Zimmerman Is Innocent! - But We're All Guilty

Accepting Reality Not Always Easy

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

Agitator-In-Chief

You'd be smiling too if you just beat a murder rap.

The jury has spoken. What you gonna do?

Every publicity seeking politician and pontificating, pimping-in-the-pulpit preacher who's suddenly seeking a soap box, needs to sit down and shut up! If you haven't been active in your community, making moves and taking substantive action, attempting to alleviate social and economic injustice, you look like nothing but an opportunist.

Young Black men continue to die violent deaths in numbers that are far too high. This didn't start yesterday. Will we rally, riot or protest about the conditions that contribute to this?

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:  A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace." - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NKJV

Poverty and joblessness, already disproportionately high in the Black community, has increased under Obama, but other than mostly outspoken, radical right wingers, how many will admit it?

All the protesting, marching and demonstrating in the world won't change the verdict. Meanwhile, grave institutional injustices continue, and they don't get one-tenth the attention the Zimmerman case has drawn.

There are those in power, having ulterior motives, who want to milk this situation for all it's worth. Meanwhile, our problems persist.

This is what they want. A big fat distraction, drawing your eyes, ears, your time and your mind astray. While inequities, oppression and violence continues to shatter and shear our community.


Life Isn't Fair

Am I pleased with the verdict? Not hardly.

Were I a kid, minding my own business, walking to my dad's house and some guy aggressively ran up on me
late at night, I'd probably be defensive. If I felt threatened, not wanting to give an assailant an advantage, I might even swing first.

If the so-called unidentified watchman -- not in a uniform -- were so closely invading my personal space, that I could actually connect with him, my assumption would be that this guy is up to no good. I'm about to become a crime victim. I'd be in fear of my life. I'd attempt to STAND MY GROUND.

Does this mean, being unarmed, I'd deserve to get shot? I've literally been Trayvon. I think of how many times as a young Black man, I've I had a nervous cop pull a gun on me. More times than any confrontation with criminals, that's for sure. For no good reason. Doing what? Walking home late at night after work, among other things. Yes white America, this really happens!

Funny thing is, the immediate reaction of some people would be, well I'm sure there were other factors to the circumstance. When a woman gets raped, is the immediate appropriate reaction; oh I'm sure there was something you were doing that contributed to this happening? Really? For too many, it truly is inconceivable, that law abiding, Black youth, doing nothing but just trying to get home are still often viewed with unwarranted suspicion.

The truth is, there are harsh realities faced by young Black men in this country every single day. Some of it is unfortunate with no easy solution, but what about the things we can actually do something about. The Black community has got to do a better job of addressing internal issues.

Baltimore City has one of the highest rates of, out-of-wedlock, teenage births in the country. Being a majority Black city, guess what, most of the pregnant girls are Black too. Anyone not thinking this has a direct long term link to increased suffering, crime and juvenile delinquency is in denial.

But on the other hand, despite the many difficulties of a downtrodden people, between societal injustice, and socio-economic inequalities, there's a part white people play too.

Far too many are too quick to instantly dismiss any cries of foul by a Black person. As if all unfairness has just magically disappeared, many whites have a knee jerk, negative reaction when a Black person complains of injustice.

We'd love to pretend 'post racialism' has meaningful significance, but depending on how you look at things, little progress has been made since America decided to face civil rights head on in the 1960's. We all have to stop pretending these problems don't exist. Internal issues within minority communities are real. So is mass denial of injustice by many. In this regard, we're all guilty. Yes, things are better in this country than they once were, but we still have a long way to go. Denial or grandstanding will never get us there. Let's stay focused.

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Community activist, independent journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur's roots run deep in the world of underground, alternative publications. First publishing a print newsletter with a small international following in 1991, his path has since taken him on a vast array of varied media projects.

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"For Trayvon" Baltimore Teens Beat Hispanic Man

Unconfirmed Report: Resident Allege Zimmerman Verdict Retaliation 

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

Agitator-In-Chief

24 hours after the announcement of a verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial, reaction continues to pour in from around the country. 

A resident of Patterson Park -- a Baltimore neighborhood with a high Hispanic population --claims to have witnessed a group of Black teenagers "chase down a Hispanic male with a handgun pointed at his back."

Taking place shortly before 10:00 p.m., it's alleged the teens caught the man and beat him in the middle of the street before running off yelling "For Trayvon," in apparent reference to Trayvon Martin, the Florida teen killed by Zimmerman, in an incident claimed to be self defense.

