When Police Protect and Serve Become Lie and Betray

In the heart of Philadelphia, the chilling echoes of yet another tragedy reverberate. A young 27-year-old Latino man named Eddie Izarry lost his life to the (Police) very institution meant to protect and serve him. The official narrative? He had lunged at the police with a knife. But, dear readers, prepare yourselves, for the body camera footage paints a starkly different, gut-wrenching reality.

The truth is as shocking as it is infuriating. Izarry was inside his own car when the police shouted at him, “Show your hands! Shut up!” And then, they killed him in cold blood. It’s a stark reminder of the unchecked abuse of power lurking beneath the shield of law enforcement uniforms and badges.

One of the officers involved, the one who pulled the trigger, had the audacity to surrender himself at the police station. No remorse, hands in his pockets, no handcuffs, as if he believed he was owed something. How can such impunity be tolerated? And what about the other officers who were present, those who corroborated this egregious lie?

Video shows Philadelphia police officer shooting Eddie Irizarry moments after arriving on the scene
(6 ABC News).

It’s nothing short of ridiculous. This is not an isolated incident but a grim continuation of a deeply troubling trend. We recently reported on the DeSoto County (Memphis) police shooting of a Black man, 32-year-old Demarcus Williams, in his own home. He had heard a noise at 5 a.m., grabbed a gun to protect himself, and was shot by police from outside. They claimed he pointed a gun at them, but the evidence suggests he never even met them face-to-face.

And their excuse for not having body cam footage? Conveniently, it was a task force operation, and, we are told, task forces don’t wear body cams due to the “nature” of their work. It’s a blatant disregard for accountability and reform.

Man shot, killed by DeSoto County deputies
(6 ABC News)

But the injustices don’t stop there. In New Castle, Delaware, police shot and killed a young 28-year-old Black man who was fleeing for his life. Allegedly, he had just robbed a store in a well-to-do community. But did he have a weapon? No. And yet, they claim they were in imminent danger. What a load of lies! How can the police say that the victim was physically fighting with the officers to get out of the car in one sentence and then say that he was driving in a dangerous manner that put police in imminent danger which led to the shooting by the police in another? It does not add up to scrutiny. Were the police in the car while the car was moving? How is it possible that a trooper’s vehicle had the victim’s car pinned in? Did the shooting occur during the chase or afterward? The police had a press conference and provided no opportunity for questioning as their carefully worded statement was ambiguous. Moreover, there is no word yet as to whether the troopers were wearing body cams. There is clearly an effort to cover this story and to hide the evidence. We will continue to follow this news.

Delaware Police investigating after deadly shooting kills 28-year-old fugitive

These stories hit close to home for many of us. I, too, have experienced a terrifying encounter with the police. I was on my way to testify as a witness in a case when a lone police officer pulled me over, shouting and brandishing his gun. If it weren’t for bystanders videotaping and my quick thinking, who knows what might have happened to me?

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world; it seems that power corrupts. In this country, police abuse of power and brutality are deeply tied to racial disparities. In Jamaica, it’s not necessarily racial but class-based, with police excesses occurring in certain poorer neighborhoods. But no matter where you are, Black people continue to face brutality and unfair treatment.

When a Black/Brown man says “I hate the police,” it comes from the heart of a man who has experienced police violence and excesses. My family has suffered at the hands of the police, and the system continues to protect those who abuse their power.

In February 2023, I wrote an article that was published in “You Might Need to Hear This” magazine titled “Tyre Nichols: A Black Academic Response to Police Brutality Within a Culture of Violence.” We called for visibility and accountability in the police force after the unjust killing of Tyre Nichols.

TYRE NICHOLS: A BLACK ACADEMIC RESPONSE TO POLICE BRUTALITY WITHIN A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE
By: Renaldo McKenzie

Despite the promises of reform, the police have only changed their language, not their violent operations in Black communities. They have no integrity left. We can no longer trust their actions or their words.

The police were meant to serve and protect law-abiding citizens, but today, they serve themselves and special interests. When we call for police reform, it’s because they consistently disregard the law and the rights of the people they should be protecting.

It’s time for a thorough investigation into every police excess and every police action. Every officer must wear a body cam. The police are supposed to be above lawlessness, but now, they hide behind their badges while they lie and disrupt communities of color across the United States. We must question their stories and their motivations, for the police can no longer be trusted to serve and protect.

Submitted by Editor-in-Chief at The NeoLiberal Journals: Renaldo C. McKenzie, was born in Jamaica and graduated from Jamaica Theological Seminary, was ordained to the Ministry of Sacrament and Word in the United Church, and after Studying Philosophy briefly at the University of the West Indies, went on to the University of Pennsylvania. where he graduated with a Master of Arts and a Master of Philosophy. He is currently a US Citizen, residing in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and is the Author of Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance an academic text which was number one on Amazon in Deconstructivist History and Critical Philosophy. The book was reviewed as an erudite analysis of Jamaica’s economic history by Kirkus Reviews. Renaldo’s second academic book, Neoliberal Globalization Reconsidered, Neo-Capitalism and the Death of Nations, will be released in September 2023 it features contributions from Professor Emeritus, Martin Oppenheimer, Ph.D. of the University of Penn and Rutgers University and author of several ground-breaking books. Renaldo is a Doctoral Candidate at Georgetown University and Creator/Host of The Neoliberal Round Podcast, a global podcast in News Commentary that is top five worldwide in News Commentary. Renaldo is also President of The Neoliberal Corporation, a think tank and Digital Media company that is aimed at serving the world today to solve tomorrow’s challenges through communication which is to make popular what was the monopoly, www.theneoliberal.com. You may follow Renaldo McKenzie on Twitter @RenaldoMcKenzie or on Facebook @Renaldo.McKenzie, LinkedIn @Rev.Renaldo.C.McKenzie and Instagram @RenaldoMckenzie.

This article will be discussed on The NeoLiberal Round Podcast Season 7 Episode 13.

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