Betrayal in Black

by Mark M Bello

  “That’s not fair, Michael. You act as if there is an epidemic of cop-on- black police shootings, when you know they are few and far between. There are thousands of cops, patriotic and law-abiding cops who are laying their lives on the line for all citizens, black and white, all over this country,” Ellington argues.

  “I wouldn’t use the term ‘epidemic,’ but I would, absolutely, use the term ‘disturbing trend.’ I’m not suggesting there aren’t good cops. There are two of them up here on this stage. But, what I am suggesting is we need methods to weed out and properly train those inclined to make rash and deadly decisions based on race,” Kendell argues.

  “So, where does Black Lives Matter fit into this discussion?”

  Blake changes the subject, to diffuse obvious tension between Kendell and Ellington.

  “Black Lives Matter fits in because, although a member of any race or ethnic group could be a victim of a cop-shooting, in every instance where an officer cited fear of his or her life, the victim was black,” Kendell contends.

  “But is that a media reporting issue or a factual issue? Maybe these things are happening to white men and women, but those cases don’t make headline news,” Blake suggests.

  “The media is reporting on these cases because they are occurring with increased frequency. In point of fact, that’s how and why Black Lives Matter was born,” Kendell advances. “And we will keep railing against these institutional racist policies and incidents until they become a thing of the past.”

  “The opposite seems to be true in kidnapping cases. We couldn’t get the media interested in Aisha’s case. She had to compete with the cold case of a white kid, and the cold case won,” Ellington laments.

  “I don’t want to ruffle anyone’s feathers, and this may be racially insensitive, but one of the criticisms of Black Lives Matter is that there was almost no reaction when Gil Dunham, a white cop, was killed,” Blake suggests.

  “Now I realize that Dunham was a criminal, and that fact alone distinguishes his shooting from the Marcus Hayes shooting, but where is the public outrage? And where’s the outrage when a black guy is shot and killed by another black guy? Should your movement be called ‘Black Lives Matter when they are killed by white cops, and white lives don’t matter at all?’”

  “I agree with the first part of your statement, Zack. It is racially insensitive. In fact, your whole premise is false,” Kendell scolds.

  “This is not indicative of how I feel about the movement, Michael, but it does characterize the feelings of many Ronald John supporters and other people who tend to vote with a more conservative slant,” Blake clarifies.

  “In my opinion, this is another one of those reporting myths, much like the media’s failure to cover Aisha’s abduction,” Kendell argues.

  “A black person killing another black person in the hood is no longer news. The black community has grown accustomed to it and the white community expects it. That doesn’t mean the black community doesn’t care.

  “By the way, I’m not giving credence to the suggestion, either. I’m simply saying, rightly or wrongly, this is how some people in the community feel. I agree we should look at broader issues of crime in our communities and search for solutions. The media, however, is focused on our movement and upon black men being killed by police officers, both white and black. We must seize the moment and take advantage of this unparalleled coverage of the killings. Usually, these types of crimes are ignored by the media.”

  “My city, Zack, as you know, is a blue-collar, lower-income city,“ Ellington remarks. “To Michael’s point, education and poverty have a direct impact on crime statistics. Crime in the suburbs is unusual and newsworthy, while crime in the city is an everyday occurrence and less newsworthy. Is that fair? Is that a form of racism? I’m not a big fan of Black Lives Matter, but as a black man, I certainly understand the racial and media divide when it comes to these issues.

  “We have their attention for once. We need to take advantage of this and try to change things for the better. What Cedar Ridge did following the Hayes shooting is a great example of positive change. Their task force, its findings, and solutions should be applauded and emulated.”

  “Amen, brother,” Kendell nods to and acknowledges Chief Brooks.

  The audience applauds. The panel waits before continuing.

  Blake actually steps on the applause as he continues the discussion. The audience quiets. “But shouldn’t our society prefer to view people and crime less selectively?” He argues. “All lives matter, don’t they? Isn’t limiting our protests to what the movement calls ‘black lives’ a form of reverse racism? Why don’t we start a movement focused on the reduction of crime, the improvement of education, and the betterment of all people in all communities, regardless of race? Why isn’t that a preferred goal?”

  Many in the audience nod in agreement. There are also voices of discontent.

  “It is a preferred goal, Zack. And that’s a fair question,” Kendell acknowledges.

  “However, with all due respect, it’s rather naïve. The problems we’re discussing tonight do not broadly impact white communities.

  “Let’s take you and your family as an example. You live in Bloomfield Hills, an upscale, predominately wealthy and white suburban community. If your son goes out for the evening and you watch the car roll down the driveway, do you ask yourself if it may be the last time you will ever see him?

  “Many parents in the hood—inner-city Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Baton Rouge or other predominately black urban communities ask that question every time their kids leave the house. While focusing on all communities sounds good, it should be readily apparent that some communities need no help at all.”