The incident is said to have taken place at the intersection of Linwood and Fairmount Avenues in the East Baltimore neighborhood.

Sources claim local residents to be on edge as a result of the incident. If confirmed, it could be the only reported incident of violence in the city, as a reaction to the controversial Florida verdict.

Apparently a report has been made with Baltimore Police, and the victim is said to have sustained minor injuries. 

A request for confirmation was sent to Baltimore Police. As of this 11:00 p.m. they have not yet responded.

Check back with The Baltimore Spectator for more details on this developing story.

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We Can Do This!

This story was originally published on our brand new sister site, The Baltimore Citizen. Currently in pre-launch mode, it promises to be a dynamic and exciting project. Be sure to keep an eye on it. 

A Better Baltimore Is Possible

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

Publisher

Driving through parts of Baltimore, with it's teeth shattering, car rattling, seemingly permanent potholes, it's easy to get the feeling that someone somewhere stopped caring a long time ago. 

A post apocalyptic feeling permeates the air in many neighborhoods. Abandoned homes, trash strewn vacant lots, and natives who often express a sense of dire desperation without saying a word, only add to an atmosphere of despair. The permanent enunciation worn on their faces tell a story without words.

How did things get so far gone? What's being done about it? Why does it seem like the city allows some areas to fall into severe neglect and disrepair while continually pumping resources into certain choice spots? These are questions I'm often asked by visitors and outside observers of the city I call home.

Then there's the vicious violence and murderous mayhem. It's literally destroying the very fabric of your society, ripping us apart by the seams, but we won't dwell on that subject very much in this space. We'll leave the chronicling and commentary of crime to our sister site, The Baltimore Spectator.

It's clear Baltimore is broken, and in my opinion, the path it's currently on is hardly one of true and sustainable progress.

Making Things Better

 If there's to be any hope of Baltimore building itself back up, it's gonna take all hands on deck. Making a once great city fit for families and human habitation in all zip codes, is going take full participation by all parties concerned.

This project by no means claims to be the solution to all that ails us. But we'd like to be part of progress in a city that so desperately needs it. 

It would be a lie to depict our goals and the tasks we'll have to perform to achieve them as easy. Anything worth having is worth working for. And hard work and perseverance would go a long way when coupled to a strategic vision backed by a comprehensive plan. There's simply no getting past this. 

Disappointments and setbacks are sure to come, but I'm confident we'll also have many victories and success to celebrate too.

In the coming days and weeks I'll be calling on you for help. Help in cultivating a more livable environment. To work with me in doing our part to reclaim a lost city. To give of your time, and yes, when needed, some of your money too.

Check back on this site for specific projects and initiative. There'll be instruction for participation. Oh, and of course your ideas, suggests and concepts are always welcome.

Here's to new beginnings and a promise to press on! It's my sincere hope that you'll buy into the vision and join me in building a better Baltimore.

Follow The Baltimore Citizen On Twitter

Like The Baltimore Citizen On Facebook

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Community activist, independent journalist, and entrepreneur, A.F. James MacArthur's roots run deep in the world of underground, alternative publications. First publishing a print newsletter with a small international following in 1991, his path has since taken him on a vast array of varied media projects.

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Mayor's Big Announcement A Lackluster Dud

PR Party Package Continues To Be Long On Symbolism, Short On Substance

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.
Agitator-In-Chief 
@BaltoSpectator

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Police Commissioner 

Anthony Batts, both deeply concerned about crime and violence in the city.

The 50 shootings and 21 homicides since 21 June, has Baltimore seeming more like a battleground than a city where 10,000 new families might move to. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake appears struggling
to regain public confidence among war-weary citizens. The latest installment of her paper thin, obviously transparent, damage control public relations campaign, designed to simulate an action plan, has become increasingly underwhelming.

After nearly 24 hours of anticipation, the public having been told by the mayor to expect an "important major announcement" in the fight on crime, the media was treated to a carefully choreographed press conference, hardly living up to expectations. Another soundbite, a photo-op event.

On stage was Rawlings-Blake, joined by Baltimore State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, and even U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein got in on the action.

As bullets fly and bodies drop, the three B's; Blake, Batts and Bernstein did their best to convince us, that somehow taking a couple city prosecutors and letting them work with federal prosecutors will stem the incessant flow of blood in the streets.

Never mind the over 40,000 outstanding warrants and a warrant task force made up of about a dozen guys, two "new" prosecutors are supposed to save the day.

