QUIET As IT's Kept: 11/5/05          When For Democracy, Justice & Freedom In USA - Hopewell, Virginia?

Although I know that Condoleeza Rice thinks that there is democracy, justice and freedom in America - as long as she can shop for and buy expensive shoes, and be with Dubya and the wealthy elite. And, I know that Ronald Reagan announced, way back when he was the US President, that there was no more racism in the USA. I also know what the US Government and a substantial percentage of the population have as their top priority, from what they say and do with spending and stealing the material and human resources of the USA, and everywhere else in the world that they can. Finally, I know how devoted the current US Government and a substantial percentage of the population is to "fighting the war against global terrorism", that they are largely responsible for creating, and "spreading (their version of) democracy throughout the Middle East", whether most of them like it or not. Oh yeah, and uhmm, I know that many of the most influential, claimed, "Christians leaders" and their followers "believe" that George W. Bush is a great Christian person of love, compassion, truth, and so on.confused-smiley-013.gif

I am an honorable discharged African American* Viet Nam Era US Navy veteran, so I'm taking this opportunity to "whine" furious3.gif a little bit here about the facts that (1) in my 62 years here, as a citizen in the USA, I have never personally know full democracy, justice and freedom. (2) My great grandfather, who was an indigenous person of the Cherokee nation or tribe, never knew democracy, justice and freedom, after Christopher Columbus got lost and sparked the European invasion of this continent, (3) My grandfather, grandmother, great grandmother, mother, father, sister nor brothers ever experienced personal democracy, justice and freedom in their citizenship here in America. *[Yes I do know that Andy Rooney recently said in an interview that he did not like the use of the term/label African American. He prefers Black. He seems like a nice man, but, all of the people of African ancestry are not black. Does Andy not like the use of the terms/labels Irish American, Italian American, Chinese American, and the others on the US Census? Hummm...glare.gif]

Here is a personal current example: I am the oldest brother of Douglas Banks Harris, a pedestrian at the time he was killed by a Hopewell, Virginia police car driven by a police officer on the night of Friday October 29, 2004. The following text is from (with link to) the November 1, 2004 report in the Petersburg, Virginia PROGRESS-INDEX newspaper:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13265983&BRD=2271&PAG=461&dept_id=462946&rfi=8

The Progress-Index home : news : news : top local stories

Hopewell police strike, kill pedestrian
By:JASON REEVES, Staff Writer 11/01/2004

HOPEWELL -  A 51-year-old Hopewell man was killed late Friday when he was struck by a city police vehicle in a tragic collision that is under investigation, authorities say.

Douglas Banks Harris was walking just before midnight in the 2500 block of Winston Churchill Boulevard - which veers from Oaklawn Boulevard to the industries on East Randolph Road - when he was hit by the police vehicle.

Early investigations have determined that an on-duty Hopewell police officer was traveling westbound on Winston Churchill Boulevard and his vehicle collided with Harris, near the intersection of High Avenue.

Authorities say the pedestrian struck the hood and windshield of the law enforcement vehicle before tumbling to the pavement, where he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not released any information about the officer involved in the fatal mishap and said yesterday that no more details would be made public until further analysis. A press release from the department said "the incident remains under investigation at this time."

The Hopewell Fire Department, Hopewell Emergency Crew and Prince George police Crash Team all were dispatched to Friday's collision.

Anyone with information about the incident can call Hopewell police at 541-2222.


ŠThe Progress-Index 2005

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The following is a copy of my request to the ACLU for a case review, dated 2/26/05

 

American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia
Attn: Executive Director: Kent Willis

I live in San Diego, California. On the night of the incident I received a telephone call from our brother, Bryant Walker, who lives in Hopewell with our mother, Nettie Mae Harris/Walker. Bryant told me that Douglas had been killed, and that they would let me know about the details as soon as they received them. I've waited for information about those details for four months now.

 

The undisputed facts are:

  • Douglas was killed by a Hopewell, Virginia police car driven by a police officer on the night of Friday October 29, 2004.
  • For the past four months the Hopewell Police Department has refused to release the accident report, the name of the police officer who drove the police car that struck and killed Douglas or any other information or facts to Douglas' mother or any other immediate family member, originally claiming that because of the nature of the incident involving a Hopewell police officer and vehicle, an "independent" investigation was required and being carried out by the Colonial Heights Police Department. A few days ago Bryant told me that they now say the matter is being investigated by the Virginia State Police.

Relevant information:

  • Bryant and Douglas' son, Terrance spoke with a witness to the incident who told them that around 11:30 PM he saw Douglas helping a man who had a problem with his truck, when along came a speeding police car with no lights, dome light or siren on and hit Douglas. Following which the witness went over to a police officer who had arrived on the scene, and asked who the person was who had been hit, because he wanted to get in touch with his family to let them know that he saw the incident happen, and what he had seen. The witness, a young Black man,  was told by the policeman to leave the scene or he would be arrested. Before the witness left the scene he saw the man with the truck, Douglas was helping, drive way from the scene. Consequentially, the witness told Bryant and Terrance that he now fears harm to himself from the Hopewell Police Department if he were to come forth and tell what he saw.
  • Although Douglas was living with his mother and was separated from his wife, Edith, and had not lived with her for some years, Edith has filed claim as Douglas "Next of kin", is involved in some sort of settlement negotiation with the Hopewell Police Department, and refuses to communicate any information to Douglas' mother or any other immediate family member.
  • The Hopewell News newspaper seems to be involved in a cover-up, in collusion with the Hopewell Police Department: Bryant had said that there was no report in The Hopewell News on the incident, although the incident happened a couple of miles from their office. On Wednesday February 24, 2005, I called the Hopewell News office at 804-458-8511. I identified myself and told the woman who answered that I was calling to speak to the the reporter who had covered the incident so that I could get a copy of their report. I was transferred to a man who would not give me his name, and said that he was not with the Hopewell News at the time of the incident. He then transferred my call to a woman who identified herself as Krysty Tallman. I repeated to her who I was and why I was calling. Krysty said (although there is an "Archives: Search Articles" field on their website at http://www.hopewellnews.com/) the article was not available from the website, she would have to scan the article, would call me on Thursday to tell me if a copy could be emailed, or otherwise how I could received the copy. As of today, no one from The Hopewell News has called to tell me how to get a copy of their article reporting the matter.

Hopewell Contact Info: Douglas' Mother, Nettie Mae Harris/Walker and his brother Bryant Walker telephone number is 804-541-9251. His sister, Veronica Montez McCoy telephone numbers are (H) 804-458-0693 (C) 804-901-3184 (W) 804-796-3143.

 

Do the citizens of Hopewell, Virginia and the family members of Douglas Banks Harris have any American Civil Liberties Rights to immediately receive the official accident report, information and facts regarding his being killed by a police vehicle driven by a police officer, four months ago?

 

 

Straight ahead, albeit in a spiraling sort of way.
ALL Faith, supported by Knowledge, PROTECTS.
Rama Demetrius Dyushambee, DD
Founder,  www.YOUtopiaINstitute.org 
Tel: 619/584-0542 Fax: 619/269-4561

Address: 4064 Monroe Ave. #C, San Diego, California 92116-3859

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Here's a copy of the ACLU response:

 

Over a year later The Progress-Index reporter, JASON REEVES, Staff Writer, had not followed up on the story, as he said to me that he would do, no one from the Hopewell News paper has ever returned my telephone call, and we still have no results of an "investigation" or other official answers,   just the obvious that any coherent person can glean from what we do know.   Huh? huh.gif

Up & On to "The Mind Is The Last Frontier..."

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