Commits Suicide While Handcuffed??
 

I know this has received a lot of coverage from The Grio, Madame Noir, and other African-American owned websites, but I haven't seen a lot of this in "mainstream" news.

<blockquote> "As protocol, he was handcuffed behind his back, double-locked and searched," said Jonesboro Police Department Sgt. Lyle Waterworth...


Just minutes later, police said they heard a thumping noise, turned around and found Carter shot in the head.</blockquote>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1730997.html

Also he was reported to be left-handed, but he was shot in the right temple?

Anyone else think this is...odd? The FBI are now investigating this.

It is very odd and we shall see what the FBI's investigation finds.

I am from southeast Missouri, along the Missouri-Arkansas state line. I am an Arkansas State alumn and lived in Jonesboro for several years. This doesn't have anything to do with this issue, just some personal background and to explain my interest in the Chavis Carter incident. While I was visiting my family the 1st week of August, the Jonesboro station was running reports nightly about the case. According to initial reports, the dash cams and witnesses have backed up the officers' reports.

The Jonesboro police department has issued this re-enactment of the incident:

http://www.kait8.com/category/240189...autostart=true

To be honest, this video is not clearing up the issue with me. I know that not everyone does what they are supposed to every time, but I believe it is standard procedure for police to search anyone who they have placed in handcuffs (either for arrest or when the police place someone in handcuffs for "safety reasons"). It leaves the question, why didn't the police officers search Chavis Carter? And, the re-enactment just looks awkward to me.

This looks incredibly suspicious. We'll see what if anything the FBI turns up.

It seems unlikely that someone would kill themselves instead of going back to jail.

Yeah, this kinda' raised my BS meter a notch or too as well. When things don't sound right they usually aren't right. Guess we will see, though.

You would be surprised Kevin. We have undocumented aliens that try to commit suicide while in DHS custody and they aren't even facing jail time, just being put on a bus back to Mexico and don't get forget all the suicide by cop incidents that happen out there.

I don't think this is fishy in the sense that the cops killed the guy and planted a gun on him blah blah blah but why the heck didn't the arresting officers not search this guy?!

The State Crime Lab has ruled Chavis Carter's death a suicide.

http://www.kait8.com/story/19149968/...ment-on-ruling

Thanks for the update. We shall see whether the family is convinced.

Yep there are people who attempt or commit suicide to avoid arrest or to avoid being taken to jail.


Call humans "aliens" in certain settings and you will get a stern talking to. "Undocumented immigrant" and "illegal immigrant" are stigmatizing and dehumanizing enough to assert the point being made.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...RLX-KjgI98tX4I

Well since I don't chum around with members of La Raza, LULAC, or other organizations that try to convince the general public that immigration laws were made to broken I.Dont.Give.A.Fuck. Shall we stop referring to people who commit felonies felons, rapers rapists, DUI convictee's drunk drivers? The funny thing is undocumented immigrant is actually the most PC term to describe illegal aliens.

Own what you do.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as the LEGAL term to describe a non U.S. citizen or national is ALIEN then it's perfectly acceptable to refer to them as aliens. If you (or anybody) have a problem with that then I suggest you contact your Congressman and ask him to change the terminology used in the INA.

The meth and hydrocodone in his system explain a lot. I had a meth addict opposing party kill himself in one of my cases yesterday. Tragic stuff.

Neither do I and that is not what this is about.***

No shit--and not just in the United States of America.

However, in countries like the United States of America where people are mostly angered over undocumented people from Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries, there remain certain nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures of people who are more likely to be called "aliens" whereas for other nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures of people the legal term is often conveniently forgotten in favor of "illegal/undocumented immigrant".

Sometimes people challenge legal terms which does not mean they are challenging the law.*** This is certainly not the first or the last time people challenge language and wording. Differing opinions aside, people can take these challenges to their Congressperson and/or discuss it amongst themselves which is why I replied to your post.

Así es la vida

The words "illegal alien" convey that them being here is not something we approve of and that we believe they have made an immoral choice to take advantage of what this country offers without respecting our laws. Terms like "unauthorized immigrant" or whatever convey the message that we don't take this very seriously (and maybe that's factually right).

Illegal immigration is a big problem in this country and I suppose on a macro level, we can blame our good fortune and Mexico's bad fortune for it. On an individual level, these are still individuals ignoring our laws and I have zero sympathy for them.

GSR (gun shot residue) in the right places or it didn't happen the way the officers allege it happened. An attorney for the decedant's family is seeking the GSR evidence report. My understanding was that his drug screen results showed trace amounts of valium, oxycodone, marijuana, and methamphetamine. Not liked he was hopped up on meth at the time.

There are differing opinions on what is being conveyed and regarding whom it is being conveyed.

Be it as it may, all that matters as far as I am concerned is that people know there are contexts in which people may respond negatively to the use of "alien." Of course, people can still use the legal and Census term "alien" if need be. Just do not act shocked that there are people who believe that the legal and Census term is inappropriate and especially for everyday use.

I am obviously very concerned about that.

And why is that? Are those people interested in sugarcoating the fact that illegal aliens are here in open defiance of our laws and taking advantage of a system which ensures our working poor either remain on the welfare rolls or cannot compete with a group of people who are willing to work for less than minimum wage, not report workplace injuries and share an 800 sq. ft. home with 19 of their closest friends?