What They're Not Telling You

With Baltimore Police having such a dismal and embarrassing clearance rate for homicide, and few suspects for most murders, much less actual arrests, what difference would having powerful persecutors make? You don't have to be a legal scholar to know in order for a prosecutor to try a case, there must be an indicted defendant. In this area, Baltimore Police have simply not produced very well.

Each passing year sees the vast majority of our murders (well over 50%!) go totally unsolved. That's a lot of killers on the loose.

Furthermore, of the arrests made, federal officials typically have very little interest, except for a very small percentage that qualify with internal guidelines on case selection. Federal prosecutors tend to prefer guaranteed, slam dunk convictions.

Many cases brought to trial in Baltimore are so rife with issues, fed prosecutors, who have the luxury of picking and choosing cases, want nothing to do with them. Between shoddy evidence, lack of witnesses, poorly written police reports, questionable practices, including rampant civil rights violations and behavior contrary to constitutional conduct by the cops, the cases being brought by Baltimore Police are a bit below textbook perfection.

Snitches Get Stitches

Again we heard from officials a need for increased community cooperation. This, as Batts tried to downplay one of the city's most recent homicide victims having done just that, and possibly paying a high price for his cooperating

Dwayne Robinson Webb was killed, along with his sister Natasha Bates, in broad daylight yesterday, on the unit block of N. Fulton Ave. They were relaxing at their West Baltimore home. He'd cooperated with police and prosecutors, after picking out of a lineup, a man who'd shot him last year, only two blocks away. Now he's dead.

When asked if the killing was retaliation, avoiding a direct yes or no answer, Batt's did his best to deflect, stating: “It scares other people [from cooperating], and we don't know if that's actually what took place.” No mention was made of how shifting two prosecutors could have prevented the bloodshed.

Most readers of The Baltimore Spectator are well aware of the shameful track record of protecting witnesses in Baltimore (for a good case study, see Carl Lackl). To ask for increased citizen participation without solid promises of better protection, courtesy and cooperation coming from police, is nothing but empty, meaningless -- not to mention dangerous -- rhetoric.

Nothing New

Many media outlets got today's announcement wrong, stating two "new" prosecutors were being added to the federal ranks responsible for Baltimore city. Reality rings a bit different.

In essence all that's happening is two current city prosecutors will be deputized and detailed to work in cooperation with Rosensteins office. At that level, the direct contribution this will make to reducing ongoing street level violence is murky at best. But of course attempt was made to portray this as a reactive response having immediate tangible impact..

According to The Baltimore Sun's Justin Fenton, the move was approved by the mayor and a part of the budget for some time. Despite the timing of today's announcement and best efforts being made to convince otherwise, it was not in response to the summer crime wave and recent violence.

There's only so many "safety walks" these guys can go on before the repeating scenes, night after night on the news starts getting old and more people see through it. They had to do something different to show "concern," but action that is going beyond demonstrations done for show is desperately needed.

The call continues for real and impactful strategy. No doubt, reducing crime is a complicated, complex affair, but endless staged events seems sadly missing the mark in a city that continues to be held under siege by a rising tide of violence and mayhem.
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After an unconstitutional imprisonment lasting 6 months, denied bail, tortured, assaulted and forced to endure inhumane conditions in the notorious Baltimore City Detention Center, perennial gadfly A.F. James MacArthur, the original independent, established leader in on-scene, feet-on-the-street, Baltimore crime and emergency incident reporting  emerged undaunted and unafraid. Baltimore's premier independent crime correspondent and street reporter is a multimedia journalist who also covers urban decay and public corruption. Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel

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Greg Bernstein To Blame For Increased Homicides

Famed creator of The Wire tackles the issue of Baltimore's skyrocketing wave of violence. In a very well laid out, factual presentation, he makes his case that a weak prosecutor is partly responsible for murder rate increase.

Read: Chickens, coming home by David Simon

Be sure to check out some of the dozens of comments beneath the piece. Simon takes time to respond to many of them. Below is a sample of the kind of detailed analysis found in among reader comments.


CHAM GREENsays:

July 3, 2013 at 8:17 pm

1) Baltimore Police Department homicide clearance stats are deceptive. The FBI allows homicide detectives to question the colleagues of homicide victims to find out whether a deceased victim may have killed somebody previously. If a colleague claims that the recent victim had killed a previous victim, then the police are allowed to close a previous case with that information, even though there is very little corroborative evidence other than what a colleague divulges. Using the rules of the Uniform Crime Report, this shifty case closure method is acceptable, however, morally ethically and maybe legally this type of case closing doesn’t hold water. The Baltimore Police Department uses this clearance method in a good number of homicide cases, in reality that haven’t closed any of them.

