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On Tuesday evening, a member of the Jersey City police department shot Korron Benthall. Later that night, Mayor Fulop, Director Shea, and Chief Kelly gave a hastily-assembled press conference, which I attended.
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Let me say how happy I am not to add the name Korron Benthall to an ever-growing list of people extrajudicially murdered by US police officers. But I have questions.
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Mayor Fulop began w. a nod to “the national conversation on policing” and the need for transparency. Why, then, did he hold the press conference two miles away at Jersey City Medical Center? Surely the need to be accountable extends to the immediate community that was harmed.
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The very next thing he said was that not all uses of force are irresponsible. But shortly thereafter he and Director Shea insisted that the matter is under investigation. How, then, can Fulop be so sure that this use of force was a responsible one?
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Mayor Fulop has named Benthall, but not the officer who shot him. Who shot this young man? If the Mayor and the Director and the Chief are all willing to tell us that this officer is “a credit to the force” and “one of our best cops,” why not release their name?
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Was the police officer in direct danger at any time? Most reports suggest that Benthall was running away from the police at the time that they were shot. What is the justification for shooting at a civilian from behind?
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The gun was recovered “at the scene” but the officials at the press conference refused to let us know exactly where the gun was recovered and when, relative to the shooting What is the full chronology of events?
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I wasn’t at MLK and Union when this young person was shot. I don’t know if they aimed a gun at the police officers or if the officer had reason to believe they were in danger.
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Here’s what I do know.
I do know that being in a quote-unquote bad neighborhood - which Chief Kelly described so memorably and offensively as “notorious” during that press conference - is not enough reason to aim or shoot a weapon at someone.
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I do know that being in a quote-unquote bad neighborhood - which Chief Kelly described so memorably and offensively as “notorious” during that press conference - is not enough reason to aim or shoot a weapon at someone.
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I know that if we consider being in a neighborhood the officer considers “bad” enough reason to shoot, then we accept a pattern of state-sanctioned violence against Black and Brown people. I cannot accept that.
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And I know that it is hardly “ludicrous” - as Director Shea said it was - to ask whether or not the officer was in material danger.
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The Mayor, the Director, and the Chief all went out of their way to tell us there is footage, including body cam footage. We are asking that you release it to the public.
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I wasn't there. I don't know what happened. But I know for sure that your unwillingness to engage transparently with the community does not build trust, and that we have good reason not to trust the official word.
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