shooting criminals.
Augustalawyer you are absolutely right, hey lets forget that these officers are putting their life on the line everyday to defend and deal with this kind of trash. I for one don't have a problem with this at all. What these people don't realize is this guy could have been selling it to your neighbor, your sons and daughters. Those that he was selling it to were stealing the loose change out of your car at night and your tvs and vcrs by day. The stupid thing is, if the officer had arrested him the guy would have been right back out there selling or distributing the next day or rotting in a jail cell that you and I would be paying for for a very long time.
Aftbrn, maybe you didn't read the commentary or just don't care. Saying he was on drugs, is no excuse for such savagery. The guy was handcuffed and on the ground, when he was tasered the first time. I hope you and Reality are never placed on a jury. People like you, are the reason our system fails so many times. I guess you think he was fired unjustly. I hope he is charged and convicted of murder.
I wasn't there during the arrest, so ain't making any judgements. I have seen on COPs young men attacking the cops even after being cuffed. This is truly sad as is any death such as this, but only the courts will tell us all the story. If the cop is found guilty, put his butt away.
Are you kidding me? You really think that a man who took the time to go through office training, took an outh to protect and serve. Would throw it all away on some drug pusher by intentionally shocking him to death. Obviously this gentleman gave the officer a reason. It's not like this guy was sitting calmly in a chair waiting to be shocked and I'm pretty sure the officer didn't wake up that morning and say "you know I think I will throw my whole life away today by shocking someone to death". You really can't be that stupid.
The stupid one is you. The coroner said the guy was probably dead when the last two shocks were applied. He didn't even respond. Why was he (cop) involved in 10 of the 14 taser incidents. You honestly think everyone in law enforcement is a great person. Then maybe, it's you, who is on the drugs.A man is murdered, while handcuffed and he is trash. Dude, you are from the old south where heinous crimes are routinely overlooked. It's a new day, welcome to the twenty first century. Congratulations, you made it, about eight years ago.
I believe in justice. This was not justice. The police are employed by the citizens to enforce laws and make arrests when necessary. They are not judge, jury and executioners. That's why that paper we call the constitution gaurantees us a trial by our peers. I know the police have a thankless and underpaid job some times. That doesn't give them the right to become the very thing they swore an oath to protect us from. This man (and I use that term loosely) should be tried by a jury of his peers and if found guilty never see the light of day again. See how that works, I'm giving him the rights that he didn't give Mr. Pikes.
I agree. This is an horrific act. But..when will people realize that it doesn't serve you well to resist arrest. Cops, especially those with warts, are still humans.
Yo fool, don"t you know in this day and age it's guilty until proven innocent. Oh, i see you do know that. You've got this cop hung without hearing his side of the story. How do we know that it wasn't the cocaine that stopped this guys heart in the end. And to say he was most likely dead before the last two jolts is purely speculation. If the guy is laying there lifeless I find it hard to believe the cop would give him a couple extra jolts for good measure. I suspect that the man was resisting and possible getting the best of the officer in his drugged up state the taser wasn't as effective, the cop in a panic mode was just squeezing the trigger over and over again. It doesn't say that the 9x this guy was zapped wasn't within 15 sec. Anytime something like this happens, I'm going to give the benifit of the doubt to an office of the law, not a coke dealer.
Yes and I find it hard to believe that fathers would molest their daughters, mothers would drown their children in bathtubs, police would brutally beat suspects and individuals such as yourself have the ability to even read or write. Yet they all have happened.
Aftbrn, get some help, dude. If you can't see the injustice here, you are not just person. The cop has already been fired. Do me a favor, don't have kids.
A dope dealer does not get much sympathy from me. I will say though that the cop should follow the rules, and if found that he used excessive force should be punished appropriately. There are dirty cops out there that get those jobs to be bullies. As for the commentary about new technology, I do not think it will make things worse. They have had guns for years, and used to have night sticks. If anything technology can make things easier for the cops that do follow rules to subdue suspects more easily.
This guy was tasered twice after he was dead...so the original story states. When is a cop justified to taser a dead man?!?! BTW, the autopsy found no signs of drugs in his system. If you read up on the articles when this story first broke, the police dept. in this city as been plagued with corruption for many years. It was just a matter of time before they made the national news. The suspect/victim was guilty of fighting with the officer, BUT to taser a handcuffed suspect, who's already in the car, 4 more times is just revenge...not duty.
He was a pusher, no big loss to society. He didn't deserve those last two shocks though, that was brutality. And just for the record, it is not always the South, it is just the South that makes the news.. Possibly because we have the biggest whiners down here. It is always the race card, whereas in other states they are more inclined to work instead of the "i deserve give me something for nothing mentality"
He was a pusher, no big loss to society. He didn't deserve those last two shocks though, that was brutality. And just for the record, it is not always the South, it is just the South that makes the news.. Possibly because we have the biggest whiners down here. It is always the race card, whereas in other states they are more inclined to work instead of the "i deserve give me something for nothing mentality"
Devil, your name says it all. It's always the race card,I deserve something for nothing, man, it's time for a new line, dude. Losers like you, are like a broken record. I gotta go devil and I'll leave this with you. The next time you drink out of the lake, make sure it's before the dog does his business. Try to have nice day!!!
if that had been a white guy,you wouldn't have heard a word.its always about race,it all came from slavery,bullfeathers.learn your history,your grandfather or uncle could have been a confederate soldier,are one of the black slave owners in the south there were many of them
The cop was 100# smaller than the perp. The cop's partner was recently returned to the street following triple bypass surgery & could not assist. The "10 of 14 events" referred to include the nine times he hit the deceased with the taser. The 7th shock was a direct placement on the victim's chest. I am not defending this cop. He comes from a long line of idiots & needs to pay dearly for his crime. I am merely providing details I read earlier today.
Confederate American who cares about you little slave trivia or your little, we white people are so mistreated mentality. Just like you claimed the so called race card is overuse, that little reverse discrimination card is played out as well.
devil, this victim had a legitimate job at the sawmill and his illegal side job, so I don't think he was looking for a handout. Confederate, maybe you should learn a little more about history before making comments like that...blacks did fight in the war, but they had no choice. There were as many black slave owners as there were whites who owned white slaves...I'm sure you can find the numbers.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
