Orange County Sheriff insists that deputy didn't call anyone a "nigger"

  The Orange County Sheriff’s Office really must think black people are stupid.

Thursday night the Sheriff’s Office published a statement telling the public that their ears were playing tricks and they did not really hear a racist comment uttered by a plainclothes deputy involved in shooting Salaythis Melvin in the back outside Florida Mall on Aug. 7.

The racist comment was heard while deputies were administering first aid to Mr. Melvin, 22, who was mortally wounded by a jump-out team that was serving an arrest warrant on one of Mr. Melvin’s companions.

Mr. Melvin was black. Based on what can be seen on the body cam videos, all the deputies on the jump-out team were white males.

Hundreds of people who listened to audio on a body cam video released earlier this week agreed one of the deputies uttered: “You’re a bold nigger.”

In the written statement released Thursday night through Twitter, the sheriff’s office said after extensive audio analysis, they concluded that the deputy said: “Is there a blow thing, or no.” The statement said the deputy was referring to a face shield used for CPR.

What do you think? Does “Is there a blow thing or no” sound remotely like “You’re a bold nigger”?

You can review the body cam video by clicking here.

This explanation is almost as far-fetched as one given by law enforcement officials after a team of Orange County jump-out deputies shot James Bauduy to death 2 years ago in front of a crowd of bystanders on South Street in Parramore.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who was Orange County sheriff at that time, said deputies fired because Mr. Bauduy made a “furtive” hand movement that caused them to think he was about to pull a gun.

The sheriff’s office refused to say whether a gun was found at the scene. (For more on that case, click here)

After weeks of stalling the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced that Mr. Bauduy did not have a gun, but that he was holding a 9 mm handgun magazine in his hand. A handgun magazine, sometimes referred to as a clip, holds bullets for a pistol, but it can’t fire bullets.

Why someone being chased by deputies would pull a useless magazine is as difficult to understand as how anyone would mistake “You’re a bold nigger” for “Is there a blow thing, or no.”

 

 

Deputies broke many agency rules during Florida Mall racist fatal shooting

The Orange County deputies who shot a fleeing man in his back killing him can be fired because they violated several agency policies involving racist and abusive language and use-of-force tactics that needlessly endangered the public.

The sheriff’s office said it’s still investigating the incident, but recently released body cam video showing the deputies were racist, cruel and reckless. Click here to see that unedited video.

During the incident Aug. 7 at Florida Mall, which resulted in the death of Salaythis Melvin, 22, a recently released body cam video revealed that one of the deputies referred to the black victim as a “bold nigger.”

Based on what can be seen on the video all the deputies were white. No one admonished the cop who made the racist comment.

Immediately after Mr. Melvin was shot by plainclothes deputies in the shopping mall parking lot, one of the deputies is seen on camera shouting: “Keep your fucking hands out!”

“Get your hand out! You’re going to get fucking shot!” Mr. Melvin was on the ground writhing in pain from a gunshot wound in the back.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office general order for bias-free policing states: “It is the policy of the agency that people having contact with agency personnel shall be treated on a fair, impartial, bias-free, and objective manner in accordance with law and the guidelines set out in this general order. Law enforcement action that is biased is illegal and violates the equal protection clause and the 4^th Amendment of the Constitution. It also alienates the public, fosters distrust, and undermines legitimate law enforcement.”

Rule 8 in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office General Order for standards of conduct states: “Personnel shall be courteous and respectful to their superiors, fellow personnel and members of the public.”

Rule 15 under standards of conduct states: “In the performance of their duties, all personnel shall maintain command of temper, patience and discretion. Employees shall refrain from using improper, obscene, profane on insolent language.”

There are also major questions about the justification for the shooting, which resulted in Mr. Melvin’s death. The deputies converged on the parking lot to arrest a man Mr. Melvin was with – not Mr. Melvin. Yet at least one deputy fired and hit Mr. Melvin in the back.

The sheriff’s office use of force policy states: “Members of the agency are not authorized to: use a firearm to arrest or prevent the flight of a person who has committed a misdemeanor or traffic violation.”

At the time of the shooting Mr. Melvin was not wanted for anything. He apparently ran because he was scared.

Even after deputies shot Mr. Melvin they didn’t know who he was. One deputy was heard on the video asking: “What’s your name dude?” At this point Mr. Melvin’s eyes were open, but he was unresponsive, near death.

