Is Arizona's Judiciary Embroiled in a New Scandal?

(Baonghean) - On Thursday, December 5, Phoenix Police said a 34-year-old black man suspected of selling drugs was killed by a white police officer. After a series of police scandals in Ferguson, Cleveland and New York, people are wondering if the city of Phoenix, Arizona is falling into a new "quagmire" related to the use of violence by the police?

The announcement came as thousands of people gathered in New York and other cities across the US to protest the grand jury verdicts that acquitted the police officers responsible for the deaths of two black men, Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York. About 200 protesters marched to Phoenix police headquarters after the death of Rumain Brisbon and demanded the identity of the officer who shot Brisbon.

The scene where a black man was shot dead by a white police officer in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday. Photo: USA Today

As in the Ferguson and New York incidents, the victim, Rumain Brisbon, was unarmed. According to the police report, Rumain Brisbon tried to run away and disobeyed the orders of the white police officer. The officer is said to be 30 years old and has 7 years of experience on the job. However, the identity of the officer has not been revealed.

The officer first spotted Rumain Brisbon sitting in a car parked in front of a store. Multiple witnesses told the officer that the person in the car was a drug dealer. The officer called for backup and saw Rumain Brisbon grab something from the back seat of the car. After being told several times to put his hands in the air, Brisbon attempted to run away.

Police said the officer repeatedly gave the suspect orders, but he refused and started yelling nonsense. The two were later found in the lobby of a building. Fearing that Rumain Brisbon was carrying a gun, the officer fired two shots at Brisbon. Brisbon died at the scene before firefighters and police arrived.

A box of oxycodone pills, a powerful, addictive painkiller sometimes used as a stimulant, was found in Brisbon’s shirt pocket. A semi-automatic handgun and another box containing a drug suspected to be marijuana were found in the car.

The officer was not injured. “Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the officer did his job,” Trent Crump, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department, told NBC News. According to Phoenix court documents, Brisbon had a prior police record for assault and robbery.

Marci Kratter, the family’s attorney, said there were many eyewitness accounts that differed from what the police had said. Kratter stressed that “This is a tragedy. Brisbon was not armed and did not threaten anyone. We will do everything we can to bring this to justice.” Kratter also said that Brisbon was a father of four. At the time of the tragedy, Brisbon was on his way to buy food for his children.

At present, the Arizona government has not made any decision. However, in the context of increasing police scandals and under the pressure of a series of protests breaking out across the United States, the Arizona Judiciary as well as the Obama administration will probably spend a lot of time and also have to be very careful to "stabilize" the order of the United States.

Chu Thanh

(According to LeMonde 5/12)