  “Point taken,” Zack concedes. “But how do you respond to a white person who argues, “I don’t see things in black or white? I see the person in front of me, and I believe all people should be treated fairly.” Black Lives Matter doesn’t do that. In fact, the movement seems to have an anti-white bias. There are a large number of people who feel this way. How do we respond to them?“

  “That’s a great question, Zack. I don’t think the movement is racist, nor do I believe it necessarily accuses white people of being racist,” Kendell begins. “The movement seeks to address one issue and one issue only: Black men are being killed by cops. We want to stop this madness.

  “My friend Billy Ellington here is a black man and a cop. He probably has different goals, broader community goals for Detroit citizens than those I espouse, and that’s okay. I would be willing to work with Billy in the city and you in the suburbs to achieve our goals, but for me, my first priority is to stop the cop-on-black killings. To do that, we need all communities, white and black, to care about that issue.”

  “But, Michael, the opposite is true, too. Being a cop is very dangerous. When you’re a cop, your color isn’t black or white. It’s blue. When someone shoots at a cop, he doesn’t see black or white—he’s shooting at the man in blue. Cops bleed too! We’re afraid too!” Ellington’s emphatic.

  “We need compassion and empathy and a little respect for putting our lives in harm’s way to protect the very citizens who might one day be shooting at us. This isn’t an easy job. In fact, it’s damn hard! We need to work on this together, people of all colors and creeds, including cops. Cops are people too, man,” Ellington pleads.

  “I completely agree, Brother Billy,” Kendell concedes. “I stand ready, willing, and able to work with all people, on all sides of these critical issues, to put an end to gun violence of any kind on our streets. I know Chief Brooks, Detective Ellington, and Attorney Blake feel the same way. I hope they will join me in this endeavor.

  “I promised our special guest, Sarah Hayes, the last word tonight. She has an exciting announcement. Ladies and gentlemen, Sarah Hayes!”

  Sarah walks cautiously toward a lectern situated on the right side of the stage. The audience stands and gives her a thunderous ovation. As the applause begins to die down,
Sarah signals to someone off to the side of the stage. Two men appear on opposite sides of a large cardboard architectural drawing of an impressive modern building. The men station themselves on stage to Sarah’s left as she begins to read from some notecards.

  “Thank you for attending this unique and informative forum tonight. What an insightful conversation! Let’s give our distinguished panelists a round of applause.”

  The audience complies with a long and enthusiastic ovation. When the crowd quiets, Sarah continues.

  “It’s imperative that we, a community of human beings of all colors and national origins, continue to discuss these issues and commit to finding sensible solutions.

  “Rodney King posed an important yet simple question, all those years ago in California: ‘Can’t we all get along?’ While it seems like a simple question, we are still searching for answers. We must learn to get along. We must keep talking to one another.

  “To assist in that effort, I’d like to announce, as part of the settlement of my husband’s case against the City of Cedar Ridge, the Southeastern Lower Michigan Community of Police Officers will build the Marcus Hayes Center for Training Police Officers in the Appropriate Use of Deadly Force right here on the campus of Wayne State University.”

  The audience responds with a standing ovation. As the applause diminishes, Sarah continues.

  “This will be a state-of-the-art facility, for use by all communities seeking to receive use-of-force training and improve use-of-force decision-making skills. We do not suggest use of force is never necessary. However, he recommends it for purposes of self-defense or defense of innocent people. Even then, force should only be what is reasonably necessary.

  “While no two incidents are the same, and officer personality and judgment are unique to the particular officer involved, the training is designed to teach officers quick and appropriate responses to unique situations. Officers will receive training in situational awareness, to judge when a particular crisis requires force, and how to establish control with the minimum use of force necessary under the circumstances.

  “The center’s training goals will be to teach officers that use of force shall be limited to that amount necessary to mitigate an incident, make an arrest and protect the officer and other innocent civilians and officers from harm. Use of force shall be an officer’s last option, a necessary course of action to restore safety when all other practices have proven ineffective. Training will use dynamic and interactive principles that include problem-based role-play, lectures, and demonstrations designed to provide students with the skills necessary to implement and train others in the appropriate use of force.

  “The center will also be a national data storage center, keeping track of use of force incidents, whether appropriate or inappropriate force was used, providing sensible advice and counsel on how those situations were handled and whether there are safer solutions than those employed.

  “The training will include courses in rendering life-saving first aid at the scene of a use-of-force incident and time-is-of-the-essence training in assuring that trained medical assistance teams are dispatched with due expedience.

  “The ultimate goal of the center is to achieve that level of force that is permitted by the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The United States Supreme Court has established a standard of ‘objectively reasonable’ and has mandated that the ‘reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene.’

  “As such, officers must receive premium-level training and develop the experience to determine which use-of-force option will deescalate a particular situation and bring it under control, safely and prudently, using an officer’s sound judgment and governed by objective, not subjective standards.

  “My husband would be proud this center bears his name. It is an important way to honor his sacrifice. As our daughters grow, they may view this center as a reminder their father did not die in vain. We are still a young nation with a lot to learn and important work yet to be done. Thank you, and God bless you.”

  The audience stands for the third time and gives the project an enthusiastic ovation. Kendell pauses and waits on the crowd.

