Audio clip
Maxine Cousin
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Staff Photo by Matt Fields-Johnson James Marine, father of the deceased Alonzo Heyward, examines the aquarium that was shattered by police bullets when Mr. Heyward was shot. The aquarium was home to Nemo the fish, and Nemo was buried with Mr. Heyward. "This just doesn't make any sense," Mr. Marine said.
Several members of Chattanooga's black community are talking among themselves and with representatives of civil rights groups to try to understand how and why 32-year-old Alonzo Heyward was shot by police 43 times last month.
"It's really disheartening to hear all this stuff and have all these shootings," said Maxine Cousin, a longtime critic of the Chattanooga Police Department after her father, 66-year-old Wadie Suttles, died in 1983 from a fractured skull received in the now-closed City Jail. Witnesses had seen Mr. Suttles scuffling with jailers and another inmate, but no one ever was charged.
On Saturday, Ms. Cousin said the July 18 shooting of Mr. Heyward reopened old wounds for her and others locally.
The number of shots fired at Mr. Heyward -- 59 in all by six officers -- didn't surprise her "in Chattanooga," she said. But what she called "the callousness" did.
"What I got from that was that they really don't know what else to do," she said. "There can't be, in a sane society, that the only thing you know to do in your job as a policemen is just to shoot and kill folks. There have got to be other ways to deal with this (handling people with mental disorders or depression)."
Mr. Suttles had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Mr. Heyward was threatening suicide when officers were called to a fast food restaurant on Rossville Boulevard where he held a rifle.
Chattanooga Police Chief Freeman Cooper said last week he doesn't argue that firing 59 times at a suspect seems excessive. Nor does he disagree that 43 entry and exit wounds on the body of Alonzo Heyward, who was fatally shot by police July 18, appear extreme.
"We're not trying to debate that," he said. "We're not upset that people think that's excessive. We understand how people would feel that way."
But Chief Cooper said that level of excessiveness is necessary when officers are faced with a deadly threat, something average citizens don't always understand.
"(An officer's) mind is focused on the threat they're presented with, and their training tells them to continue what they're doing until the threat ceases to exist," he said.The six officers involved, Lauren Bacha, Deborah Dennison, Zachery Moody, George Romero, William Salyers and Bryan Wood, were placed on seven days paid leave, according to Chattanooga Police Department policy. All have returned to work.
Papa Ricks Mukasa, a self-described "black power" advocate who met in Alton Park on Saturday with Ms. Cousin and several other concerned community members, called the leave "a paid vacation."
"We've got to get mad," he told the group, which included Tennessee Civi Rights Legal Consultant Ronald Madden, an investigator with Tennessee Civi Rights Clinic.
Chief Cooper said it was disheartening that some people attempted to turn the situation into a racial issue.
"We don't determine whose house we're going to," the chief said. "Officers don't see it in black and white. They're protecting the citizens and our communities of people that they don't know."
The local chapter of the NAACP released a statement calling for the release of information in regard to Mr. Heyward's death, as well as about the six officers involved in the incident.
The organization is seeking answers and accountability more than anything, chapter President Valoria Armstrong said.
"We're not saying anything was done wrong, but we want to make sure everybody has the information that's available," she said.
A preliminary report from the Hamilton County Medical Examiner's Office last week revealed that Mr. Heyward had 43 entry and exit wounds on his body after he was shot to death by Chattanooga police.
Police said Mr. Heyward had been making suicidal threats July 18 when officers were called to the McDonald's on Rossville Boulevard. Police continually asked Mr. Heyward to drop his rifle and followed him to his Seventh Avenue residence. When he would not drop the rifle and turned to enter the residence, they used a Taser, which was ineffective.
Only one probe was found attached to Mr. Heyward's body, said the officers' attorney, Bryan Hoss. A Taser is effective only when both probes fix themselves to a suspect.
Mr. Heyward then allegedly moved the barrel of the rifle from his chin to point it at the officers, Mr. Hoss said.
The officers then used deadly force, firing in separate volleys because Mr. Heyward did not immediately fall to the ground or release the rifle, Mr. Hoss said.