2) +9% is a sky-rocketing homicide rate, especially since every other major American city has a decreasing homicide rate including Detroit.

3) Zero tolerance was very much about locking as many citizens up as possible. IN 2007 Baltimore City had 110, 000 arrests, that would be one arrest for nearly every 6 people who call this city their home. Between 2003 and 2007 Baltimore Police routinely made arrests for loitering, littering, use of vulgar language, open containers, drunk and disorderly, riding a bicycle on a public sidewalk and riding a bicycle without a headlamp (For fun and laughs, go check out the arrest history of BPD Officer Richard Cimini out of Western District, he had a thing about bicycles without headlamps, 100s of them). Clarence Darrow isn’t just wrong on Zero Tolerance, he’s a blatant liar.

4) Crime reporting does deter crime. Crime reporters report crime and how the criminal justice system is a self-generating industry that pleases those that earn their salaries, pensions and benefits from it. The voters realized they are getting snowed by the system and vote the top guy out. A new person gets elected to implement better systems that deter crime. Clarence Darrow should be concerned.

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A Walk-On Part In The War

Crime Reduction Needs More Substance Over Symbolism
By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

As the city continues to grapple with a sharp increase in crime, no one seems to have a ready solution, but at least leaders are finally acknowledging things are out of hand. This is no small feat. It was only a short time ago, we were stuck hearing a years repeated mantra that "overall, crime is down."

Reality has overtaken rhetoric.

At some point, the people of Baltimore stopped buying it. When this summers crime wave began, after 40 people were shot in less than two weeks, there was absolute silence from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and her appointed police commissioner Anthony Batts. The one man who dared even say SOMETHING was fired. Why, because his message was out of sync with the latest illusion they're hoping to portray. He was reading from the old script.

All Anthony Guglielmi did was repeat what they've all been saying all along. But no one told him the script was being hastily rewritten.

A kinder, gentler Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. (Tom Manzitti/Baltimore Spectator)

Enter The Mayor

After a brief stop in wardrobe and an appointment with makeup, we now have a new, kinder, gentler, more caring and compassionate Mayor. Showing up at walk after walk, and various rallies and vigils, Rawlings-Blake seems to be everywhere. Everywhere the people and the cameras are that is.

State's Attorney Gregg Bernstein and Police Commissioenr Anthony Batts have been riding the same bandwagon. What's missing is, beyond the symbolism, is anything truly different being done?

When the cameras are packed away, and the crowd has gone home, what will things be like in these war-torn neighborhoods?

I'm sorry, but merely putting a cop on every block, looking for a mythical thug under every rock is not a crime control strategy. There's zero evidence increased police presence has any lasting effect on reducing crime. What's needed is a whole new outlook and change in strategy, but no one's talking about this.

New Script Being Tested -- Community Cooperation

Now more than before, at every opportunity, whenever a mic or camera is present, city officials declare the solution to our problems is going to take all of us. They beg and plead for community participation, stating citizens have to work with police in order to make the city safer.

This may sound good on the surface, but what none of the leaders are saying is, police need to work closer with citizens. For years now, all of Black Baltimore has known, the Baltimore Police Department are more often part of the problem, than they are the solution.

Arriving on scene and treating everyone like criminal suspects and second class citizens is not how you win friends and influence people. Short shrift has been given to community complaints of police bringing misplaced aggression and needless escalation to many situations.

Cooperation is a two way street, and professionals paid and sworn to protect and serve would go a long way by setting an example and extending common courtesy in the community if they truly expect to accomplish anything of meaningful substance.
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After an unconstitutional imprisonment lasting 6 months, denied bail, tortured, assaulted and forced to endure inhumane conditions in the notorious Baltimore City Detention Center, A.F. James MacArthur, the original independent, established leader in on-scene, feet-on-the-street, Baltimore crime and emergency incident reporting  emerged undaunted and unafraid. Baltimore's premier independent crime correspondent and street reporter is a multimedia journalist who also covers urban decay and public corruption. Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel

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James MacArthur An Honorary Gay?

