Recording the Police: A Felony

This is some disturbing footage. In Petersburg, Virginia, the police arrested people next door to the home of JaQuan Fisher. He started recording them. The police then attacked Fisher violently. His sister then recorded that. It is that footage shown in the link. Fisher was charged with 2 counts of felony assault on law enforcement and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge. Even though he did nothing wrong at all. This is emblematic of both the routine police violence against African-Americans and how African-Americans become “criminals.” Their basic rights are violated, they try to resist those violations, and they get charged with felonies.

Once again, what happened in Ferguson is not unique. It is par for the course in this nation that has empowered the police to commit widespread violence against people of color without consequence.