Mr. Hoss disagrees with statements that officers shot an excessive number of times, saying that they followed departmental policy by continuing to give verbal warnings, attempting to use a Taser, calling for assistance on their radios and using force only when the threat could not be abated.
"It is a classic case of Mr. Heyward wanted to die that night," he said. "It's tragic that he forced officers to do that. When you refuse to put a gun down, they are absolutely authorized to use deadly force."
A rifle shell casing recovered at the scene will be tested to determine where it came from, though authorities don't know how long it had been there.
None of Mr. Heyward's family members, who previously said the shooting seemed excessive, could be reached for comment last week, despite repeated messages left for comment.
Chief Cooper said it's important to provide the public with as much information as possible -- without compromising an investigation -- so residents can understand what occurred before and during the shooting and why police initially got involved.
That six officers all perceived the same threat and acted accordingly also speaks well of their training, he said.
Ms. Cousin, however, questions the training.
"If somebody has a mental problem there ought to be facilities to handle that, or the police ought to be trained to recognized somebody with mental problems so that they can deal with it properly," she said.
Pam Sohn has been reporting or editing Chattanooga news for 25 years. A Walden’s Ridge native, she began her journalism career with a 10-year stint at the Anniston (Ala.) Star. She came to the Chattanooga Times Free Press in 1999 after working at the Chattanooga Times for 14 years. She has been a city editor, Sunday editor, wire editor, projects team leader and assistant lifestyle editor. As a reporter, she also has covered the police, ...
"Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword" (Matthew 26:52.
Live by the sword, die by the sword: If you live by the sword, don't expect to die in peace.
it that's the case, tax_payer, then there ought to be a lot more people "dying by the sword", even tax_payers.
It's been rumored that at least two of the cops involved in the Heyward shooting death are either married to one another, although maintaining separate last names, or are in romantic relationship with one another. If this is true, should married or dating police officers be allowed to work in the same shift and in the same unit with one another? It seems this could possible affect their decision making when responding to situations. Is the cop responding or is the spouse responding in a way so as to protect a fellow spouse?
If this is true, then the dept. need to set better guidelines on whether cops married to fellow cops or dating fellow cops on the job shouldn't be allowed to work together on the same shift and in the same sector or unit. I'd think that could be considered a conflict of interest.
Good vs Bad Guys The police personality serves to insulate officers from the rest of society. It fosters an "us versus them" mentality. The cops are the good guys and everyone else is a potential bad guy. There is a constant power struggle between the good and bad guys. Police believe that societal order depends on the good guys winning — at any cost.
When anyone challenges the police, the police defend their right to enforce control and authority. Officers must trust each other to provide assistance and back-up in their struggle to maintain control. They develop strong bonds of loyalty that ensure they will be there for each other.
The Brotherhood must be reliable in life and death situations. Cops — and firefighters — stick together.
http://www.abuseofpower.info/Culture_Brotherhood.htm
Cops stick together? So do other criminals and animals of the wild who run in paks.
Stick together, even when their own are committing crimes? Do more to cover up for bad cops breakin the law than "defend their right to enforce control and authority?"
There's a stark difference in upholding the law, defending the right to enforce control and authority and using the badge to cover up for bad and criminal behavior when their own are breaking the law.
Is someone suggesting that there was criminal wrong doing on the part of the Police? Or that having a relationship with another officer somehow diminishes the ability to do what you are trained to do? I would challenge any of you monday morning quarterbacks to handle any violent encounter with your armchair wisdom.
This type of public second guessing only fuels the fires of social unrest. Blame everyone else for your bad luck, but don't expect the police to have mystical powers to solve the problems that they are thrust into. Actually, in 99% of the stories that don't make headlines, thats exactly what they do.
