Hundreds Turn Out To Vigil for Kiwane Carrington
On Wednesday night, October 14, a large vigil was held at the house where the police shooting of Kiwane Carrington occurred. Several hundred youth, neighborhood residents, and community members came to pay their respects to Kiwane. After the vigil, the crowd marched up Prospect Ave., many of the youth spilling into the street. Champaign County Sheriff’s deputies were there to direct traffic (Champaign police were nowhere to be seen). The crowd was managed by several members of the Nation of Islam who had come from Chicago and throughout the region to serve as security for the event.
Many filled the congregation hall at New Hope Church of God to hear State Senator and Vice-President of Operation Push, Rev. James Meeks give a rousing speech. Meeks lamented the death of young Kiwane. “This is what is sounds like,” he preached, “when blood cries.” He insisted that the community seek answers, “Put the police department on notice that we aren’t going to accept open season on Negro people.” Meeks called for an independent police review board, which Urbana has established but Champaign has refused to accept. “The worst thing in the world,” Meeks said, “is to have the police police the police.” He also demanded more black officers be hired on the police force.
The funeral for Kiwane will be held Friday, with viewing at 10 am and funeral at 11 am. It will be at Salem Baptist Church.
BD
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The Shooting
This is a senseless shooting. Police have mace, clubs, stun guns. Officers are trained to take down individuals as well. Once they saw this was unarmed kids I would think they would have reclipped their guns and asked what they were doing first.
I am not surprised to here something like this happened. The buses run in a way that makes it impossible for anyone to use them to go to jobs. This city seems to be run like a backwoods downsouth town.
I agree.
As soon as the officers saw that they were unarmed, they should have put their guns away.
Of course, it's impossible to see if someone is holding a gun in their belt, for example, unless you stop them and pat them down. These kids didn't stop, so the officers had no way of knowing that they actually were unarmed. If they wanted the officers to know that they were unarmed, they should have stopped.
Incidentally, I took buses to work here in town for several years. I still do from time to time, like when my car is in the shop. I've also been to quite a number of "backwoods" towns, and have never been to one that even had municipal bus service. So that's kind of a strange example to use.
911 tape
I still want to know where the 911 tape is. I heard balloon boys 911 tape the day after that one.
there were 10 or 12 CPD cars
there were 10 or 12 CPD cars staged at the block plant on N. Edwin. The old nelson concrete plant.
"Champaign police were
"Champaign police were nowhere to be seen"
I don't know if the Champaign police were there or not. But honestly, why would you WANT them to be? I would imagine that the last person any of the mourners at this vigil would have wanted to see was a uniformed Champaign police officer.
Maybe they decided not to provide security because they thought that doing so would be seen as intimidating and possibly confronational. Which seems completely reasonable to me, and quite humane.
Officer Dan Norbits Greg Brown Killing
Does anyone have information on the inquiry into the death of Greg Brown after a beating by officer Norbits? Is it true that he beat the developmentally disabled Mr. Brown with his baton when Mr. Brown was down on his hands and knees? Is it true that the board of inquiry found that lethal force was not justified?
I think this information has bearing on this case. We must wait 30 days for the result of the current investigation into the murder of Kiwane. But we can and should request the police release the report on Greg Brown's killing as it has current relevance to the community.
Why has the 15 year old told his story????
Why is the 15 year old involved in the shooting not being asked what happened??? I think his statement would calm a lot of the controversy that is going on in CU.
MORE ABOUT KIWANE CARRINGTON
from UCIMC: http://www.ucimc.org/search/node/kiwane%20carrington
from The Newz-Gazette: http://www.news-gazette.com/tag/kiwane-carrington
from Daily Illini: http://www.dailyillini.com/search/node/kiwane%20carrington
from Illinois Homepage: http://illinoishomepage.net/content/search/?mod=search_results&ref=websi...
from Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/13/792986/-Unarmed-15-year-old-Afr....
from Socialist Worker: http://socialistworker.org/search/node/kiwane+carrington
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