If deputies didn’t know who Mr. Melvin was, why did they open fire in the parking lot while there were members of the public walking to and from their cars?

Rule 4 in the sheriff’s office use of force policy states: “When determining what level of force to use, deputies shall consider the risk to the public, including but not limited to, whether the deputy’s use of force creates a substantial risk to the safety of the public, exceeding the danger to deputies or the public by allowing the suspect to remain at large.”

Note: Mr. Melvin was not a suspect. The man deputies were seeking to arrest had already been taken into custody.

It is noteworthy that Rule 3 in the sheriff’s office standards of conduct states: “Violation of policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action to include, but not be limited to verbal reprimand, written reprimand, suspension from duty without pay, disciplinary probation, demotion or termination.”

Click here to see the rules at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

 

 

  

Orange deputy calls dying man "a bold nigger"

 Newly released bodycam videos reveal that moments after being fatally shot by an Orange County deputy one of the cops refers to the dying man as a “bold nigger.”

The deputy who uttered the racist expression was part of a team that was serving a warrant on a man that was part of a group leaving the Florida Mall on Aug. 7.

The man who was fatally shot was not the target of the warrant.

Apparently frightened by the jump-out team of deputies Salaythis Melvin, 22, fled when a deputy opened fire and shot him in the back.

Following Sheriff’s Office protocols, the plainclothes deputies at the scene started administering first aid to Mr. Melvin, who was moaning and unconscious. That’s when one of the deputies uttered: “You’re a bold nigger man.” Click here to see and hear the racist clip.

Mr. Melvin later died at the hospital.

Mr. Melvin wasn’t wanted for anything, though deputies later claimed that he was armed. No firearm was evident when deputies rolled him over to offer first aid. One of the deputies who was administering first aid admitted Mr. Melvin had been shot in the back.

Police are only supposed to fire when confronted with deadly force. A man running away from cops in a parking lot doesn’t pose a threat to deputies.

The video was released on Tuesday Election Day, too late to impact the re-election of Sheriff John Mina.

Ocoee's racist mayor is up to his old tricks

The racist mayor of Ocoee is up to his old tricks – insulting black people and trying to ruin the 100^th anniversary memorial of the most infamous racial atrocity in Orange County history.

During the last Ocoee City Commission meeting (July 21) Mayor Rusty Johnson insulted State Sen. Randolph Bracy and called him a liar. Bracy is black and his senate district includes the west Orange County city of Ocoee. (To see that exchange, click here.)

More fireworks on this topic are expected at the next City Commission meeting this coming Tuesday (Aug. 4^th), starting at 6 p.m.

Bracy attended the July 21 meeting to discuss plans to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the Ocoee Massacre when racist whites attacked black residents and killed them or drove them out of town. Whites were jealous that some black residents were becoming prosperous.

During the 1920 rampage several hundred black Ocoee residents were murdered; their homes were burned, property was stolen, black survivors were chased out of the town. July Perry, a prominent black resident – a businessman and a landowner -- was lynched during that bloodbath.

Sen. Bracy attended the city commission meeting to ask city leaders to consult and collaborate with members of July Perry’s family and the July Perry Foundation while planning the anniversary commemoration.

During Bracy’s comments, Mayor Johnson -- who has a history of insulting racist comments -- demanded to know if Bracy lived in Ocoee. Bracy insisted he did, but Johnson accused Bracy of lying. Speakers at city meetings are not required to give the street address of their home.

For more than a year, Mayor Johnson and a city human-relations committee appointed by Johnson, have hijacked plans for the massacre commemoration.

The mayor’s committee has not consulted or collaborated with descendants of the massacre victims. The city’s committee wants to trivialize this solemn commemoration.

Bill Maxwell, a black man who heads that committee, publicly said he didn’t know how to contact descendants even though they were sitting in the same meeting. Maxwell is an ally of Mayor Johnson.

Even though 2 black men have been elected to the Ocoee City Commission, Mayor Johnson has a history of making rude and racist comments to black people during commission meetings.

The 100th anniversary of the massacre is fewer than 3 months from now, but the city has not selected a date for the commemoration, nor has it established a budget for the event. Meanwhile the city blocked a local community group from getting access to city facilities to hold the commemoration.