Let us look at the heart of the matter. Why is Freeman Cooper police chief of the Chattanooga Police Dept. Is he the brother of Isaac Cooper, the former notorious policeman that arrested and the first policeman that beat Mr. Wadie Suttles the night he was arrested for sleeping in his car? Mr. Suttles was pronounced dead six days later after being beaten several times while incarcerated. If the Cooper men are brothers, could it be that they are so intent for power that they operates from the same lack of respect for humananity? Maybe Freeman Cooper is motivated by pass orders of his former police chief Tom Kennedy, who adopted the fleeing felony law; under Tom Kennedy's administration numerous men lost their lives. Maybe Chattanoogan's are not paying enough attention to who is leading the city police department. My hope is that once an investigation is completed the first thing the good people of Chattanooga will stand up and do is demand Chief Freeman Cooper's resignation. IF EVIL PERSIST IS IT BECAUSE GOOD PEOPLE DID NOTHING?
Greetings Brethren, Peace be unto you. White people are not soley to blame for the problems the Black community. The following from the FreedomJournal Press Archives depicts overtime why Chattanooga especially Blacks are so backward and behind the times.
TRAGEDY OF STRAW BOSS LEADERSHIP: BLACK & CULTURAL GENOCIDE (17 June 2008 by Carl A. Patton)
Greetings Brethren,
Peace be unto you. Mainstream dictionaries define Straw Boss as an assistant foreman or foreman over a small group of workers. In one of the most classic literary works on creative writing “The Gang of Four” was tried by the People’s Court in the Chattanooga News Weekly. Genocide as part of the equation can be things other than race as a means of extermination. The intellectuals were purged and the independent mind rested on all things. The era is over and the righteous look for a cleansing of the lost souls that participated in this dark and bleak period of our history however we know with Christ Jesus there are never any dark days.
Shuffling right along and along the way a will of control logically came about the people once held as captives.
Looking back we see the transition from Straw Boss back- ward as the Slave Drivers and what would become the,
HNIC. The chains were broken and there were no more slave drivers with a license as,
The Straw Boss moved further toward its transition. As the contemporary scene crowded the land a felonious political,
Economy took hold. Meanwhile many of the Straw Boss leaders had already fallen and unscrupulous behavior resulted. Many people,
Bought and sold their body and souls in lust for jobs cast on as concessions to those considered as Head Person In Charge. The Black vote was,
Part 2: Tragedy Straw Boss Leadership
Tricked from the people by a rib sandwich and during the, days of the instruction house’s with a ½ pint of corn whiskey.
Yes, splo and white lightning streaked with cloudy substances that stirred in the mix. Many splo heads did not know to puke,
Are go blind. Because good corn was clear as spring water. Then there then came the days of the nickel, $5 bag,
Miller Light and still that greasy rib sam-mich. Many beautiful, Black women were exploited by The HNIC who had a family, mothers and fathers, sisters
And Brother’s. The illicit taste for, power struck and gave aid to sin and degeneracy. They showed no mercy as the vote went to the highest,
Bidder and no woman could cry loud enough not to have to pass through the HNIC to get a job in 1928 as a virgin Black school teacher.
Part 3:Tragedy of Straw Boss Leadership
One man died who groomed Black genocide and one was already born. This system entered its last journey thus by 1968 as the Voting Rights Act,
Had passed and many Blacks ran and were pushed into public office. The Black electorate continued to grow and laws,
Said Blacks should be represented and a contemporary reconstruction period was taking place. However in some places there was the need,
Are thought there was a need to continue the old Straw Boss system. Felons embraced politics as there was larceny all over the,
Black electorate as the shallow leaders gathered together. Center stage now appeared no principles as White collars and Black collar,
Crimes came to fruition. The sages cried and moaned. The fading Straw Boss who had by now milked the cow dry. Sucked on dry bones.
The power brokers had gone on a long picnic as they hoped the diminishing Straw Boss would just let it go and move on with,
The times. However he kicked and screamed as an assistant foreman always wants to be the boss and he tried to destroy
Any and all papers that recorded the story. He knew not that his era was over. Nor did he know that he attempted to take the life of self and not those he could not see.
Carl A. Patton, FreedomJournal Press www.freedomjournalpress.com>
From the one's I read none said that Mr. Haywood was not in his right mind. You all seem to want to blame the police for everything. They cannot tell if a person has a metail illness or on some kind of durgs. Or for that matter off their drugs. The naacp wants to look at every cop who shoots a black suspect killed or not but where the heck are they when a black man shoots and kills a white person? All they seem to care about is the black people.
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