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News :: Civil & Human Rights : Crime & Police |
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Deputy Shooting of Unarmed Black Man Angers Community |
Current rating: 0 |
by Scott Mylxine
Email: mylxine (nospam) hotmail.com |
09 Jul 2004
Modified: 02:28:02 PM |
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On July 2, 2004 Joseph Golden was shot to death by an Escambia County deputy in his home, touching off anger within the community. The Sheriff's say it was justified, but many disagree and are remain very angry about the death of Mr. Golden. |
On Friday, July 2nd, another African-American male was shot and killed by an Escambia County Deputy Sheriff touching off a heated controversy in the community.
Joseph Golden, 27, who lived in Warrington came home from an early morning trip to the store to find his home being searched by narcotics officers.
The officer in question, Charlie Griffith, Jr, according to the sheriff's version of the story, told Golden to halt, he refused, and then lunged for the deputy's gun. Joseph Golden was then shot in the head and died on the floor.
But the neighbors have a different version of the story.
Nicole Lewis, a neighbor to Joseph "Bubba" Golden and witness to the shooting, was interviewed by the Pensacola News Journal shortly afterwards.
"He (Deputy Grifith) didn't say anything," Lewis said. He just pulled out the gun. One minute Bubba was looking at my mama, and the next minute he was on the ground bleeding. There was no commotion. He was just spitting up blood. They killed him for nothing."
Joseph Golden was shot in the head and died on the floor of his home. He was unarmed.
Sheriff Ron McNesby, in support of his deputy, was quoted on Tuesday as saying "I think Charlie Griffith was doing exactly what he was trained to do."
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. To complicate matters, Deputy Griffith's father, Charlie Griffith Sr., recently retired from the FDLE after 28 years of employment.
While the FDLE says this will not make a difference in the investigation or the outcome, members of the community are skeptical.
Leroy Boyd, president of Movement for Change, said in their weekly meeting that he had no confidence in the FDLE's investigating ability. He said that there is a war going on against the black men in this county and that Golden is another victim.
In every recent police shooting in Escambia County and the city of Pensacola, the FDLE has cleared all officers involved of any wrongdoing.
Sheriff McNesby said that he was certain that his deputy would be cleared of this shooting as well. To appease members of the community, McNesby privately met with members of the NAACP, the ACLU, and the Southern Christian Leadership Council on Thursday to discuss the killing.
In the meeting, Sheriff McNesby rejected the idea of a civilian review board, a step that has been called for by several concerned groups for years.
Noticably absent from the meeting was the Movement for Change, who were actively boycotting any talks with the Sheriff. "We've done this too many times," Boyd said.
Mr Boyd also expressed dismay over the lack of action against the shootings within the white community, especially “that downtown bunch.” He was also critical of the silence of leaders in the black community. “We have to stick our necks out on this one.”
Movement for Change has been very vocal in regards to all of the local police shootings, including the 2000 shooting of Andrena Kitt. Andrena Kitt was a twenty year old pregnant black woman who was shot to death in the parking lot of the Grande Hotel by Pensacola Police officers in what was called a “drug-sting gone bad.” Movement for Change and many prominent members of the Black community led a march of hundreds up to the Police Department's headquarters to protest the shooting and demand justice. At the front of the march was Andrena Kitt’s mother.
There have been 18 police shooting deaths in Escambia County since 1994.
The NAACP has promised to continue with it's own independent investigation of the homicide, which will be separate from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The FDLE's investigation, which is still in its early phases, could take more than a month until it is completed. The results will be forwarded to the State Attorney's office to determine if they feel the homicide was justified. Deputy Griffith is on paid vacation until the investigation is complete.
The NAACP plans to let the FDLE's investigation go its course and then deal with its results once it is complete.
Mr. Boyd and many members of Movement for Change expressed anger at the shooting and disappointment with the McNesby, saying that they have talked with the sheriff several times over the years with no noticable results.
Sheriff McNesby was elected to office partially with the hope that he would be proactive in reigning in a law enforcement group that is seen by many to be out of control.
Looking visably shaken by the stress of the events of the past week, Mr Boyd pledged at the meeting that Movement for Change would make this shooting a top priority and would be following this case very closely in the coming days. |
This work is in the public domain |