 Internet Troll Group Honors And Recognizes James MacArthur

Of the literally thousands of web references to the now infamous 1 December 2012, Baltimore Police Department siege standoff, this one (originally found here) is a contender for most unique and original.

The following is a press release issued by GNAA (GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA).

----------------------------------------------------

Saturday, December 1, 2012

GNAA Bestows Honorary Membership upon Dr. James MacArthur
Leon Kaiser - Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, MD - GNAA today announced that it had decided to bestow honorary membership upon Dr. James MacArthur, Ph.A.L., after a routine GNAA board meeting was interrupted with the news of his struggle against the Baltimore Police Department.

While initially police officers were sent to Dr. MacArthur's home in response to a missed court date, the Baltimore Police Department appears to have taken some allegedly threatening comments made on popular microblogging website Twitter as an excuse to send a team of heavily-armed SWAT members to intimidate Dr. MacArthur into surrendering both his First and Second Amendment rights, leading to a standoff lasting more than five hours. After a heart-wrenching series of events, Dr. MacArthur remained true to his word and turned himself in peacefully.

During the ensuing standoff, Dr. MacArthur broadcasted a live audio feed from the imperiled safety of his home, during which Dr. MacArthur streamed his lengthy discussion with police negotiator Lt. Jason Yerg, in which both parties remained remarkably calm and civil. During his long conversation with Lt. Yerg, Dr. MacArthur vividly described his disillusionment with the Baltimore Police Department's competence and effectiveness. At one point, Dr. MacArthur thoroughly depicted his frightening experiences as a black man living in Baltimore, most notably recalling the time when a hitman knocked on his door after mistaking his address for the one next door. Dr. MacArthur's next-door neighbors were found dead in their home the next morning.

"I'm honored to be considered a member of GNAA," Dr. MacArthur belched, downing the remainder of his forty-ounce bottle of King Cobra malt liquor, "I'll need all the help I can get in the coming days. That is, if I make it out of this alive."

"My soul is prepared. I will see God. It's about to be over." Dr. MacArthur slurred, opening another bottle of malt liquor with his enormous calloused hands, "Please someone help me. Walls closing in. The polive have found me."

"While normally we would condemn Dr. MacArthur for being a blogger, we have found that Dr. MacArthur's blog is a touching and dedicated account of the struggles of the Baltimore Negro community," GNAA founder and CEO Gary Niger explained, "and as such, we feel that Dr. MacArthur not only meets, but by far exceeds our definition of 'extraordinary blogger'."

"We feel that by praising Dr. MacArthur's blog," GNAA representative Brandon Vedas explained, "we reiterate that our stance on blogging is not an entirely negative one. Dr. MacArthur is a spectacular example of a 'good blogger'. That being said, the quality of Dr. MacArthur's blog is an incredibly rare pearl lying in the darkest depths of the immense sea of mediocrity known as the 'Blogosphere'."

GNAA will hold an unexpected board meeting early next week to decide whether or not Dr. MacArthur's dedication merits the awarding of a "Purple Phallus" award.

About Dr. James MacArthur Ph.A.L. :

With a reputation as a freedom fighter and true patriot, Dr. A.F. James MacArthur has become the undisputed champion of bringing Baltimore's Negro community objective, professional, up-to-date coverage of the corruption and incompetence rampant in the Baltimore Police Department, and the out-of-control crime being committed on its streets. With a well-earned reputation as a bastion of journalistic integrity, known for his extensive and insightful coverage of (and commentary on) urban decay and public corruption. Having shown time and time again that he is not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to bring Baltimore's Negro community a more thorough story, Dr. MacArthur truly is Baltimore's premier independent crime correspondent and street reporter.

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Letting Em Get Away With It

Police Corruption And Brutality Not Always Easy To Prove

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? --
 Who will guard the guards themselves?
 People often fear reporting police misconduct

By A.F. James MacArthur Ph.A.L.

"We have too many corrupt police officers." Last week when Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes said those words while discussing the seeming non-stop bloodshed and violence coursing through the city, the statement brought instant polarization. Responses ranged from those wholeheartedly agreeing 100%, to others being deeply offended and insulted.

Does he have any proof, was asked by many who were quick to criticize the councilman's claim as being unsubstantiated. Even the Fraternal Order Of Police chimed in via Twitter.

But has anyone considered having solid "proof" meeting the level of evidentiary standards acceptable by a court of law, is not always that easy to obtain? Lack of "proof" certainly doesn't prove something hasn't happened.