  “This is an amazing development. We look forward to seeing this project become fully operational and a benefit to communities everywhere. Thank you, Sister Sarah. Thanks to my special guest panelists, and thanks to all of you for coming. We have limited time, but we’ll be happy to take questions . . .”

  ***

  Three days after the forum, Sarah Hayes is driving home from work. She is listening to WWJ NEWS RADIO 950, the local news station in Detroit. In a late-breaking bulletin, a reporter is reporting the death of a citizen who was stopped by a white police officer on Gratiot near Eastern Market. According to the report, a fifty-year-old African American man was pulled over for a broken taillight.

  The apparently unarmed man was told to stay in the car. Instead, he put the vehicle in park, exited, and confronted the officer. A heated discussion ensued, and the man decided to turn and run.

  The officer chased him down and caught up with him at the entrance to the market. The two men struggled, and the officer shot the man three times. The officer stated he discharged his weapon during the struggle because he feared for his life. A witness, however, filmed the entire episode on his cell phone.

  This is radio, not television, so Sarah listens as the reporter describes, in graphic and brutal detail, what she is seeing.

  “This cell phone video displays, rather graphically and clearly, that the victim is running away from the officer at the time of the shooting and shows him being struck by bullets, not once, not twice, but three times.

  “The victim does not appear to be holding a weapon of any kind. The officer is walking over to the fallen victim, and he is grabbing the hands from what appears to be his lifeless body. He applies handcuffs. It now looks like the officer is taking the man’s pulse and radioing for assistance.

  “This is only one reporter’s opinion, but I cannot imagine how this man could possibly be alive, nor can I imagine why any of this force was necessary over a broken taillight. The video displays what can only be called a cold-blooded execution.

  “Be glad you are not seeing this video footage yourself. It is disturbing. I am certain we have not heard the last of this story. We do not know the status of the officer, whether he has been relieved of duty, is in custody, or is being questioned. We will provide more details when they become available. Reporting live from Eastern Market, I’m Michelle Delaney, WWJ News Radio 950.”

  Sarah Hayes listens in horror. After Delaney completes her report, Sarah turns off the car radio. She pulls over to the side of the road and weeps.

  END

  Thank you for reading, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed Betrayal In Black. As an independently published author, I rely on you, the reader, to spread the word. So, if you enjoyed this book, please tell your friends and family, and I would appreciate a brief review on Amazon. Thanks again.

  Mark

  Join Zachary Blake in his next journey into justice in Betrayal High. Please continue for an excerpt. You can also buy it now from Amazon.

  Betrayal High

  Prologue

  Kevin Burns is alone in the house.

  Mom left early for work. Dad? Who the fuck ever knows where Dad is? Probably spent the night at his girlfriend’s house.

  Kevin calmly walks into his parent’s bedroom.

  Where does that asshole keep the keys to the cabinet?

  Kevin carefully goes through drawers and cabinets. For some reason, he wants to leave no trace of a search.

  What the fuck difference does it make?

  The same is true of the gun storage and display cabinet.

  Don’t want to break into the cabinet, but I will if I can’t find the damn keys. Yes! Here they are!

  Kevin finds the keys nestled in his father’s cigar box. He lifts the box and takes the
keys. He also discovers and pilfers a cigar and some matches. I’ll smoke a victory stogie after the deed is done.

  He stuffs the cigar and matches in his pocket and walks from the bedroom into the den and over to the gun cabinet. He uses the key to open the cabinet.

  His father showed Kevin the collection multiple times. Kevin is duly impressed. In fact, he’s damned excited about the vast array of weapons, even more so at the prospect of using them on some assholes.

  Dad has no idea guns inspire me, all part of my plan.

  On many occasions, when he and his father debated the Second Amendment, Kevin always took the liberal side of the debate.

  Why do Americans need so many guns? Who needs an AK47 Assault rifle? Will the deer shoot back? You’re an expert shot. If someone breaks into the house, and you have to shoot him, isn’t an assault rifle massive overkill?

  Kevin actually believes none of that. He believes the Second Amendment is sacrosanct and grants him the absolute right to possess any weapon he wants. He couldn’t own guns. He didn’t have the money and wasn’t old enough. Today’s plan requires real firepower. His plan is in place, but he continues to go over it in his mind.

  Park the Challenger in the south side parking lot. The school officer will be parading around on the north side like he always does, high fiving his favorite students. My hands will be full. Some idiot will hold the door for me. I’ll say ‘thanks,’ if I like him. If I don’t, maybe I’ll shoot his ass.

  I’ll get the pressure cooker ready to arm, load Dad’s AK47 and Lugar, walk up the south side steps to my locker, and head toward the center of campus. That’s where the real assholes hang out, center stage, where they can be seen in all their glory.

  Those fuckers are going to die today. Today, it ends for them, the massacre of massacres, a day of reckoning for those who thought I was weak, someone to be ridiculed and picked on. They will feel my wrath, receive my vengeance, and know my power. I will shoot the first person I see who has called me ‘tiny’ or ‘flop ears’ or ‘tard’ or any other of their favorite names.