Over the past few weeks, various media outlets have replayed the horrifically shocking video of a Black woman being brutally pummeled in the face by a California Highway Patrol officer. Such a horrific image sent shock waves as well as outrage through many communities in America.
The officer in question has been placed on paid leave. In response to massive public outcry about the beating, CHP officials responded that they are “investigating” the situation. I guess this is a step up from their initial response, which was to ignore the case despite the fact that the beating took place in broad daylight with hundreds of drivers and a few onlookers witnessing the horrendous spectacle.
The fact is that had it not been for the video going viral, this would have been another example of over-the-top police brutality swept under the rug and dismissed. The family of the woman in question has hired an attorney and is seeking monetary damages.
In another equally disturbing video, an Arizona State University police officer is seen body slamming a young African-American college professor to the ground as she was crossing the street.
As was the case with the California Highway Patrol incident, until images of the disturbing incident were splashed over the Internet, little attention was given to the event.
In fact, university officials initially sided with the actions of the officer in question believing that “the officer had acted appropriately” until mounting public outrage forced all parties involved to revisit the case. The officer in this case has been placed on leave.
These are just two cases that due to the determined diligence and conscientiousness of certain individuals who were determined to expose such injustices, that they eventually received the intense level of attention and outrage they warranted. Other examples of Black women in recent years being targets of police brutality are:
