Leaked photo of Omar Rahman’s body and a North County Police Co-Operative officer (Screen capture).
Just in case anyone was getting warm and fuzzy feelings about cops here in uStates. This photo was leaked, not much information about that right now, out of St. Louis, Missouri, of a cop giving a happy thumbs up over the corpse of Omar Rahman, who was shot and killed in August this year. I don’t really care what anyone did, or how any given cop might feel about any given person, this is unconscionable, no matter how you slice it. The St. Louis cop shop isn’t saying much about this, claiming their crime scene camera is missing, along with any hard copies. I find that interesting, given how cop shops everywhere are always plaintively crying about restrictive budgets and never having enough money. Cameras are expensive, I know, I have one, and it’s not even close to one of the high ends, just a Nikon D90. It was expensive enough, and lenses, well, anyone with a camera can bend your ear about lens lust and the costs which leave most of us in a state of drooling dreams. A camera used for forensics can’t be a cheap one, there has to be an initial lay out for a good camera body, and a number of lenses would be required. Not the most expensive ones, I’m sure, but at least two good workhorse lenses, and one macro lens, I’d think. Rather odd for something like that to go missing. I’ll be generous and assume they have more than one, they must have been using something since August. The old saying goes, one picture is worth a thousand words. I think that applies here.
Absolutely disgusting. No other words. The excuse is pathetic, because a missing camera does not alter the fact that this picture was taken, that the officer is recognizable, and obviously unrepentant if they’re willing to point attention towards supposedly missing eqquipment (frankly, I don’t believe them) rather than the fact that here is an officer in uniform posing over a black man’s corpse in an absolutely despicable manner.
The fuck a lost camera has to do with this? That’s not the issue; the horrible racist imagery is.
(Just to be clear, that’s aimed at the article, not for your commentary on it.)
Maybe this guy is a fan of those Abu Ghraib photos with the thumbs-up pose over the Iraqi dead guy.
The last time I saw a white person smiling while posing next to a black man’s dead body, it was a site talking about history of lynching.
I wonder now just how often these ‘trophy’ photos are taken. I expect this is just one more thing we don’t know about, but is common practice.
Oh my god. His poor mother.
fledanow:
I can only imagine the horror of having that photo in your head, along with memories of your dead child. There is no way to rectify this, there is no justice for such an act. Who can remove that image, and that act, from the brains of those who loved Omar?
Fuck, it’s in my head, and I don’t want it there.
to Caine @ 7
Yes, exactly. My eyes are full again, and my head is dizzy with nausea.
And you say you are not a writer. You are wrong. I couldn’t find the right words. You did.
In what world is that an excuse? Dunno, camera is missing? The picture happened.
Shit like this and the cops’ behavior WRT NoDAPL really makes it hard to muster any sympathy when someone lashes back and cops get hurt. I know the escalation can only lead to worse outcomes, but it’s really really difficult to do anything but meh when cops get hurt.