Truth is, many cases of police corruption, intimidation, and even brutality are cleverly concealed. Sometimes it'll be years after the incident before even the slightest inkling of it finds its way to some form of official report.

By it's very nature, proving wrongdoing by police is not only difficult, but the one seeking proof does so at great personal risk. At the low end, one faces potential harassment and veiled threats, at the other extreme, there are cases where people have showed up dead.

It's certainly not within the scope of this story to give a ton of specific examples, but the reader is cautioned to not take this to mean it doesn't happen.

"We take the hit at people, and say they’re not telling the police what’s happening. That’s absolutely false. People tell the police.." - Baltimore City Councilman Carl Stokes

As someone who's personally called 911 in Baltimore on numerous occasions to report crimes, with less than satisfactory results, I've seen first hand how reports of crime was ignored by police, creating the statistical appearance of nothing having happened.

The rhetorical question comes to mind; if a crime occurs and the police ignore it, has a crime really taken place at all? If residents call the police to report street crime and see no results, how can they feel confident in reporting possible criminal wrong doing by officers and be taken seriously?

In a statement released by the Fraternal Order of Police, it suggested Stokes statement was dishonest: "Mr. Stokes’ comments are an affront to every honest and hard working Baltimore City Police Officer, not to mention those brave police officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice while working to protect our city streets.  Mr. Stokes’ comments are outrageous, inflammatory, and untrue..."

There's no question the Baltimore Police Department is made up of many good officers, but is there any denying by a close observer that it also has more than it's fair share of bad characters?

It's not like people who see cops committing crime can just feel safe and confident that going to officials with complaints will yield results.

Even when well known crime reporter Justin Fenton recently had an incident with Baltimore Police, he chose not to file an official report. The path he picked to pursue his complaint is not one available to the typical citizen of Charm City.

Someone else would have been treated worse.

Interesting. Batts' security put hands on both of my shoulders and removed me from asking a question to the commissioner...
— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) June 26, 2013

The police physically interjecting on a reporter merely trying to do his job ranks way up there in police wrong doing. Under the First Amendment, an incident like this could realistically be pursued for potential criminal wrongdoing. At a minimum, an internal affairs complaint. 

We reached out to Fenton via email to ask  for more details on the incident. His response was quite revealing:

"As I posted on Twitter, I was removed from asking a question of the commissioner at City Hall. Some asked what I was asking about at the time, but that wasn’t so much the issue as I hadn’t really gotten the question out. I spoke with the commissioner later, and I’m confident this particular kind of thing won’t be an issue again nor will it affect our coverage."

In the scale of police wrong doing, this incident is clearly on the minor side of things, but the principle involved is major.  Were it more serious, and involving the average citizen, would they be able to cut through red tape and middlemen to go straight to the Police Commissioner with their complaint? Probably not. Even this incident, public as it may have been, does not exist on official stats. Because Fenton did not file an official complaint.

Whether or not he should have taken things further is left to individual opinion. The point is, were he an average citizen being roughed up by cops for whatever reason, without the possibility of being able to tweet or write a column about it, he probably would have just stayed quiet and moved on with his life. Most people don't have the public platform that a Baltimore Sun reporter has.

It's not far fetched to imagine the same response takes place when individuals are subjected to treatment far

Some Baltimore Police officers will literally say this.

worse. Talk to enough people in Baltimore, especially in economically challenged, disenfranchised neighborhoods, they'll tell you crimes by cops are not only a normal occurrence, but that they take place with routine frequency.

People don't feel safe reporting on incidents they're personally involved in. Someone witnessing an incident of police misconduct not directly affecting them is even less likely to come forward with all the risks involved. This lack of filing official complaints, including Fenton's incident, further bolsters the culprits feeling of immunity and emboldens their impulse to keep carrying on their abusive behavior.

Cops commit crime all the time that will never be reported or documented, because people let them get away with it. We're all to blame.

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After an unconstitutional imprisonment lasting 6 months, denied bail, tortured, assaulted and forced to endure inhumane conditions in the notorious Baltimore City Detention Center, A.F. James MacArthur, the original independent, established leader in on-scene, feet-on-the-street, Baltimore crime and emergency incident reporting  emerged undaunted and unafraid. Baltimore's premier independent crime correspondent and street reporter is a multimedia journalist who also covers urban decay and public corruption. Email MacArthurMedia@gmail.com, @BaltoSpectator on twitter, Spreaker web radio, BlogTalk Radio, Baltimore Spectator on Facebook,YouTube channel

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