The Trigger-Happy Police Shooting of John Crawford III – Video

Right around the time when Mike Brown was gunned down by a police officer in Ferguson MO for committing the unspeakable crime of walking down the street, there was another shooting that did not receive as much publicity. The players are the same – a young black man and trigger happy police officers. And the outcome is the same, the young black man is shot to death by police.

The unfortunate end of John Crawford’s life came in a Wal-Mart at the hands of police on August 5th. In the video, the 22-year-old is seen on his cellphone – it was later determined that he was talking to the mother of his children. Crawford is seen walking over to an aisle and picking up a gun off the shelves in the ammunition section of Wal-Mart. He walks around the store for a few minutes, still talking on his cellphone.

Now, this is a Wal-Mart store and at Wal-Mart, guns are sold. Crawford, like any other customer in the store, had all right to pick up the merchandise – even a gun the store was selling – and continue shopping. But as a black man having a gun, even if he was legally allowed to have one for the purpose of making a purchase, is apparently a crime in itself.

Calls were placed to the police and, like the video shows, the officers entered the store and shot the unsuspecting man almost immediately.

Then on Wednesday, to add insult to injury, a grand jury hearing the case determined that the officers were justified in the shooting of John Crawford III and cleared them of all wrong doings. And another black man is dead for no reason.

Video